Those who know me well are familiar with my lifelong frustration of being a New York Knicks fan. Each year the hype train comes to town promising big things for the future, only to deliver disappointment when fans ask for the payoff. Those wearing New York Knicks underoos will make excuses and continue holding on to hope, but those with a strong understanding of the franchise’s failures know how this story ends.
In the the span of one off-season, the Pelicans lost Anthony Davis and Julius Randle yet feel much closer to being a playoff team. The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Indiana Pacers all lost key players yet made moves to stay in contention atop the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors all were aggressive making moves to try and chase future championships. The Knicks meanwhile sell their fans on a rebuilding project once again.
But this column isn’t about my deflated enthusiasm towards the Knicks’ organization. It’s about four key lessons for sports media brands which just happen to connect to things we’ve learned in the past few days involving NBA free agency.
#1 – Substance Over Hype – How many times do you turn on a radio station and hear them touting their ‘best coverage’ yet it leaves little to be desired? How can you actually prove your brand has the best coverage anyway? If you have big guests and your competitor has the actual games, do you really have the best coverage? If the roles are reversed there’s an argument there too.
Maybe your radio station is promising a big announcement later in the day and is trying to get the audience excited about. What makes the payoff significant to the audience and not just those working inside the radio station? As someone who’s used announcements to drive quarter hour listening in the past, there’s a big difference between adding a game changer to the product and a solid weekly guest who people won’t go out of their way to listen to.
While it’s important to highlight our brand’s coverage and promote good content from people the audience is aware of, it’s not a smart decision to make it sound bigger than it actually is. You can actually piss off the audience and lose their trust if they feel underwhelmed.
#2 – Know When To Stay Silent – If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Don’t brag about what you’re going to do and then issue excuses when you come up short. A perfect example of this is the Knicks’ response to not signing Kyrie or Durant.
The brands that perform best are the ones that do their work in the background and then speak when there’s something to discuss. It’s one thing to build interest in your talent, content, promotions, etc. but the more you talk, the more likely you are to have to explain something later, and the media loves to bury those who portray themselves and their brands in a cocky way.
This also applies to how you manage your talent. If you’re the type of executive who thinks he’s going to ‘coach up’ every single personality, including your brand’s all-stars, be prepared for them to vacate when other options are on the table. Micromanaging is a recipe for disaster. You have to learn who you can trust to deliver results, give them the tools they need to succeed, and then get out of the way. If you can’t, word will spread on your inability to manage big stars, and that will keep other big stars away.
#3 – It’s All About The Talent – This is the most important of all. Whether it’s the NBA, the NFL or Sports Radio or Television, you win and lose with talent. Without difference makers on the court, field or airwaves, you won’t excel. It’s that simple. There are many routes to go to introduce prospects but without proven performers you won’t maximize your business.
Whether you like it or not, we operate in a win-now world. Advertisers want immediate results. So too does your company. The members in your building expect the same. Depending on where your brand is in its development, sometimes you’ll receive a longer leash, but most groups are not going to give you 3-5 years to create a masterpiece.
Though the programmer or market manager may understand this, companies need to recognize it too. People are attracted to people who they consider larger than life. A brand must have big personalities who attract love, hate, and everything in between. It’s not as much about the content as it is who’s selling it. If you put players on the air who people care enough to seek out, you’ll have a ratings and revenue story to sell.
#4 – Have a Plan But Know When To Change It – What you decide today might make sense for tomorrow, but if tomorrow presents an unexpected opportunity that requires skipping a step, then you’ve got to be ready to adjust. The goal is to win. Those who do it often have their eye on the now and the future. The goal should remain the same, but smart leaders understand that it doesn’t pay to be unwilling to change. Don’t worry about whether or not your plan had to be scrapped to win. The winning itself will be what people remember about your leadership.
This also can be tied to the success of a daily talk show. For example, are you married to your rundown or changing on the fly when things don’t hit the mark? Are you booking guests and keeping them on for the entire segment because it said :02-:13 on your sheet, or are you cutting it short or extending it based on the flow of the conversation and importance of content? Is your show relying on the same drops, music beds, seasonal guests, topics, and reference points or actively looking for ways to freshen the presentation?
Mike Tyson once said ‘everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.’ The same holds true on a sports media program. Whether it’s due to breaking news, people lacking interest, hosts not selling content in a powerful and unique way, or something else happening organically that provides a better content experience, the best results come from good planning and better adjusting.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
