9/27/1996Â
There is no phrase in the world of promotion that will cause more trauma than the dreaded, “Your record isn’t researching well.â€
Absolutely nothing is worse. A good promotion person can come up with a lot of excuses for lack of sales, requests or a programmer’s preference, but what can you say when the PD tells you your record is testing poorly? Your palms get sweaty, your throat gets dry, and your eyes begin to water. Through parched lips, you might mumble or stammer a whimper or two, but for the most part…you’re done.
There’s almost always no argument. Why? Because most promotion people don’t understand research, so there’s no way they can argue the subject intelligently.
I’m confounded by a lot of things in our business, but nothing embarrasses me more than promotion people who don’t know anything about research. It is ludicrous.
What word do most programmers use when talking about hit records? Research. What word do most PDs use when a record isn’t added? Research. What word do most PDs use when determining the number of spins a record receives? Research.
So why do promotion people loath to gain an understanding of something that can mean the difference between failure and success?
Understanding the basic concepts of research doesn’t take a lot of time. It certainly doesn’t take a lot of intelligence. Remember, its radio people who are quoting the figures, so it can’t be that tough to learn. (It’s just a joke, Kingston. Smile. Remember, I’m a programmer so I’m really making fun of myself. And yes, I think you’re just as smart when you aren’t programming a station as when you are. Sure.)
You want to learn about music research? All you have to do is ask a programmer. Most will take the time to teach you the basics. Most are proud of their particular system. If the person you ask isn’t forthcoming, call Mason Dixon. Mason has one of the most innovative research systems in radio and he’s happy to share the basics with anyone who will ask.
Will knowing about research automatically get your record added? Of course not, but it will give you an argument. And that’s all a good promotion person needs.
Of course, understanding the basics of research doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll always be able to interpret the end results correctly. It’s an interesting concept: Most research is objective, yet the interpretation is subjective, depending upon who is reading it and what objectives the reader is trying to obtain.
Many programmers who pride themselves on their knowledge and use of research are missing the boat in today’s marketplace. Actually, they’re missing more than the boat; they’re missing the entire marina.
I was discussing the changes on the surface of today’s musical landscape (can I turn a phrase, or what?) over lunch with Reprise VP Promotion Marc Ratner, who is one of the few record people who actually understands research.
Many Top 40 programmers are having particular trouble finding the Alternative songs that are right for their format. Fewer Alternative “hits†are crossing Mainstream Top 40. Many PDs are having trouble understanding what’s going on.
Well, it’s not Marvin Gaye. And the answer could have more to do with the resurgence of Dance music on Top 40 than Dance music…if you get my drift…but that’s next week’s Editorial.
Mr. Ratner’s theory, which I share and endorse, is that the research on Alternative hits is accurate…it’s the interpretation of the research that is causing problems.
In case anyone hasn’t noticed, the Alternative format has been becoming more and more Alternative lately. Those who thought the format would evolve into a more Mainstream stance need to wake up and smell the dwindling profits. In the past few years, as Alternative music became more acceptable to the masses, bits and pieces of the format were whittled away by Top 40, AOR and A/C stations. Then came the formats that were alternatives to the Alternative…AAA, Modern Adult, etc.
Alternative is fast becoming what it was in the beginning…a young, cutting-edge, male-driven format. Since Top 40 has always depended on females for its core, it isn’t shocking that today’s Alternative hits aren’t crossing into that format.
Today, 95% of Alternative hits appeal to males. Top 40 PDs who pick the cream of the Alternative crop more often than not find themselves playing mid-charting records because their audience is mostly female. What PDs should be doing is checking the Alternative mid-charters for Mainstream hits.
By the definition of today’s audience, an Alternative record with strong female appeal will probably mid-chart on Alternative radio. That same record could be a hit on Top 40 because it has enough female “legs†to appeal to the femininaty (did I just invent a new word?) of the format.
This is why so many records are being released simultaneously to Top 40 and Alternative. Record companies want Top 40 stations to go on these records before they stiff at Alternative and create a negative.
It is Mr. Ratner’s opinion that the Alternative mid-charting of a record with female appeal is not a negative for Top 40, but could indeed be the positive that proves the record a Mainstream hit.
I concur.
A few years ago, at the height of Alternative’s acceptance, the audience had nowhere to go except the Alternative station to get their fix. So what if the station was a little too male-driven for the female taste…there was no other alternative. Now, with so many slivers of the format devoted to the specific tastes of particular slices of the pie (younger and older females, older males, etc.), the listeners have many other place to get off.
So, what’s next? Ashes to ashes…The Alternative format will re-evolve from the beautiful butterfly accepted by the masses to what it was in the beginning…a caterpillar that is appreciated by a smaller, yet loyal fan base. And Top 40 will survive its “once each decade†prediction of doom to become the format for the Mainstream.
How do I know this? Research, baby.