Coaches Corner by Sam Weaver
The Groupie Talked, I Listened …
Radio companies are more secretive than ever. It’s gotten to the point that many decision-makers can’t openly offer an opinion on a song without a green light from the C-suite. Some things never change. Based on recent conversations with air personalities, radio groupies are still a great way to stay ahead of the competition.
She Understands…
The groupie is still a sympathetic ear and cheaper than a therapist. But unlike therapists, they’re not bound by confidentiality. And just like mental health professionals, they listen to a lot of people. The radio groupie isn’t necessarily loyal to one station, or one air talent, and that’s where my story begins.
Sometimes I Get Lucky…
Years ago, I stumbled upon an insomniac female listener who loved chatting with my competitor’s evening personality. Lucky for me, she also happened to be a huge fan of my station and a friend of our receptionist. One day she dropped by, and I just happened to be in the reception area when our receptionist waved me over to meet her.
She Said…
The receptionist looked at me sideways because she’d never seen me talk that long with anyone who wasn’t in the business. My curiosity had been piqued because I overheard the woman mention some big contest the evening jock at our direct competition had told her about. So, even before I was waved over, I was already walking over to find out more.
Did I Hear That Right?…
Back at my desk, I called the receptionist and asked her to bring me the winner sheets from the day before. When she walked into my office, she said, “OK, why’d you really call me in here?” I told her I overheard her friend talking about the other station’s contest, and I hadn’t heard anything on the air. And I monitor them all the time.
I Want To Know What She Knows…
She explained that her friend was single with two kids, a fan of both stations, and the night jock at the other station was dating her sister. I hit her with my patented bottom lip pout and said, “Any chance you might talk to your friend now and then—and if she happens to mention anything else their station’s doing, you could let me know?” She smiled, “I’ll see what I can do.”
Espionage For 50 Bucks, Who Do You Trust?…
Sure enough, she casually pumped her groupie friend for details and started reporting back to me. I gave her a $50 restaurant voucher as a thank-you, and we put our version of the contest on our airwaves before they did.
Don’t Stop If It Works…
I pulled the same move with a few of their other contests too. Not long after, I hired one of their part-timers and found out his ex-boss got so paranoid, he stopped handing out memos about on-air promotions in advance. Just in case karma was keeping score, I started explaining our contests out loud—only on launch day, and only verbally.
Why Did They Copy Off You?…
During our annual perceptual study, a lot of listeners thought our competitor was copying us. I think it’s because we out-promoted them. You couldn’t turn us on without hearing about the contest—live liners, drops, promos, the whole thing.
If The Opportunity Ever Arises…
If you’re ever tempted to do what I did, make sure to tell your Market Manager, Sales Manager, and Promotions Director. And double-check the contest isn’t trademarked. You never want to get caught stealing someone’s “great idea” if it’s protected.
And if you need some friendly advice, drop me an email; samweaver@samweavermedia.com or text me, (972) 672-4812.