The Razr and The Radio

I'm generally a “glass half full” kind of guy. I prefer to think in positive terms, versus negative. But in looking at all of the research that has recently come down regarding how radio is becoming less hip these days to the younger crowd, it really makes us all wonder, "what's the future of radio to the younger demographic?" I'm referring to the youngest demo that Arbitron surveys; the 12-17-year-old listener. While this is not the target that most radio stations aim for, we must address the issue of fewer people coming through the pipeline to our radio stations. There is more competition today than ever before for the younger crowd, with video games, iPods, Internet music downloads, and lots of other items.

Let's look on the positive side, and consider how Motorola marketed their hot new item... the Razr. In case you've been hiding under a rock over the last couple of years, the Razr has reportedly sold some 50 million units. Is it a great cell phone? Has the marketing behind the product been superlative? Or both? I have friends who have them (I still use my Blackberry), and it's mixed, but certainly more toward the positive side. There was a recent article in Money Magazine that spoke about the Razr phenomena..

The ad campaign behind the Razr has been directed toward it’s core audience of 18-34-year-olds (sound like a radio station?) Leslie Dance, Motorola's mobile devices marketing chief, says that the 18 to 34 crowd are early adopters of new stuff, have cash to spend, and fewer responsibilities. Plus, other groups tend to follow them. "Younger kids aspire to be 18-year-olds, and older people are inspired by them."

What's the marketing thrust behind the Razr? Motorola uses print and TV ads on a national level to graphically represent the product. However, a big push behind the Razr relies on ground level tactics. Here are the points, along with the radio application.

A. Put the product in hip hands. The idea is to get the phone used by the right celebrities, who will be photographed using it, and cast the product in their beautiful people glow. Rather than stuffing the phones in the award show gift bags, Motorola issued personal invitations to some 75 young actresses to use special edition Pink Razr's custom-made for the occasion (and given away by some radio stations.) The actresses used the phones, the tabloids noticed and the Razr's place to today's hip culture was linked.

Radio station application: This November is Election Day, and you need to get out and energize the young “electorate” for your radio station now. It all starts in the young crowd. Canvass your local high schools and find out who the opinion makers are in the school. Tip? Look at the high school yearbook to find the influence makers. Get them to endorse your radio station. Invite them to the studios (with chaperones, of course!) to advocate usage of your radio station. Have them do the audio clips talking about how they use your radio station and that you are their favorite. There should be an incentive for them to do this.

B. Put the product in action. On NBC’s reality show Treasure Hunters, the contestants in a global scavenger hunt get clues on their Razr cell phones... that's product as hero.

Radio station application: Have small radios silk-screened with your station logo and get the opinion makers to use them. An application that Mike McVay and I have used is the transistor marching band, where you solicit listeners with portable radios, wearing your station shirts and marching in unison at parades, etc. Create an EVENT.

C. Associate it with cool. Motorola didn't just sponsor a concert by hip-hop band The Roots. The company spread the word by papering lamp posts in hip neighborhoods with “lost dog” adds. These looked like flyers for the concert, with tear off tags at the bottom. But the tags listed Motorola's web site, not the concert date. “When the poster looks like a concert flyer, that gets us past people's filter for commercial content" says Joe Bonadio, from GoGorilla Media, which created the ads.

C. – Radio station application: Get involved with hip concerts and develop new methods of advertising to the demos that you want to reach.

If you have a Contemporary radio station, either Pop or Rhythmic CHR, or even Hot AC, you should be concerned that the younger crowd coming up is not listening like the older crowd does today. Tomorrow is just around the corner. Build new listenership today.