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Posts in "Hot Topics"

Is Retail Dead? Retailers Don’t Think So

February 3, 2022

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Over the past few years, retail stores with brick-and-mortar establishments have been negatively impacted by the growth of e-commerce. This was exacerbated by the pandemic, as online purchasing exploded. Many proclaimed retail dead and shopping districts a thing of the past.

However, there are indications that this trend may be reverting back to the norm…

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The In-Tab Dilemma

January 27, 2022

Filed Under: Hot Topics

If you are a Nielsen Audio subscriber – or read All Access – you know that the ratings company recently issued a statement concerning COVID and meter in-tab in PPM markets. Like many companies across a broad spectrum of industries, the pandemic has impacted their ability to perform at optimum levels.

We applaud Nielsen for their transparency on this issue. We also urge you to pay closer attention to your market’s in-tab every single month.

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Back to Basics: Hit the Reset Button to Refresh Your Data (and Selling) Skills!

January 20, 2022

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Are you hitting the reset button for 2022? Well, we’re doing just that at Research Director, Inc. One week each month, we’ll provide you with an educational series article on “Back to Basics.” We’ll focus on terminology, basic concepts of audience estimates, and how you can use data to ensure a successful year.

In this first edition, we are covering the basic terms for radio audience measurement. Do you know that there are only two main things measured? They are how many people are listening and how long they listen. You know these as Cume and Time Spent Listening (TSL).

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Going Mobile

January 13, 2022

Filed Under: Hot Topics

One of the realities that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated with cruel efficiency is that radio is uber-dependent on in-car listening. The “at-work” environment was diminished by the work from home (WFH) movement. While more people have returned to their regular routines, “at work” will remain challenged until Nielsen solves the ear bud issue. The third triad of radio’s location platform was “at-home.” Unfortunately, being locked down for so long caused a rise in smart speaker penetration, which led to new behaviors that created new habits.

Which brings us back to the car…

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Is It Really a Tie?

January 6, 2022

Filed Under: Hot Topics

There is a saying in sports: “A tie is like kissing your sister.” Forget the political (in)correctness – it demonstrates how we all feel about a tie. However, is a tie always a tie?

I was recently looking at a San Francisco ranker and the number one station in the market had an Adult 25-54 AQH rating of a 0.2. So did the #2 through #11 stations. Does that mean all of these stations are tied, and therefore equal?

Obviously, the answer is NO!

So what is the difference?

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Damn This Traffic Jam

December 16, 2021

Filed Under: Hot Topics

In today’s modern PPM-encoded world, radio programmers can garner a lot of granular information on their listeners. However, one data point that eludes us is location. We can know if listening is “at home” or “away from home” but have lost the “at work” and “in car” distinctions.

How can we compensate for that missing insight?

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Selling with New Scarborough Categories

December 14, 2021

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Are you looking for new ways to prospect and pitch local business? Are you wondering how you will hit your sales goal?

The answer is Scarborough’s new data.

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How to Find Local Content

December 9, 2021

Filed Under: Hot Topics

The world is hungry for content. This is especially true for radio stations. They need content to cascade out of the speakers, on every single social media platform, on the website, in podcasts, etc. The beast must constantly be fed.

Radio stations are also focused on being local. Getting a million views on a TikTok video is great for the ego, but does it boost the local brand? Is it what your fans really care about?

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On the Third Book of Christmas …

December 2, 2021

Filed Under: Hot Topics

This year Christmas is a lot different. I’m not talking about the pandemic or supply chain issues. In a normal year, the onslaught of Christmas music on the radio affects two PPM surveys – December and Holiday.

However, Nielsen adjusted the schedule this year so the recently-released or soon-to-be-released (depending on your market) November book began later than normal. The survey ran from 10/14 through 11/10. In many markets across the country, the flip to all Saint Nick began during the first 10 days of November. That means that weeks three and four will be affected by those format changes.

Furthermore, that means, for this season, the stain of Christmas music will affect three surveys. The entire December book will be blanketed by the haunting melodies of Burl Ives, while about half of the holiday book will be similarly affected.

What does this mean for broadcasters?

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Why Do People Listen to Your Station?

November 18, 2021

Filed Under: Hot Topics

It seems like an easy question, but are you sure you have the right answer?

Without being overly dramatic (OK, maybe a little), the future of your radio station and our industry might depend on what you say.

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