A lot of Classic Rock/Hits programmers tend to think of nostalgia as a dirty word. They constantly focus on contemporizing their radio stations, making sure the content between records feels current — even if the music being played is older.
That’s an excellent golden rule, and I would never say we should give up on that pursuit. But maybe we should also think about ways to take more advantage of the nostalgic feelings our music provides. Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, many people are uncomfortable with how things are today and appreciate harkening back to easier times.
If you know me, it won’t surprise you that my inspiration for this idea starts with pizza. According to an article on Quartz, Pizza Hut is going retro at over 150 of its sit-down restaurants across the country. As a kid, going to Pizza Hut for dinner was a treat. Not only was there a total Italian eatery vibe — checkered tablecloths, a salad bar — but there was always an arcade game if you could get your parents to hand over some quarters. All of that is included in the refit, along with the return of Pizza Hut’s Book It program, which rewards students with a free personal pan pizza for hitting monthly reading targets.
When Research Proves the Point
This is different from radio, where we rarely research a concept before it hits the air. But Pizza Hut’s parent company, Yum Brands, evaluated the retro concept at several stores, and the response was overwhelming. The locations were drawing visitors from far outside the local area.
But here’s the part most relevant to our world. The company says the appeal to consumers is emotional. What draws people in is recapturing the feeling of eating dinner with family and friends they love. I find that fascinating — helping people recapture positive feelings from the past is right in our wheelhouse.
Heinz Bottles Up the Same Feeling
While pizza is still my favorite food, my father would probably tell you that growing up, what I really liked was ketchup. I put it on everything. And, strangely enough, it’s my second example of companies outside of radio embracing nostalgia.
Heinz is bringing back the iconic eight-sided, 14-ounce glass ketchup bottle that was a staple in homes for years. It’s been available at restaurants, but not for individual consumers — until now. According to an Adweek article, it’s getting a limited-time engagement at Walmart stores. Keep in mind, this is the same bottle that sits in the Smithsonian and was immortalized by Andy Warhol. There’s also a tie-in to Classic Hits — Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” still gets an occasional spin at a few stations, having served as the ketchup’s commercial theme song for years.
Todd Kaplan, the company’s chief marketing officer, says Heinz understands that plastic squeeze bottles fit people’s lifestyle today. But the quote says it all: “they can’t recreate the distinct experience of glass — the weight in your hand, the familiar look on the table, and the ritual of tapping the iconic ’57’ sweet spot to get the perfect pour.”
What Radio Can Do That Brands Can’t
The examples keep coming from outside the radio world. They tell me injecting some nostalgia into our Classic Rock/Hits approach might be the right move. Not living completely in the past — but finding ways to embrace it.
The low-hanging fruit might be as simple as having hosts occasionally focus their content on what else happened the year a song was released. A step further could be an updated version of the audio montages that used to run in the syndicated Flashback show, spotlighting a certain year. C’mon — admit it, nearly every station used to pirate those and use them elsewhere. If it resonated with listeners then, there’s no reason a similar approach wouldn’t work today.
The Localization Advantage Only Radio Has
And the best part is that your station can do something Yum Brands and Heinz can’t — localize. They can’t tailor each retro pizza location or ketchup bottle to your market like a radio station can. Finding a local way to embrace the times people are longing for could be a great way to get attention and maybe even generate some word-of-mouth that goes beyond your existing cume.
Completely abandoning the present isn’t a good plan for any brand — including your station. But finding ways to embrace the past as part of your overall appeal to listeners might prove to be as satisfying as seeing that last drop of ketchup slide out of an eight-sided glass bottle.
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
