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Target Formatting
July 11, 2006
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New Game -- Same goals
There is a new game that's already quietly making a difference in a number of markets large and small. It's called target formatting, and it's a combination or series of little things that, when done right, can create a sharp listener focus and make a huge difference this summer.
Target formatting can mean the difference between a P1 and a P2. I call it the new black magic or the new black music magic. One of the tricks or illusions involves changing the perception of our stations and stepping outside the format boundaries occasionally. The other trick is about increasing your audience share by scheduling the right crossover music at the right times..
For urban adult stations, it means playing some rap songs that are extremely familiar, aka crossover adult party songs. These are songs that would be a hit at any party, such as Outkast's "I Love The Way You Move." They're part of the new strategic thinking about music
There has been a shift in the core of urban radio's library over the past few years.
We've been moving away from some artists that have been found by everybody's research and overplayed. There is a new theory that hip-hop is replacing rock with a younger male audience. It happens with every generation. In markets such as Chicago, Washington, Charleston, Detroit, Baltimore, Kansas City, Dallas and Birmingham, the latest Arbitron spring trends show that the urban or Urban AC station is not only the format leader, but also the market leader.
If we've learned anything about market leaders in the last few years, it is that a well-programmed urban or urban AC station can become the new market leader despite the competition from format similar stations who usually have larger signals, better research, and deeper pockets.
How do you combat these things? You combat them by offsetting their advantages by using effective target formatting. It has to do with maintaining the proper balance between consistency and freshness. We can't hope to capture and keep an adult audience with nothing but oldies and ballads, even if they're the right oldies. There must be balance. Balance in tempo, demographic appeal and freshness. It's a proven fact that the urban audiences are trendsetters, so sameness will not work over the long haul.
If you're going to move from being a strong alternative or P2 station to become the favorite station, target formatting needs to be a part of the plan.
Freshness & The Hipness Factor
There is a hipness factor that is part of the target formatting process. The hipness factor must grow from "occasionally hip" to "always hip." The hipness factor should be delivered on a consistent basis -- in the liners, the contests, the way the air-personalities handle callers, etc. The hipness factor is very much like the difference between a bank shot and a slam-dunk. They both go in and the score is the same, but true fans of the game want to see a little style and flair, and this is what the hipness factor provides. It helps if you have an in-house production director that gets it, too.
Now, the hipness factor itself cannot repair a floundering format. You still have to have the right music, and constantly adjust your rotations so that your station always sounds fresh. And you need the right positioning.
Positioning is a key part of target formatting. Here is where great copy that is hip and geared to the audience that is there to hear the music comes in. A positioning statement is a like a promise to your target audience -- one which you can never violate If you expect to occupy mind share. Occupying mind share can translate directly into higher numbers. These positioning statements should offer a unique benefit to the listener. They serve as a point of reference, not just "number one for hip-hop and R&B." That statement, like the music it surrounds, has to be changed, updated, and produced with different approaches for it to continue to be effective.
Make Your Own Hits
Finally, sometimes you may have to disregard a series of music test scores and follow your gut. Keep in mind, just because a test group said that a song is familiar, doesn't mean they want to hear it over and over. At the other extreme is the notion that songs could be put into a power rotation out of the box. But wait. What about the familiarity precept that says that listeners want to hear songs and artists that they recognize? That answer is it still has to be balanced properly. Too much unfamiliar music sends the wrong message to the target audience. Who are they? They are people in the outside world, listening to traditional urban and urban AC stations. When you put a new jam in a power stack on a station that has high cume, you can, by simply playing that song every four hours, make it familiar to your audience. Sometimes this is what you have to do. You have to make your own hits. Summer is the best time to do this. You still introduce new music first on the night show and then let it spread to other dayparts.
By making your own hits, and target formatting, you accomplish two very important things. You maintrain freshness and flavor. And you will pick up new cume that becomes attracted to your station this summer. When fall comes, you will have picked up a younger, hipper audience that will grow with you.
Word.
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