CRS 2021: Radio's Post Pandemic Playbook

PPP Participants

Industry leaders joined together for the "Post Pandemic Playbook Panel" at "CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience" TODAY (2/17) to share the lessons they learned in 2020 and how they’re re-working their playbooks for a successful 2021. The panel, which focused on the three major areas of content, audience and revenue, was moderated by FUTURI Founder/CEO DANIEL ANSANDIG and featured input from BIG MACHINE LABEL GROUP VP/Digital Consumption DAVE KELLY, COX MEDIA GROUP HOUSTON Dir./Ops. JOHNNY CHIANG, SMITHGEIGER ELEVATE Founder NICOLE BERGEN, ENTERCOM CEO SUSAN LARKIN and TOWNSQUARE MEDIA SVP/Ops. TODD LAWLEY.

The panel opened by addressing six of the greatest challenges facing the CRS community in 2021. The list consisted of: more audio competition than ever, the biggest and most successful content creators being available on every platform, audience taste changing faster than ever, the ability to speak to current trends becoming more of a differentiator, programmatic and transactional business not being enough to meet budgets and, lastly, establishing direct relationships with clients being critical for growth.

While discussing challenges from the last year and addressing the obstacles ahead, each panelist was asked to bring an object that represents their opinion about the upcoming year in the music industry. While many creative objects were shared representing different views and hopes, there was one sure to resonate with every viewer - a guitar presented by CHIANG.

"We need to get back to music," shared CHIANG. "With songwriters and artists cooped up for the better part of almost a year ... I fully expect to [be] hearing some of the best product we've ever heard. And when touring starts back up, I fully expect to see some of the greatest shows we've ever seen ... Radio needs to be planning right now to be partnering up with artists, songwriters, labels and whatnot to create some of the most memorable listener experiences that we've ever done."

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