X-twitter Linkedin-in Youtube

HOOPER RATINGS STARTED IT ALL

A brief history of wHAT RESEARCH DID IN THE 30’S AND STILL DOES TODAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to a quick intro on research history by Chuck:

Jan here.

Ask anyone what they love about radio, and they’ll tell you. It’s that simple. Reach out, find out what your listeners love, and create a message that reaches into the center of their need. Grab their ear, grab their heart, and you have a friend.

Rating systems have changed since the 1930’s. Back then, in the “golden age of radio,” rating systems were much more personal. And in some ways, more immediate and accurate.

It all comes down to making friends, but how does one make friends? Claude Hooper knew. Based in America, Claude Hooper, a former marketing research analyst, started measuring radio and TV popularity in 1934. During that “golden age”, Claude was taking the pulse of the radio listener in a way that had never been done before. C.E. Hooper’s “Hooperratings” became the rising star—the go-to, trusted source for radio show popularity.

So how did this bit of history come up anyway? It all started with a story about life in Cincinnati—in the 50’s.

Chuck here.

My Dad has been in radio from the day I was born. He was in radio when it was network block programming—and almost no one thought about the “listener.” He tells of a well-known station in Cincinnati that was a harbinger of listener-first. They came up playing “Purple People Eater” for two straight weeks. Yep. Two weeks. Then flipped to rock ‘n roll. They debuted in the Hooperratings at a 78 share. Now, shares were figured differently back then, but you get the idea. The listener won, eventually.

Jan here.

But how did Hooperratings work?

“Reach out and touch someone.” Some of you may remember that AT&T marketing slogan. Well that’s exactly what Hooper did. Hooperratings were based upon phone calls made “coincidentally” to listeners in 36 cities in the US. What made his method unique, besides being highly personal, was that it allowed him to find out what the listener was focused on at that particular moment. Immediately and personally. This was favorable among the listeners, who didn’t really like having to remember what they were listening to 2 hours ago, much less 24 hours ago. C.E. Hooper made calls every 15 minutes (an exhaustive and expensive process). The results were tallied and distributed to advertisers, networks and radio stations. The industry largely lived and died by these reports, and relied upon their accuracy.

What might we take from all this?

In the 1940s and for some time after, when someone in the radio industry asked, “How’s your Hooper?” they were really asking about the size of a radio broadcast’s audience. You can find more information on each of these important components on our website, including information on listener research that is even more helpful, in-depth and actionable than what was done in the 1930’s.

At Finney Media, we love to work alongside you on your Hooper with heart connection, talent and story. Click here to read our next blog

Sources can be found HERE.

Blog Info

Chuck and Jan here asking a question.
What will your message be this Easter week?
What will you share with your listeners, your team and your family?

 

 

Gratitude? Wonder? Or perhaps—like the early believers—surprise?

Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb first. Surprise. The stone at the doorway—gone!

John runs to the tomb and looks inside. Surprise. No one there!

Peter, a little slower, goes inside. Surprise. Nothing but folded linens!

Mary Magdalene, back at the tomb after her early morning trip to find the disciples, sees two angels at the tomb. Surprise. Heavenly beings, but no Jesus!!

“The gardener” stands behind Mary. He speaks. Surprise. It’s Jesus – He’s alive!

Jesus appears first to a person of low standing, a woman. Surprise. Jesus is no lover of privilege.

Evening. Jesus suddenly appears behind closed doors to an assembled group. Surprise!

Days later, Thomas expresses skepticism. He’d missed the group meeting. Surprise! Jesus speaks peace to him.

We are poised at Easter week. Surprise! Hear Jesus bless us, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”*

Today, we have the opportunity to share the surprise of a God who cares. Who died for us. Who rose from the dead. Who lives and loves and works in our lives.

It’s the most surprising message. A message to capture our attention, our devotion, our daily lives.

From us to you, our wishes for a blessed, holy and surprising Easter 2017!

 

*John 20:29, NASB

 

Chuck here.

You know the movie A Beautiful Mind? It’s the 2001 movie with Russell Crowe, playing a brilliant but ascocial mathematician. Won the Nobel Prize in Economics. Genius. Understands things way beyond the average person.

That’s my friend Tim Davis. But without the asocial part. Tim is a genius. With music research. With perceptual research. With all things digital – apps, social, SEO, Twitter, Facebook. He was the architect of the Finney Media Why Listen?™ study we did in 2016.  

And he is a genius on Texas A&M football. Oh, forget that part. He is a genius on that, but that has nothing to do with this piece.

Tim understands how to meld all of those research and digital pieces together in a dance that creates listener and online user magic. He gets these things in ways that those of us who know him marvel at his gift. Ask anyone who he has blessed along the way, and they’ll agree.

But the even bigger thing to know about Tim is his heart. He is crazy about his wife Kathy and his two teenage kids. A quick story: Tim and I spent hours these past couple years on video chats working through various research questions and obstacles. But on this one call, Tim was quick to mute and spend about five minutes with his daughter Alyssa, who needed a few minutes with Daddy. Silence on my end, but I could see the tenderness and patience to give her what she needed in that moment.

Tim is a man with a beautiful heart!

And Tim loves Jesus.

And because of that last part, he is dancing in heaven with our King today. Tim finished his race on Saturday April 8. He was 49. Way too early for those of us still here. My heart is heavy with the loss, but I thank God for the blessing of knowing Tim, and look forward and upward to the day we’ll see him again.

 

 

7 Big Ideas to Develop Your Script

Now that you’ve prayed for, planned and finalized your new radio campaign (see Birth of a Radio Campaign HERE), it’s time to begin creating a great radio spot.

Well, not really.

The time to begin creating a great radio spot can be any time when:

  1. You have a spark of creativity in your car (and make note of it).
  2. You feel compelled to buy certain products and services (and you explore WHY).
  3. A song comes into your head that you can’t get rid of (and you explore WHY).
  4. You laugh, you cry, you feel fear, you worry, you lose your temper, you are exhausted, you feel overwhelmingly loved (and write down what you need most at that moment).

These are all essential activities when prepping for a great spot.

In addition, here are some goals and ideas to adhere to so that your spot performs as planned:

 

CREATE CONVERSIONS, NOT DISTRACTIONS

Radio spots can either distract a listener or convert them. A barking dog is an annoying distraction (even a deterrent), but a cute, loveable dog will attract. Barking facts at your listeners is not going to convert them. Instead, you want to create the unavoidable urge to “buy this cute dog NOW!”

And what do you get when you go to the Humane Society? Not just a dog, not just a friend, but unconditional love. You have been converted. You are now…a dog person.

Most businesses that advertise rarely create converts. That’s why we encourage our clients from the onset to explore WHY their listeners remain loyal.

 

DON’T BORE US, GET TO THE CHORUS!
~ Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith

In other words, don’t hide your light under a bushel. Show us the goods! Whatever keeps people awake at night is what you want to put front and center in the first five seconds of your spot. Got something amazing to offer? Get it out first – with a bow on top! It’s a free gift – something they’ve always wanted – and it is ready now! The product isn’t free, but showing them how to meet their needs is free.

 

DO YOU REALLY KNOW ME?

You may have set your target audience, imagining that thousands of millennial professionals are going to drop what they’re doing and buy your product, but how well do you know them?

We encourage you to hang out with your target audience. Spend time in a youth group. A College and Career group. A MOPS meeting.

I asked a woman in her 70’s to browse through a Senior Citizen’s Resource Magazine and point out the ads that bothered her. The ads with pictures of overly-happy seniors playing shuffle board and cards annoyed her. “Seniors in their 70’s,” she said, “aren’t really that smiley. We also hike, we Zumba, we play tennis, we do yoga. We don’t just sit around and look old.”

 

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: A GREAT CATCH

On one hand, targeted radio marketing works. Specific listening services provide options so audience can choose which music they want to hear. Which means that YOU get to choose who will hear about your service or product.

The downside to such specific target marketing, listening, anything, is that in some cases, you may be missing the payoff. You’re fishing off one side of the boat, but the catch may be on the other side. Young people who listen solely to Trance may never get to hear good jazz. By the same token, a young-minded, fit woman in her 50’s may never get to hear about the new Converse All-Star Neon Shoe (which she can afford and would love to own).

 

INTRODUCING YOURSELF: TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE

If you really want to be response-accurate, we recommend creating two or more radio spots with a completely different approach to each. Set up different websites, phone numbers, call to actions or offers and tally the responses as they come in. In a six-month period, you should have a good idea of which approach works best.

 

URGENT!

Ever get a text saying, “Call me … URGENT!”?  If you know the person, you’ll call.

That’s the kind of immediacy, or “act now” response you want from your listeners. If you give your potential client time to think about things, he or she will immediately start generating reasons to say no. The trick is, how do you create that urgency without causing negative stress?  You have to meet a need that’s keeping them up at night, something they care deeply about. “Free for a limited time” is also a good motivator, but make sure you’re not giving away the farm!

 

 

TIME WASTERS: Worn out phrases that don’t convert

Here’s a brief list of phrases that companies LOVE to use in their spots. But as important as they seem to the business owner, they are not as crucial to the potential convert.

FOR ALL YOUR MINISTRY NEEDS
Listeners don’t know what all their ministry needs are, nor do they have the time to imagine. Explain to them specifically what they need, and how you can help now.

IN BUSINESS FOR ____ YEARS
Nice fact, but it’s not a decision maker. Instead, why not get a testimonial from a long-time customer, or explain why you’re a solid organization.

FEATURING …
Nobody cares about a feature unless it’s attached to a benefit. Instead of poly-carbon fiber (important to you, but not to the layman), say “shatter-proof” or “not even a bullet can break through OUR glass.”
People don’t want a drill, they want a hole in the wall.

5 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS
Unless you can beam the product directly into their car, it’s not convenient. Since you have no idea where your listener lives, offer free shipping or something similar. Don’t use airtime for a “conveniently located” promise. Make it so convenient that they have no choice but to act.

FLUFF and DUST
There’s a difference between genuine humor and fluff. Fluff is cute the first time you hear it, then it gathers dust and becomes an irritant. Genuine humor is evergreen. It never ceases to make you laugh. It’s also very hard to create. Even the funniest script can turn sour in production. Make sure you create a spot that people will listen to all the way through (as opposed to “Oh no, not that one again!”)

 

Finishing Up: THE BIRTH OF A RADIO SPOT – CREATION (Production and Sound)

In a subsequent blog we explore the limitless, creative world of production. From sound effects to voices to music, your production value can turn a simple script into a sensory feast for the ears, imagination and heart.

 

ONLINE REFERENCES:
dandad.org
strategicmediainc.com
voicebunny.com

Seven Ways Growing Older Changes Christian Radio Listener Reasons for Listening

We shared the top reasons for listening to Christian radio by age in the March Finney Fast Five. If you take a close look, you’ll see ways that your listener changes through the years, as well as some significant ways she remains the same.

Recently, we read an author review in the Wall Street Journal Weekend edition that discussed how author Richard Holmes felt the need to “physically pursue his subject through the past…must go to all the places where the subject had ever lived or worked, or travelled or dreamed. Not just the birthplace…but the temporary places”. This seems to us an extraordinary effort to fully understand someone else’s perspective, challenges, joys and pain. Our hope is that research can help with this effort—although we would certainly encourage specific efforts to see through your listener’s eyes.

Age is something that each of us has no control over, and it factors into our views, the way we approach life and the reasons we do things. We see the changes clearly in the Finney Media Why Listen?™ national survey data, when we sort the top ten reasons for listening to Christian radio.  This graph illustrates the changes.

Within the top ten reasons for listening to Christian radio, we observe that “I want to help spread the truth” gradually increases through the years. “It helps me to understand the Scriptures” also sees a gradual increase.

Showing up at around 55 is “it gives me a Christian perspective on the news” and even later, at around 65, “I want to hear the sermons”.

There is a reason that gradually drops as well. “I want to get away from negative messages or music on There is a reason that gradually drops as well. “I want to get away from negative messages or music on other stations” gradually drops through the years.

What is perhaps even more notable than the ways your listener changes with age, is the ways she stays the same.

While the top three reasons for listening to you may shift around in order, these three reasons consistently remain the top three reasons Christian radio listeners listen: 1. I like the worshipful Christian music. 2. I want to be encouraged. 3. It helps me grow spiritually.

And notably, up to age 55, the top five reasons remain the same. Adding to the reasons just mentioned are: 4. I want to get away from Negativity. And 5. It’s safe for me and my family to listen to.

It’s in the mid-fifties that other reasons break the top five. “I want to help spread the truth” moves up, and then at 65, “It helps me to understand the Scripture” moves up to number four.

You can see these changes in the accompanying graph.

What’s going on here? Life’s journey, with the changes in children’s lives, sickness, divorce, job change or not, death, physical ageing and spiritual growth, moving homes or communities or careers begin to influence our views on what’s truly important and on the shortness of life. No wonder through it all we hunger for encouragement and spiritual growth fueled by worship.

As Jan’s grandmother said as she approached the end of life, “It goes so fast. It just goes so fast.”

Our listener walks along the road of life—though often in her car—and needs you as her encouraging companion, revealing what’s worshipful, true and Biblical. That’s the panorama, the picture we see forming as we look at reasons listeners listen to Christian radio, sorted by age.

 

 

Before Heart Connection

Affirmation Counts

 

Heart connection. It’s our goal as we communicate.

When we observe and understand that goal, our friends, our family, and yes, our listener will be impacted and will see life change and spiritual growth. We can’t help but want to create this connection.

Chuck tells of a question put to him recently: “Chuck, how can I coach my team if I don’t have enough hours in the day?” In other words, how can I see impact and growth with someone I’m around daily without spending exhaustive amounts of time and effort? How can I communicate efficiently and effectively?

Here’s an idea: catch this person doing something right. Affirm them. It only takes a minute.

Catch the morning host in the hallway and say, “The break you did at 7:35 about (topic) was awesome!”

See the admin at the front desk and say “The smile in your voice is the best public relations ever!”

Say to your board president, “That explanation of rates was eye-opening and saved my bacon. Your insight was a life-saver!”

Say to your listener, “You are the one that brings a smile to my face today! Your interest, the warmth in your heart and your desire for God makes we want to get up early and talk to you today!”

No “buts.” Just the positive. And see what a difference a little extra affirmation makes in the people around you.

A post-NRB note:  We listened to Shaunti Feldhahn speak to radio broadcasters about The Thirty Day Kindness Challenge.  Doesn’t this sound like a way to jump-start affirmation?

Why the Finney Media Why Listen?™ survey?

We believe the time to reach more hearts more deeply with the gospel is now.  We believe asking listeners why they listen to Christian radio and really listening to and acting on their answers is so much better than guessing!

 

The Finney Media Why Listen?™ 2018 survey is one we’ve done nationwide in 2016.  We surveyed nearly 23,500 respondents—all listeners to Christian radio formats. Listener feedback has been sorted in many different and helpful ways.

The results were profound! Next year in 2018 we’ll ask some new questions, some even deeper questions and some vital repeat questions for benchmark comparisons.

We invite you to join us. It’s low cost—and with additional special pricing for NRB members, CMB members and Advocace clients.

Join us HERE!  Get equipped to better serve your listener in 2018!

Finney Media Why LIsten

 

 

How to begin your successful campaign

 

The majority of our clients are “expecting” this year. And you may be one of them!  Decision makers from radio stations, broadcasting networks and nationally syndicated shows are huddled into conference rooms, alive with the hope that their radio campaign ideas for the year will be successful.

 

Some people bring ideas scrawled across post-it notes, cell phones, pads and napkins. Others have the entire campaign mapped out in bullet points complete with a timeline, budget and projected outcomes. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, you know it’s tough to come up with a campaign that listeners won’t just ignore or tune away from.

 

Foundations for a Top Flight Campaign

 

From helping victims of tsunamis to feeding the hungry to church building funds, Christians are bombarded with well-meaning campaigns designed to tug at our heartstrings and provide opportunities for sacrificial giving. With that as a motivator, here are eight essentials to consider BEFORE you get the campaign ball rolling:

 

  1. Prayer. Of all the ideas vying for attention, nothing good can germinate without love and God’s blessing. Ideas need to be brought together and prayed over. Thought about. Tossed about. Blended and prayed over with persistence.

 

  1.  Love. A great campaign doesn’t necessarily generate the most ideas/money/kudos/paperwork. It generates love. Its message is backed by love. Its response is love. If love can’t be extracted from your idea and brought to the forefront, it probably won’t directly impact your listener.

 

  1. Decency and Order.  Consider how God creates. With time and with love, with uniqueness in mind, decently and in order. Don’t let deadlines, initiatives and other perceived pressures get in the way. A great campaign is a living thing that, when executed in God’s timing, will remain evergreen.

 

  1.  Money. We’ve found that generally it takes a minimum of 18 campaign ads per week to deliver an adequate, memorable repetition that produces measurable results. The number can vary with specific circumstances, or with the type of campaign.

 

  1.  Time. Begin planning a major campaign at least six months before you launch.Don’t be a ministry whose calendar becomes glutted with a number of initiatives to be launched “ASAP”  with no budget set aside, no time to create great messaging, and no permission from management to revise worn copy.  Don’t be stuck in a rut, but pressured to “keep generating new projects.”

 

  1. Great messaging. There is such a thing as constituent resistance. With all the “gimme-gimme” messaging trying to capture our attention, listeners have learned how to say “no” before they’ve even heard the offer! Try offering an educational tidbit, an emotional story or a REAL solution to an immediate need or problem. The interaction between the listener and the call to action needs to contain an immediate benefit or your campaign will be ignored.

 

  1. Keep it simple.  A confused mind does nothing. Create your campaign in small stages rather than trying to cover it all in one ad. Build layers. Develop the relationship. Be creative! We all love a good movie where the plot is revealed cleverly over time. Make it fun–make it a series! Don’t expect your listener to jump into a giving relationship with you at the word go.

 

  1. Patience. How long does it take you to decide to give to a new charity? A year? Allow your listeners the same amount of breathing room. Create urgency, but cultivate patience. Rule of thumb is to wait 52-weeks before calculating the results. Think of how patient God is with you and apply that to your beloved listener. Allow them to transform from passive listener to collaborator.

 

 

MOVING PAST THE RESULTS

We recently posted the reasons listeners aren’t giving to a radio station or network HERE.  The bottom line is–even though they love your station or ministry, they’re primarily not giving because they can’t afford it. We certainly don’t want to squeeze money out of those who can’t afford it, but we do want to ask God how to be good stewards of air time, talent, listener funds and His Word so that your station or ministry can keep sharing uplifting music and inspirational messages that change lives.

How long does it take you to decide to give to a new charity? A year? Allow your listeners the same amount of breathing room. Create urgency, but cultivate patience. Rule of thumb is to wait 52-weeks before calculating the results.

Think of how patient God is with you and apply that to your beloved listener. Allow them to transform from passive listener to collaborator.

 

 

Your words create change

Jan here.

While I was reading Tim Keller’s book Prayer, this comment arrested my attention: “Speech act theory makes a convincing case that our words not only convey information, they get things done. However, God’s words have a power infinitely beyond our own.” Keller goes on to point out examples of God’s word being the “effect.” Let there be light = light. “…what God’s voice does, God does.”

We don’t have that enormous power with our words. However, speech act theory says that we do have great power to get things done. Numerous sayings reflect this truth. Sayings such as, “A simple sentence spoken at the right time could change someone’s life forever.” Or, “One kind word can change someone’s entire day.”

James in the New Testament reflects on this when he writes, “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.  Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!” (James 3:5)

All this gives us reason to pause when we think of the number of words that flow from our radio station talent, our ministry programs and our own mouths.

James, again: “From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be.” Wow, that’s blunt!

We know that people come to us for encouragement, for spiritual growth and to be calmed. Personal systems and daily habits, done in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, can move us toward “tongue containment,” using our tongues to bless, heal and encourage and helping us create a warm on-air environment.

Here’s a few possibilities:

  1. Read through the Psalms, a set number of verses or a set amount of time per day. Even five minutes in the morning speeds our spiritual growth and develops a blessing attitude. Doing this with an audio Bible has the same effect. There’s a little book, now out of print but still available on Amazon, called 31 Days of Wisdom and Praise that breaks out the Psalms and Proverbs into 31 readings. I highly recommend it.
  2. Write down one thing you are grateful for after reading Psalms. Just one. And write it on a slip of paper or sticky note to look at during the day.
  3. Create one of your passwords to include a blessing phrase—you’ll need to add some other characters to keep it strong—but the core of the password will smile at you whenever you type it. For example, Jesusyoubringjoy!@#Today!*&^7102
  4. Listen to your station or program at a different time each day, scheduled on your calendar.

When you are encouraged, your words will flow from habit and the heart to change someone’s day—or life. That’s word power! Together, let’s start today.

 

How God Worked

Chuck here.

I could not see it at the time, but God was preparing me for the work He made me for, helping Christian broadcasters reach more people, more deeply.  As is said in Ephesians in the Bible, chapter 1, “he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”  It’s a profound truth, one that causes me to shake my head in wonder.

God had His plans…

. . . when He had my dad work in radio so I was around it at a young age . . . with a studio in our basement.

. . . when He led me to the 10 watt mono FM college radio station.

. . . when my first part time radio job was working for one of the smartest radio guys in the business.

. . . when my next part time job was working for one of the pioneers of music research in radio.

. . . when He let me to see, endure and learn from the politics and crazy cultures at radio stations.

. . . when He allowed me to learn, by making just about every mistake someone can make working in a radio station.

. . . when He surrounded me with believers in secular radio (crazy, right?), to nudge me back to him so that I would commit my life and work to Him…so I would lean on Christ and learn to abide in Him.  (John 15:5)

. . . when He put the right people in the right places to lead me into Christian radio.

. . . when He taught me that true submission to authority is doing it when it’s hard, not when it’s easy.

. . . when He led me to working with NCRS, Christian Music Broadcasters, National Religious Broadcasters . . . and amazing friendships the gifted people who make those organizations fly.

. . . when He opened the doors to working with our amazing team at Finney Media. Each of them a gem of skills, life experience and focus on magnifying His name.

I couldn’t see it then. And isn’t that the point? So that we can be thankful for what looked at the time like coincidences, but in fact were God’s hand and plan . . . so that I can do the work He made me for.

 What’s your story?  How has God intersected events in your life with His profound grace and plan?

Search Website

  • Keywords

  • Search by Content Type

  • Search by Category

  • Reset

Now Available on Amazon

Learn more
Contact Us
Categories

@FINNEY MEDIA 2024

Twitter Linkedin