The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the world. People are stuck in their homes. Some have lost loved ones. Others will. The worldwide pandemic is bigger than dollars and cents to be sure, but the dollars and cents are important to talk about here too.
In an effort to limit the spread of the disease, the CDC has recommended limiting gathering to ten people or fewer. That means a lot of movie theaters, bars and restaurants are out of business for the time being. That is going to effect the bottom lines of people in all walks of life.
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Barrett Sports Media is a sight focused on the sports media world though, and while we have empathy and sympathy for everyone trying to figure out how to make ends meet right now, we want to put the spotlight on sports radio.
I spoke to a number of people around the business to understand what their plans are and what they expect during this time. Many expect that losing clients, even if only temporarily, is likely. All of them though, do have a plan and good reasons for their clients to stay the course.
“There is going to be a hit, and if you don’t think so, you are lying to yourself. Just like with your clients, you need to be honest with yourself,” one sales rep in the Northeast who wished to remain anonymous told me.
“So far, I’ve broken it into 3 buckets. First, there are certain categories of business that should absolutely stay on or start up, even during these first few weeks of uncertainty (mortgage, banks, financial planners, lawyers, insurance, healthcare/hospitals, etc.). Consumers have a lot of questions, these experts can help and we give them the platform to do so.
“Second, categories that may need to take a short hiatus. Due to the fact that most cities are in a full or partial lockdown, customers of some businesses can’t even take action on their messaging. If you are a true partner you need to help them through this time. Categories that violate social distancing such as automotive, retail except for grocery, food/drink, events, home improvement that requires in home visits, etc. Hopefully this is a temporary hiatus and we will start to get some better news in the coming weeks.
“Lastly, are the clients who have purchased a play-by-play or direct sports entitlement. The passion and inclusion you sold them was genuine (or it better have been). For you to turn around and try to reallocate those dollars to your sports station or a sister station in your cluster can come off a little desperate. This is where the hit will be inevitable as seasons hang in the balance for NBA, NHL, etc. and are delayed for MLB and potentially NFL. In this case if your clients are not on your core sports station, definitely a good time to bring it up, not to replace their sponsorship, but to help them reach their clients during these tough times if they are in a category that I listed above.”
Sandy Cohen, Vice President and Director of Sales for Union Broadcasting in Kansas City and Louisville, told me that his staff started reaching out to clients “by phone, email and texting” as quickly as they could. “However we can help, we are.”
“Clearly we are contacting the sponsors who are actively advertising with us at this moment, then we are reaching out to sponsors who we actively work with, but may not be active at this moment. I am fortunate to have a veteran group who average 17 years on the team. They know what to do and have been a tremendous help with handling all our sponsor needs.”
Chadd Scott, who programs 1010XL in Jacksonville told me his sales manager has been proactive with the sales staff, reminding them that there is still content on the station advertisers would be happy with.
“Seeing as how this news is so fresh, there’s still plenty to talk about. I did send an email today to all programming staff letting them know that I did not want to hear anyone saying on air anything along the lines of ‘there’s nothing to talk about.’ During my weekly meetings with all talk shows next week I’ll begin to discuss with everyone ideas for creating content that is not reliant on games or daily news.”
“Our guys are very talented and creative. They’re entertainers. More importantly, they are serious guys that live in the community, and care about the community,” Don Martin of Fox Sports Radio and AM 570 LA told me. “They will give you the facts, and then entertain you. We’re not going to go back and do something on last year’s greatest game. Why do that? Stay in the moment!”
Whether content is there or not though, Don isn’t blind to reality. Business owners are scared. Many of them are re-evaluating budgets and what costs are and aren’t necessary right now. That’s why Don advocates for being honest and putting the client’s needs at the forefront right now.
“They are our partners, and we have to take care of each other. You hear them out, they are afraid. Together you come up with a plan to help them keep business moving forward. These are uncharted waters. Create together and help service the community that they’re in. People still need goods and services. It’s our job to convey that to our listeners.”
Sam Pines, the Vice President of Good Karma Brands’ ESPN Cleveland, is having his staff reach out via video conference to as many clients as possible. The company isn’t changing the consultative process. Pines just wants to make sure his clients have the right messaging for the moment. That is the way he is having his staff approach both small businesses and large agency clients.
“I don’t see a reason to have a difference in approach. Our team should be building deep relationships whether the advertising partner is a huge national agency or a small business owner who measures their revenue in thousands. We should always be listening first, understanding their needs, challenges, and business objectives, and then strategizing a way we can help them reach and exceed their goals – that process should never change.”
Finally, I spoke with David DuBose of Townsquare Media in Tuscaloosa, AL. He posted an open letter to his clients with advice on what they should be doing right now when it comes to advertising. He noted that this is a potential opportunity for some businesses, pointing to past clients that grew their market share after the 2008 financial crisis by keeping their messaging consistent while competitors abandoned advertising entirely.
“We have had a few cancellations for event related marketing, but not a significant number,” David told me in an email.
“Our sports listeners are loyal,” he says of the cluster’s sports station Tide 100.9. “We are using the talk format for live interviews with the Mayor, the Chamber of Commerce President, Live press conferences, and pertinent information.”
There is no right way to go about servicing clients right now. There might be a blueprint in how our industry dealt with advertisers after the 2008 financial crisis or the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but this isn’t a singular event. What we are dealing with right now is a continuing disruption to daily life in America, and who knows when that ends?
Good sales reps always put the client first. They think about the needs of the people that are their customers. Keeping their business is an understandable goal, but it is only an attainable one if you start from a place of empathy. What are they going through in their business? Can advertising or new, relevant messaging make a realistic difference?
Right now, sales staffs are trying to save business, but they are also planting the seeds for future business. Any money lost right now will only return if those businesses remember that you prioritized them and treated them as a partner in a time of hardship.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
