McVay New Media President Daniel Anstandig said “James is a valuable addition to our team. The growth of McVay New Media is largely due to the direct link we’ve created between the product and revenue generation. Many of our clients have been able to overcome the dynamics of this recession by successfully monetizing their On-Line initiatives. James experience will further that cause.” McVay Media President Mike McVay said “It’s exciting to me for us to add another brilliant young mind to our team. James is cut from the cloth that McVay Media has been known for in the past. I expect him and Daniel to be the leaders our industry looks to in the future”.

James’ interest in radio started early having grown up in a radio family. His experience in pure play internet business as well as broadcast radio sales gives him a unique perspective on traditional media’s convergence with interactive media. James studied Advertising and Web Development at The Art Institute of Colorado.

ABOUT McVAY NEW MEDIA:

McVay New Media advises media companies on digital business strategies. Developing content strategies, building operating plans, training executives, and recruiting sales/underwriting teams are among the services offered by McVay New Media. It is a division of McVay Media, recognized around the world as the leading broadcast consultancy in the industry.

For More Information Contact:
Daniel Anstandig, President, McVay New Media, at Daniel@mcvaymedia.com
James Thomas, Interactive Consultant, at James@mcvaymedia.com
Mike McVay, President McVay Media, at Mike@mcvaymedia.com

The Hollywood Reporter reported on August 8, 2008:

“NBC’s blanket coverage of the Beijing Olympics will be the widest online distribution for a sporting event in history, the network said.

NBC said it would have a blue-chip set of distribution partners that include MSN, the Associated Press, AOL and NBC’s local stations’ Web sites. There are more than 4,000 official partners as well as tens of thousands of widgets that link back to NBCOlympics.com.”

For more information on the integration of digital coverage in this year’s Olympics marketing, follow this link:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2008-08-07-olympics-marketing-digital_N.htm

Reprinted from Inside Music Media by Jerry Del Colliano:

On the positive side there is Regent — a small company run by the former head of the Radio Advertising Bureau, Bill Stakelin. … Regent sales were up 2.9 percent. [Regent announced gains year-to-year of 6% in net revenue.] Try saying “up” in the same sentence with a radio company’s quarterly ratings.

Here’s how Regent did it:

1. Local operating strategy. Compare this with Farid’s meddling and Clear Channel’s constant restructuring and everybody else’s penchant for top down management.

2. Digital footprint — the words Stakelin himself used when announcing yesterday’s results. If I scream from now until the end of time, I don’t think I will get the attention of the consolidators who continue to operate as if terrestrial radio is the business they’re in. Without a digital future, there is no future. But don’t believe me, ask your sons and daughters.

3. A big sales force. While Farid wants to cut his sales staff, Stakelin practices what he preached at the RAB and has increased his sales staff. More salespeople to sell more radio and cross-platform integration.

Mountain View, Calif. ‒ July 29, 2008 ‒ The number of people turning to the web for coupons has soared to 36 million in 2008. That’s an increase of 10 million people from 2005. Traditionally consumers have associated coupons with the Sunday paper, but as consumers turn to the web for news they’re also looking online for savings. In an effort to learn more about these “Coupon Clickers,” Simmons/Experian Research and Coupons, Inc. conducted a survey ‒ the 2008 Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse. The research confirms the most popular sources for printable coupons are savings‒specific sites like Coupons.com. A June Hitwise report found Coupons.com has the largest market share for savings sites, and traffic has increased 190 percent since 2007.

“The economic downturn is generating a shift in coupon use and a long‒term change in consumer perception and behavior,” said Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons, Inc. “A new generation of shoppers is discovering coupons on the Web and printing coupons is becoming a regular part of a consumer’s shopping routine. In fact, almost a quarter of the 148 million Americans that use coupons now find them online, and nearly half of these Coupon Clickers are between the ages of 22 and 44.”

Note: Data based on research conducted between Fall 2007 and Winter 2008
Source: 2008 Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse from Simmons Market Research Bureau and Coupons, Inc.

Other notable findings from the survey regarding Coupon Clicker consumers:

• Coupons increase a brand’s equity and perceived value. 58% believe a brand providing coupons online is more likely to provide new products that they will enjoy. 57% believe these companies care about keeping them as a customer.
• More than 70% of Coupon Clickers would provide their e‒mail address, first and last name and answer survey questions for a $2 coupon.
• Coupons fuel marketing initiatives. 73% of Coupon Clickers are more likely to open an e‒mail if a coupon is offered. 64% are more likely to click on an ad banner or search listing if they know a coupon is offered.

Report methodology
Simmons Market Research Bureau and Coupons, Inc. conducted the 2008 Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse in March 2008. The report compiles national consumer research from Simmons and a custom survey of more than 2000 printable coupon users.

For a complete report on the 2008 Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse, visit: http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/pdf/2008_Consumer_Pulse_Survey.pdf.

-By Mike Shields, Mediaweek

REPRINTED FROM MEDIAWEEK MAGAZINE.

NEW YORK The growth of the U.S. Hispanic population on the Internet in recent years has accelerated faster than previously expected.

Fifty-two percent of the population is now online, representing 23 million users, according to a new report by eMarketer, which two years ago predicted that the Hispanic Web population wouldn’t exceed 20 million until the end of the decade.

Now, the Web researcher forecasts that 29 million Hispanics will be online by 2012, representing nearly 60 percent of the fast growing population. That growth surge — there were just 15.7 million Hispanics on the Web as recently as 2005 — is being driven primarily by young and native born Hispanics, says eMarketer.

This young segment of relatively new Web users, which represents 13.5 percent of the total U.S. Internet population, is generally bilingual — unlike many of their parents. However, this group is not necessarily being reached by brands’ ad efforts on mainstream Web sites, per eMarketer.

This swelling collection of wired Hispanics also are highly diversified when it comes to ethnic background and regional preference, making them difficult to target at times, according to the report.

“To reach Hispanic consumers online, marketers must take a more nuanced approach, going beyond language preference to target niches within this demographic,” says the report.

For example, Mexican Americans may respond to different messaging than Colombian Americans, as may Hispanics living in highly diverse U.S. markets versus those living in areas that are less so. “Online campaigns that target local markets with local references will resonate more than a one-size-fits-all approach.”

The process is easy - if you’re a radio personality and you think you’re funny - simply visit www.radioscomicwonder.com before August 31, 2008 and tell your best joke. Visitors to the site vote on who they deem radio’s funniest.

“The best radio shows are the ones that make people laugh,” notes Daniel Anstandig, President of McVay New Media. “Finding and identifying top radio talent continues to be a top priority. We believe that this contest can help some great talent get the attention they deserve.”

Comic Wonder will announce the winner at the NAB Radio Show in Austin, Texas on September 18th where a spotlight video of the winner’s radio background and comedic talent will be featured to a room of radio executives and fellow radio personalities. Beyond recognition, Radio’s Comic Wonder will walk away with:

-A giant, mantle worthy trophy
-$1,000 cold, hard cash
-Airfare and accomodations to the NAB Radio Show

Visit http://www.radioscomicwonder.com to begin!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121278366816552817.html

Read more from Daniel Anstandig on “Radio in 3D” here.

Keith:

You have a unique observation point, being in the industry but not working for a singular broadcaster, so you see the bigger picture…  what do you see as being some radio’s biggest strengths and, conversely, biggest weaknesses right now?

Daniel:

At McVay Media, I work with radio stations on their programming and digital media strategies. Approximately forty weeks per year, I’m on the road visiting radio stations around the world. Consulting affords me the opportunity to experience the radio business from many different perspectives. This week, I am working with Communicorp in Europe. The company owns 40+ stations in Ireland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Czech Republic, Latvia, and Finland. Communicorp truly values and invests in their programmers. The company holds quarterly programming meetings with all of its PD’s from across the continent, and their stations have been growing and gaining value. They understand that investing in programming pays dividends. Companies that invest in their programming and product retain competitive advantage.

Advantages… Radio still has tremendous advantage in the marketplace. Usage of radio is ubiquitous with 94% of the population using radio in an average week. Only a handful of industries in the world have achieved this level of reach. Also, we live in a world of multi-taskers, and radio is a medium that can be consumed by passive listeners. The radio medium is compatible with over-tasked consumers, which is a terrific position to hold. We have the ear of people who are too busy to give their ear elsewhere.

A study conducted by Bridge Ratings in 2007 predicts that radio’s weekly cumulative audience will marginally deteriorate over the next fifteen years, moving from 282 million weekly listeners in 2007 to 258 million in 2020. At the same time, Internet-Radio consumption is projected to grow by over 200% to 196.6 million weekly listeners by 2020. The audience is moving about the cabin, and the revenue is gradually following suit. The best news here is that radio will remain popular with the next generation of listeners—just not exclusively AM/FM radio. Internet-Radio is an essential part of our future.

Weaknesses… Our industry’s Achilles heel is competition from new media and a spirit of denial about the swiftness with which our audience and market of sponsors can be disrupted.

Many radio station programmers and sellers are inexperienced and oblivious to digital media applications.

Furthermore, they are not yet knowledgeable on how collate digital advertising applications with on-air advertising opportunities. At the same time, radio Program Directors are under pressure to remain relevant to their listeners—who are becoming increasingly familiar and accustomed to “instant gratification entertainment” through digital media. Programmers must take a new approach to integrating digital media in their content offerings, especially those who are aiming to win among P18-49.

In 2008, the radio industry is expected to capture $255 million in local online revenue. That is under 2% market share of the total local online advertising industry. Meanwhile, the local yellow pages are successfully attracting $1.2 billion in local online revenue in 2008. It is clear that radio is not a primary beneficiary (at least right now) of the thunderous growth in the local online advertising sector.

Radio needs to leap into a new era. McVay New Media provides spring-boards for radio stations by offering strategies and solutions.

Keith:

Where do you see the industry going in the next decade or so?

Daniel:

Every radio station needs to have a direct relationship with as much of its audience as it possibly can. Database. Database. Database.

Permission marketing is the asset of the future and radio’s unique relationship with the audience, if leveraged properly, can be utilized to build a tighter, more relevant, one to one bond. Programs like Triton’s M2O/Mass2One are database programs that must be utilized in building our future. This type of evolution in thinking on behalf of radio’s programmers and sellers is imperative if we intend to make radio scalable for ALL types of advertisers. In 2008, the average cost of reaching 1000 adults through radio is $139.12. This is simply inefficient and cost-prohibitive when compared to Internet ad-buys (average CPM = $3.65), which can be customized and hyper-targeted.

Keith:

Given that Edison is highlighting the younger generation of radio — and since you’re one of them — what do you recommend radio do to not only get younger listeners involved in listening, but also working in the business?

Daniel:

I suppose some would suggest more happy hours, trade, and plentiful prescription drugs. I’ll just say, “have more fun.”

We simply need to have fun as an industry again. Every day, I wake up excited about what I do. How many people in radio can say that they wake up excited each day to go to work? The audience knows the real answer to that question. Perhaps that’s one reason that other media are gaining share. People (young or old) want to be surrounded by others who are having fun. One thing that I enjoy thoroughly about McVay New Media is that our team loves to laugh and be creative. When I visit clients with Rockie Thomas and Sean Lozensky from our new media team, clients tell us that we are animated and enthusiastic. That’s our most important goal.  We believe that success follows infusion of passion.

About young people and the business…

The problem is NOT that there are fewer young creative people. The problem is that fewer young creative people make it through the entrance door of a radio station. Look at Rodney Harris’ website… www.thenews14zone.com. I met Rodney earlier this year when I spoke at the WSDP Graduation Ceremony. Rodney is a student who works at WSDP/Ann Arbor (high school radio station). He’s even selling local advertising on his website newscast—which unfortunately means that he has more revenue posted on his site than the majority of radio stations.

That’s just one example of the “barrier to entry” for people interested in joining entertainment media being eliminated. Now, people interested in joining the exciting field of communication and entertainment need only a computer. You are only ten clicks away from your own free, globally distributed podcast. If you’re creative and you have something to say, you’ll attract the audience. Needless to say, landing an air shift somewhere is more difficult than using your home computer to express your creativity.

Keith:

What initially called to you about radio?

Daniel:

I grew up in Cleveland listening to personalities like Danny Wright (WGAR), John Lanigan (WMJI), and Trapper Jack (WDOK). It always sounded like they were having fun, and I wanted to be a part of the action.

When I was nine years old, I got into the business by relentlessly calling local radio stations and asking for jobs. The “radio bug” bit me when I started at WELW-AM in Cleveland. Around the same time, I started a “low power” radio station out of my parents’ basement, which was on 91.9FM. Unfortunately, I built the transmitter without a harmonics-filter, and my station was interfering with TV audio in Cleveland. Needless to say, my pirate radio career was cut short. I began working at John Carroll University’s radio station when I was 12.

Thank you for the opportunity to share some thoughts on the radio business.

As Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.”

Our best opportunities are right now!

This represents an outstanding opportunity for coupons and retail offers on your station website. Consider creating a local “smart shopper” social network on your radio station website to help your listeners through tough times. Share coupons and special offers from local retailers. Offer cost-savings tips, and allow your audience to connect with each other on the topic.

US consumers are going online to discuss their growing frustrations about the economic downturn as well as share money-saving tips and strategies for deferring purchases. Gas and driving strategies and grocery-shopping considerations are two of the more popular areas of social-media discussion, according to Nielsen Online.

Gas and Driving Costs
As gas prices increase, so does online discussion of driving. Consumers are using social media to share gas-saving tips, analyze the costs and benefits of hybrid vehicles, and research alternative modes of transportation such as motorcycles, scooters and public transit.

Consumers are changing their driving habits and vehicle purchase consideration sets due to rising gas prices. There is a perfect storm in the sense that consumers are actively trying to purchase smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, but unable to sell or trade-in their current, less fuel-efficient vehicles.

Grocery Prices and Shopping Behavior

Concern about buying groceries costs also continues to climb. Although it has not yet reached the volume of conversation that surrounds fuel costs, online buzz is intensifying as grocery prices strain budgets.

* Consumers are describing specific changes to the way they shop, such as using coupons and buying sale-priced items.

* Overall discussion about buying private-label goods has not changed dramatically in recent months. However, buzz trends for milk, cheese and eggs show consumers claim they’re shifting some purchases to store brands.

* As consumers venture online to hunt for the best deals, traffic to weekly circulars ads on retail banner websites was up 155% in May 2008 compared with May 2007.

Shoppers are enthusiastically sharing deals online in discussion forums and on blogs, and marketers who reach these customers with relevant savings will likely engender the support of consumers looking to stretch their dollars.

THIS FANTASTIC BLOG ENTRY IS REPRINTED FROM KEN RUTKOWSKI’S IQ.