Debunking their marketing myths & mistakes

[pocket-radio]

The New Year brings another marketing campaign from the HD Digital Radio Alliance. The new set of ads focuses on how HD Radio has evolved with new features (Itunes tagging), low price-points (as low as $79), extra stations (multicast), and no subscription fees. The Alliance notes that with less advertising clutter, the message will be more easily heard.

So let’s debunk their marketing myths and mistakes.

Itunes tagging: Time Shifting and content control are just two features today’s time crunched media users are demanding. Instead of Itunes tagging, users would rather capture and save the stream, either directly to their ipod or held on the receiver for future playback. Itunes tagging is a minute feature. Radio still has one foot in the future and one stuck in the past.

Low $79.00 price point: The price point sounds attractive, but unless I’m wrong it’s probably junk and the entry point is still over priced, considering users traditional radios still work and sound great. A $99.00 cell phone, holds 500 mp3s, pictures and offers the owner untold benefits and relevance. HD radio sounds better, but still plays music someone else likes. That ship has sailed, because free customized music is everyplace now. Focus, on the content boys and know what you’re selling, sounds better is another dead horse.

Extra stations: Yes and no depending on where you live and play.

Mulitcast: More confusing meaningless industry puff speak.

No subscription fees: Listeners are still confusing HD with Satellite. And radio still considers satellite their enemy. People with money spend $12.99 a month for radio and enjoy content they perceive valuable. If the $100.00 radio is considered expensive, then no subscription fees is another dead horse. Hello HD radio who’s your target?

Less advertising clutter: Considering HD was radio’s number one 08 advertiser, if the message hasn’t cut through the clutter by now, it won’t get any easier boys.

When marketers run out of compelling ideas and facts, they resort to meaningless filler puff speak. Cutting through the clutter sounds big, but really communicates we’ve run out of fresh new ideas. I know I wrote that crap too for many years.

 

[Carmine5]

So just where are we in HD Radio's evolution? Australopithecus? Cro-Magnon? Iron Age?

Who, within the Alliance, devises these absurd publicity campaigns for HD Radio?

C5

 

[LasVegasRadioJunky]

To hear the new "Evolution" creative go to
www.HDRadioAlliance.com

user name: hdradio
password: new year

 

[clouseau]

The New Year brings another marketing campaign from the HD Digital Radio Alliance. The new set of ads focuses on how HD Radio has evolved with new features (Itunes tagging), low price-points (as low as $79), extra stations (multicast), and no subscription fees. The Alliance notes that with less advertising clutter, the message will be more easily heard.

So let’s debunk their marketing myths and mistakes.

OK here we go. Another famous "Clearcutter" special.

Itunes tagging: Time Shifting and content control are just two features today’s time crunched media users are demanding. Instead of Itunes tagging, users would rather capture and save the stream, either directly to their ipod or held on the receiver for future playback. Itunes tagging is a minute feature. Radio still has one foot in the future and one stuck in the past.

Agreed it's a minor feature. I agree. But I'm not an IPod person.

Low $79.00 price point: The price point sounds attractive, but unless I’m wrong it’s probably junk and the entry point is still over priced,

Well which is it? Sounds attractive or overpriced? Pick a gripe and go with it.

A $99.00 cell phone, holds 500 mp3s, pictures and offers the owner untold benefits and relevance.

And American Airlines gift cards get me a vacation in Barbados. Different animal. Totally.

HD radio sounds better, but still plays music someone else likes.

Radio audience research still shows many people don't want to be bothered aggegating music (Expensive or illegal) and then trying to get a "Mix" that they like. As folks grow older, music tends to becomes less important to them.Play something I like and leave me alone. read your audience research.

Extra stations: Yes and no depending on where you live and play.

Just like mobile internet and your cell phone. Hit or miss.

Mulitcast: More confusing meaningless industry puff speak.

You must have liked your snappy answer to more stations. You listed it again as multicast. You forgot Secondaries,HD-2, Subchannels and HD-3. More of your alledged puffspeak.

No subscription fees: Listeners are still confusing HD with Satellite. And radio still considers satellite their enemy. People with money spend $12.99 a month for radio and enjoy content they perceive valuable. If the $100.00 radio is considered expensive, then no subscription fees is another dead horse. Hello HD radio who’s your target?

Wow, what a "Clearcutting" mentality. Here's a riddle. How many people are willing to spend $12.95 a month for satellite radio? Answer? Fewer than are apparently needed for SatRad to make a profit. SatRad has positioned itself as pay radio. HD is positioning itself as SatRad for free. Anyone with more brains than a doorknob see's there is no such thing as a free radio, Satellite or whatever. While HD has not done a stellar job of marketing, this SatRad comparison is a valid point, IMHO.

Less advertising clutter: Considering HD was radio’s number one 08 advertiser, if the message hasn’t cut through the clutter by now, it won’t get any easier boys.

Demeaning tone aside, I don't believe anyone thinks it WILL get any easier. However I would not be surprised to see the SatRad promo budget shrink. They're in need of $1 Billion to refinance in 2009. Making a profit might help. They're due.

When marketers run out of compelling ideas and facts, they resort to meaningless filler puff speak. Cutting through the clutter sounds big, but really communicates we’ve run out of fresh new ideas. I know I wrote that crap too for many years.

Don't sell youself short. You're still doing a great job with the crap. But seriously, one of the issues they face is how to sell the product. And a lot of that has to do with who is the client. Some are FM Multicast. Some are FM super Hi Fi HD1 only. And some are AMHD, just trying to get better sound. It's not an easy room overall.

IMHO, they'd be better served working on inclusion as opposed to "Buy a radio".

BTW I only write that "Crap" in a pinch.

Clouseau

 

[pocket-radio]

The New Year brings another marketing campaign from the HD Digital Radio Alliance. The new set of ads focuses on how HD Radio has evolved with new features (Itunes tagging), low price-points (as low as $79), extra stations (multicast), and no subscription fees. The Alliance notes that with less advertising clutter, the message will be more easily heard.

So let’s debunk their marketing myths and mistakes.

OK here we go. Another famous "Clearcutter" special.

Itunes tagging: Time Shifting and content control are just two features today’s time crunched media users are demanding. Instead of Itunes tagging, users would rather capture and save the stream, either directly to their ipod or held on the receiver for future playback. Itunes tagging is a minute feature. Radio still has one foot in the future and one stuck in the past.

Agreed it's a minor feature. I agree. But I'm not an IPod person.

The next generation (radio's future) are plugged-in and logged-on at the ages of six.
Owning and using an ipod is simply apart of their culture. This generation would rather listen to
what they want, when they want. And unlike 8 tracks or CD's the ipod allows people who love music to carry THEIR music, 500 songs, in the palm of THEIR hand. If you can see beyond radio you'll come to understand, ipods and alike will connect to the internet, without wires, enabling on demand, time shifted content, from THE DASHBOARD.

Low $79.00 price point: The price point sounds attractive, but unless I’m wrong it’s probably junk and the entry point is still over priced,

Well which is it? Sounds attractive or overpriced? Pick a gripe and go with it.

It's a lost leader item that sounds attractive. It's junk and won't make a good first impression.

A $99.00 cell phone, holds 500 mp3s, pictures and offers the owner untold benefits and relevance.

And American Airlines gift cards get me a vacation in Barbados. Different animal. Totally.
That's what most radio people think. Kids go to bed with their cell phones, like you and I did with our pocket-radio. I'm willing to bet kids don't even know what a pocket-radio is..

HD radio sounds better, but still plays music someone else likes.

Radio audience research still shows many people don't want to be bothered aggegating music (Expensive or illegal) and then trying to get a "Mix" that they like. As folks grow older, music tends to becomes less important to them.Play something I like and leave me alone. read your audience research.

Research shows: TSL is declining & adults 12-24 are unplugging from radio. PPM shows radio's loyal audience is a myth, forget exclusive cumes. Agreed adults in their 50's care less about music. And for all the wrong reasons, ad agencies care less about people in their 50's. Play the music I like, stop playing 10 spots in a row and all those promos. The reason sat radio came to be, is listeners grew tired of hearing all those commercials and homogenized formats.

For a different perspective, pull your head out of the your Aribtron book and stop reading the research.
That's the problem with radio, the industry suffers from insider thinking. Instead spend time with kids in college. look around and notice how many radio's you'll see in college dorms. Trust me you won't like what you'll find.

Extra stations: Yes and no depending on where you live and play.

Just like mobile internet and your cell phone. Hit or miss

Why convince me? With just 500,000 HD radios sold, spend your time selling millions of listeners.

Mulitcast: More confusing meaningless industry puff speak.

You must have liked your snappy answer to more stations. You listed it again as multicast. You forgot Secondaries,HD-2, Subchannels and HD-3. More of your alledged puffspeak.

No subscription fees: Listeners are still confusing HD with Satellite. And radio still considers satellite their enemy. People with money spend $12.99 a month for radio and enjoy content they perceive valuable. If the $100.00 radio is considered expensive, then no subscription fees is another dead horse. Hello HD radio who’s your target?

Wow, what a "Clearcutting" mentality. Here's a riddle. How many people are willing to spend $12.95 a month for satellite radio? Answer? Fewer than are apparently needed for SatRad to make a profit. SatRad has positioned itself as pay radio. HD is positioning itself as SatRad for free. Anyone with more brains than a doorknob see's there is no such thing as a free radio, Satellite or whatever. While HD has not done a stellar job of marketing, this SatRad comparison is a valid point, IMHO.

Satradio was first and despite The Alliances attempts and wasted ads, consumers are still confusing HD with satradio. Here's a hint guys, try creating a new category. Maybe it's me, but you'd think with extra stations, boy that weak, and near cd quality, that's weaker, listeners would be rushing into Best Buy to get this wonderful and magical device.

Less advertising clutter: Considering HD was radio’s number one 08 advertiser, if the message hasn’t cut through the clutter by now, it won’t get any easier boys.

Demeaning tone aside, I don't believe anyone thinks it WILL get any easier. However I would not be surprised to see the SatRad promo budget shrink. They're in need of $1 Billion to refinance in 2009. Making a profit might help. They're due.

When marketers run out of compelling ideas and facts, they resort to meaningless filler puff speak. Cutting through the clutter sounds big, but really communicates we’ve run out of fresh new ideas. I know I wrote that crap too for many years.

Don't sell youself short. You're still doing a great job with the crap. But seriously, one of the issues they face is how to sell the product. And a lot of that has to do with who is the client. Some are FM Multicast. Some are FM super Hi Fi HD1 only. And some are AMHD, just trying to get better sound. It's not an easy room overall.

IMHO, they'd be better served working on inclusion as opposed to "Buy a radio".

BTW I only write that "Crap" in a pinch.

You make me laugh.. The Radio Alliance must have hired copy writers with a big date and in a hurry too.

Here's another hint guys, make it clear, so far your marketing has been weak. " it's the economy stupid" I own 8 radio's that still work! Why do I need another one?

I've worked with many clients who sold products with weak ideas and even the best marketing couldn't over come their flawed thinking.

Keep trying boys someday you'll find the key that unlocks the magic box..


Clouseau