KSDS 88.3 Blog

So, am I the only one who didn't pay much attention to the stunt when the guy broke the sound barrier?  I guess 8 million people watched it live, but when I saw the story on the web, I thought, "Ho hum."  It's not that it wasn't a feat, and must have been incredibly frightening and cool at the same time, but I was hardly overwhelmed with excitement.  And, here's the kicker, I didn't even read the writing all over the guy's suit.  There.  I said it.  I didn't even notice it.  Sponosors' logos on sportswear have become ubiquitous.  Like graffiti, they make people's eyes glaze over.  

And yet, marketing people are all abuzz about the marketing genius of Red Bull Stratos further blurring the lines of differentiation between advertising, cause marketing and blatant self-promotion. 

Was this a brilliant was to sell more product?  Probably.  As a non-user of energy drinks in general, my loss is no big deal to them.  Besides, I'm hardly in the demo.  

But from another point of view, I can't think of much that would make me less likely to ever consider the purchase of a Red Bull can.  I find this stunt environmentally offensive.  The author of the post says, "The beauty of Red Bull Stratos is that it's not just a sensational stunt, but a business move that could translate into estimated sales of tens of millions of dollars, according to Ben Sturner, founder and CEO of Leverage Agency, a New York City-based sports, entertainment and media marketing company."  Ick. 

Here's some photos taken from our events done this past summer!

Last night, Candidate Romney had no trouble at all promising to eliminate all Federal funding for public broadcasting.  He didn't even blink as he looked at the debate moderator, whose paycheck comes from a public entity.    Here's a link  to the television side's response to Romney's comments.  But this post is not intended to be political.  I'm not trying to direct votes.

One of the pillars of our mission, at San Diego's Jazz 88.3, the support of the Arts.  Not just Jazz and Blues.  In fact, not even "just" music.  We see our role as an important vehicle for information about all the arts; as enjoyed through theatre, museums, performance and exhibition.  There is a perception  that the arts are, well, stuffy.  Or high-browed.  Or unimportant in today's world. 

Well, as it turns out, everyone knew that the arts are fun.  The art critic from the Guardian in the UK is merely verbalizing something that we've all known,  at least subconsciously, all our lives.  We listen to music because it's fun.  It makes us feel good.  Sometimes it makes us want to dance.  Or cry.  Or sing along.  Music is part of our soul. Music makes our bodies fluid, our hearts light.

I don't mean to give away professional secrets, but San Diego radio stations get together periodically to ascertain the "State of the Radio Business" in the market.  It's not like we're conspiring, or anything, but we just talk about Best Practices and stuff.  The organization has undertaken a formal study of the perception of the radio business, through the point of view of some large, local advertisers.

[SIDENOTE:  Of course, Jazz 88.3 does not carry advertising, but we do seek and enjoy the financial support of local businesses who appreciate the value of the service we provide. From that standpoint, the thoughts of the "advertising community" are important to us, too.  We are, after all, players.]

Anyway, without sounding like we're patting ourselves on the back, at least according to these advertisers, Radio, as a medium, is doing just fine, thankyouverymuch!  With the advent of mp3 players, streaming music services, and "Internet radio," the profession has struggled with the fear that radio, as we have all grown up, knowing it, is going the way of the newspaper.  Well, if these advertisers are any indication of the public' perception  at large, that's just not the case.  One advertiser said, "The listener relationship with radio is the strongest of any medium."  Another one said, “The connection with the listener differentiates it.” Finally, probably my favorite quote is, “Listeners are passionate about radio.”

Everywhere you hear, people are talking about "branding."  Advertising agencies have become "branding specialists."  Low-end celebs work very hard to create their own "brand," which is just another word for reputation.  Even nonprofits, like public radio stations, are paying attention to the presentation of their "brand." 

John Burke, in his Nonprofit Branding blog, says, "Implementing a mission that benefits society is probably not enough. Your nonprofit must commit all employees, all volunteers, all directors and all actions to the branding process. Your brand is shaped incrementally and always – shaped by every interaction, shaped by the way your phone is answered, the way your office is maintained, and by the grammar in your emails."  

 So what about a logo?  Why all the fuss about logos? Why is a recognizable logo important to a retail product?  A well known logo is intended to re-create the feeling of the brand in the mind of the consumer.  When you see that pink and orange logo, you're supposed to smell coffee and taste sugary-sweet fried dough.  Wearing the Nike swoosh means you are a real athlete.  The design of the logo is neither here nor there, as long as the effect on the audience's brain is there.