Nashville is a good middle-of-the-road weather town. We get all four seasons, but none too extreme. Guests attending the Country Radio Seminar might disagree with that conclusion after last week’s Arctic blast produced single-digit feels-like temperatures in the Music City.
However, those same people will likely tell you the frigid temperatures didn’t cool the warmth and heat created by CRS 25 patrons inside the Omni Hotel. I know someone who adopted a dog at the event, and I’ll tell you the feel-good story at the end of this column.
Here’s one more tease. I went to CRS and met a former NFL running back and a ‘90s rocker.
This column is not a PR piece for CRS. The annual seminar, which brings together the Country music recording industry and Country music-formatted radio stations, is considered one of the best in the U.S.
As a first-time attendee, I knew the hype and guarded my expectations. Walking six blocks in the freezing temperatures from my favorite cheaper parking lot to the venue, I started thinking about past industry conferences like NAB, R&R, Gavin, Network40, or parent-company conventions for Chancellor AM/FM, Infinity, ABC, Citadel or CBS. I have banker’s boxes of notes from all of those conferences. More recent events like CMB’s Momentum or Barrett Media’s annual conference, BSM Summit, have folders of digital memories in my iPhone’s Notes app.
Lookin’ To Learn
I approached this show the same way as all those other events: What can I learn to improve the product or the management and execution of the product? Like any class or lecture you’ve attended as a student or a professional, every session has multiple learning points for the pupil. But there’s always one thing you can take away, and here are a few of the sessions I’ll share with you.
Stop Trying So Hard: Become A Better Content Creator. When panel host and Audacy talent Gabe Mercer asked for tips to improve video content, panelist James Shotwell of Country Minute offered a simple solution: “Post a video every day for seven days, and you will get better.” Simple, right? But think about how many content areas you can improve with this disciplined approach. Sidebar: I saw him at The Ryman Auditorium the following day, creating enough video content to last a month.
Are You AI Curious? AI was a frequent session topic this year. During this group-think discussion, panel host Bo Matthews of Super Hi-Fi discussed ChatGPT analyzing music logs. I asked myself, “How else can we use these Generative AI tools to improve our products?” Not replace but improve so we’re not replaced.
The Country Fan: Reviewing, Retaining, and Recruiting Your Listener. This session was the CRS Research Presentation by Carolyn Gilbert and Leigh Jacobs of Nuvoodoo Media. My notes are the deepest for this session, speaking to my love of the language of research knowledge. However, keeping with my single takeaway platform for this column, I’ll share one conclusion of the study. Let’s Get Radio Out of the Studio was the title of a slide from the 7,000-person respondent survey. “Remotes and public appearances bring radio back into public view and back into the conversation.”
Skills That Kill: Interviewing Tips, Dos and Don’ts. I attended this session for no other reason than to support my fellow consultant, Kenny Jay. There were a lot of good points I will share with clients preparing for the next job search. My learning moment was when Kenny talked about re-prompting AI programs as many as eight times to get the result you want. I tend to move on after two or three prompts. It was a solid reminder to get AI to work in your best interest until you get what you want.
Radio, We Have a Problem! A Marketing Problem. This session bounced around with topics and comments. I’m unsure how the discussion started, but panelist Amy Brown of The Bobby Bones Show was emotionally transparent when talking about changes coming to her podcast. This was a strong reminder of how much effort and emotional dedication talent put into their craft. The big shows make changes. Maybe that’s one of the reasons their brands thrive: They understand the need to evolve with the audience.
Walk Away With Thirty Sales Ideas In Thirty Minutes: Hosted by Audacy’s Regional VP of Country Programming, Scott Roddy, this session was one of the most memorable because Scott used the power of audio and imaging to present all thirty ideas. Voice actors Brian Peck, John Willard, Melissa Chase, Brad Davidorf, and Kim Jensen voiced each idea. The copy wasn’t rip-and-read. These actors gave us various presentations in their normal reads, plus their best Action, Disney, and Horror movie trailer reads. Let’s remember audio is our medium’s greatest asset.
The “C” word.
This word is one of the trending concepts post-Covid. I’m talking about community. It may be my biggest takeaway from CRS or any other convention. I tried attending as many sessions as possible because I paid good money for this convention and wanted to learn. However, my Notes app is filled with bullet points from connections I made with colleagues at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital Espresso Cafe, where you could get a free latte or Americano. Those daily stops extended to 20 and 30-minute conversations with someone I’d never met. Following up this week with a note or a social media reach creates one more connection.
Do we do this with our listeners when we meet them at a concert or a remote broadcast? If we’re not on the streets with our audience because of staffing limitations, can we create a community online with our listeners through Zoom or Teams? Joel Denver and Seth Resler are doing this with Radio Rendevous as an option to create a community for the overwhelming majority of radio leaders and talent who can’t attend conventions.
“I Wanna Thank Radio…”
CRS uses the power of live music to entertain and persuade a roomful of radio programmers. I’ve been exposed to many genres of music throughout the years at these events. Whether it was performances from Lionel Richie, Hall & Oates, Phil Collins, Lenny Kravitz, Sebastian Bach, TobyMac at other conventions, or mini-concerts last week from Eric Church, Brad Paisley, and dozens of new artists, this veteran of industry convention concerts got excited about hearing live music. Don’t take for granted the power of music and presentation on the average listener. Sidebar: These Country artists tip their hats, Cowboy and Trucker’s hats, to radio at every performance.
“And They Call It Puppy Love…”
Bring in the dogs if you’re looking for more ways to create community. New Leash On Life had a small meeting room at the hotel with their dogs on display. It was a way to relieve some of the stress of convention meetings and conversations. I went by every day for a minute to get some puppy love. Well, the moment was more meaningful for others. Cumulus Nashville Vice President/Market Manager Allison Warren adopted Mabel (pictured) after a visit Friday afternoon. That’s a win/win for both parties.
How can we improve our events and remotes with more emotional experiences for the audience? Allison will never forget how her family adopted Mabel, which will always include CRS.
“Opa!”
Finally, after Friday night’s last dinner event, I was walking out of the Omni and ran into fellow consultant Mike McVay. If you don’t know Mike, he’s considered the chief mentor of radio consultants. We were moving and talking, and Mike said, “Come down to Bob’s with me. I want you to meet someone.” We walked into a meeting room in the restaurant as the group was finishing dinner.
Mike got a Big Fat Greek Wedding welcome from the patrons. He introduced me to everyone, including Merril Hoge. Yeah, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and ESPN commentator. I’m the least likely Steelers fan, but I knew who he was, and I was more excited to meet a professional athlete than I was to meet someone who topped the music charts. But that wasn’t all. Gunnar Nelson of the ‘90s rock duo Nelson stopped by, and we compared hairstyles.
Am I sharing this to say, “Hey, guess who I met?” No. Okay, maybe a little bit with Merril Hoge. I’m encouraging any of us in a mentoring or influencer position to include others in the conversation. Mike didn’t have to bring me into the fold at the last minute. Aside from being genuinely nice, he understood the value of connection and mentoring. Plus, I think he knew I would share this moment with someone and repeat the gesture for a fellow mentee.
How can you bring your listeners into the room or the space where your connection makes them repeat the story and the experience?
Due to budgets or company policy, most radio people won’t attend the annual conventions. Take each video conference or shared presentation deck as an opportunity to learn at least one shareable moment. Create emotional possibilities for your listeners. Remember the power of your audio presentation. And turn around and share your knowledge and experience with your community.
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Ron Harrell is a columnist for Barrett Media. He founded Harrell Media Group, specializing in radio and audio brand consultation, fractional management, and talent coaching. He has worked in every role on the Programming and Branding side during his career, becoming management and executive-focused in the post-Telecom Act era. Ron has held leadership roles for media groups such as ABC/Citadel, CBS Radio, Chancellor Media, Cumulus Media, Hope Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, and WAY Media.
Interested parties are invited to learn more about his company Harrell Media Group and reach out by email at Ron@HarrellMediaGroup.com.
