April 12, 2021, Issue 751
Analysis: See Spots Run
The introduction of PPM measurement led to a cardinal rule of programming: Spot-sets are best positioned across quarterhour boundaries to offset listening losses. Terms like “bow tie” (spot blocks straddling :15 and :45 on the hour) and “hourglass” (straddling :00 and :30) became standard programming lexicon. Extended music sweeps – even entire dayparts or days without commercials – also became part of the PPM programming arsenal. So, what are stations doing now? What’s working, and what isn’t? Country Aircheck analyzed daily Mediabase logs of Country competitors in eight PPM markets on a random Wednesday in February to see when stop-sets ran and how long they were during the midday shift. Of course, some stations may vary placement on different days or may have commercial-free days not represented here. Analysis included Nielsen Persons 2554 midday data for the month to see if there were any strategies that seemed to pay off better than others. Though prohibited from revealing the specifics of which stations were analyzed, five are Audacy owned, four are iHeartMedia and the remaining seven represent one owner each. The most popular strategy was a simple “bow tie,” with spots airing around :15 and :45 every hour and no extended music sweeps. This strategy was found on six stations, including all five Audacy stations – not surprising since they all carry the company’s Katie & Company midday show. Four stations ran the “bow tie” but eliminated one spot block during the daypart creating an extended music sweep. The timing of the sweep varied, but three of the four stations that used this approach are owned by iHeartMedia. Three stations used the bow tie format but with a music sweep lasting longer than one hour. One station employed an hourglass format with no extended sweeps. (continued on page 11)
Talkin’ Squad. Amen: Broken Bow’s Chase Rice (in white) with WQIK/ Jacksonville’s John Scott, Toni Foxx and Brad Thornton (l-r).
From Endorsers To Influencers
According to BigCommerce.com, the past five years brought a boom in brands utilizing social media influencers. From an ancillary marketing tactic to a $5-10 billion dollar industry, influencer marketing continues to be among the more accessible and measurable of the social media marketing strategies. Radio is also discovering the power of branding on-air talent as influencers, defined as “someone who has built a loyal following through their online content creation.” What remains to be seen is to what extent radio is willing to embrace social media influencing as a viable revenue stream. “Digital advertising allows us to get in Dan McKee deeper with our existing customers as well
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