It’s all about AI. It’s on everyone’s mind and should be. It’s changing lives and, I believe, for the better. However, could it be our biggest competitor? I was reading Fred Jacobs’ blog, as I do every day, and saw that AI’s #1 use is for therapy and companionship. Wait… radio is supposed to be a companion. Are we being replaced by AI?
While I’ve never used AI in that way, my AI program knows more about my health than anyone, including my doctor. He would have to look up the scores from my latest tests. AI knows them immediately, so it doesn’t surprise me that AI would be a great companion, knowing all the details of your life.
Meet Jennifer
I programmed radio day to day in New York for decades. I picked a specific town in a New Jersey suburb that I knew very well and asked AI for a profile of a target female listener in that ZIP code. Here was the answer: Jennifer is 42, married with two children, ages 9 and 12. She works in marketing, healthcare, finance or another professional field. Her household has two incomes. She drives a Lexus RX, Acura MDX or Honda CR-V. She is comfortable financially, but still conscious of what things cost.
All of that is fine. I pretty much knew all that as well, as the ZIP code I used is pretty affluent. I knew the median household income in that area was over $200,000. I also knew nearly everyone was a homeowner and over 75% of that ZIP was occupied by college grads. However, here is what AI said were her defining characteristics: “She’s juggling a lot. She wants to be a good mother, a good partner and still have a life of her own. She doesn’t think of herself as middle-aged. In her mind, she’s still 30.”
It went on to tell me where she shopped for everything from clothes to groceries. But I was most impressed with the description of her morning routine: “She wakes up at 6:15, checks her phone before getting out of bed. Weather, texts, school notifications, headlines. Coffee is essential. Breakfast is Greek yogurt, toast or whatever she can grab. At 7:15, she’s getting the kids ready and driving them to school and then to work. She’s mentally reviewing the day’s schedule. She wants music, laughter, weather and personalities who make the morning easier.” I may have said those same words to a few shows over the years.
Put the Data to Work
I could go on and on about this fictional woman in this suburb, but by now you get the picture. There is so much data out there, so why not make use of it? Through collective knowledge, AI can pretty much tell you anything you want to know about your listeners in any specific town or ZIP code. You need to use as much of that information as you can to prevent AI from being the new favorite companion of your audience. After all, we all like it when the waiter knows our name, the stylist remembers we had a vacation since our last visit and anyone we encounter says we’ve lost weight.
Get to Know Your Listeners
Ask AI about the people in your key listening areas and really get to know them. Whether it be Greek yogurt or a bagel and cream cheese, add their breakfast to your banter. Which school in their area has the worst drop-off line? How about a unique breakfast or coffee spot other than Starbucks? Mention it. If you have a local show, you really need to lean on what your specific listeners are doing. Steve Harvey or Elvis Duran cannot.
If you have Nielsen’s Control Panel Report, you have the most important ZIP codes for your station and the market. It’s all part of being a better companion and one more piece of the puzzle in becoming a great local personality. The more you know about the people you are talking to, the more they will relate to you. Do it now, before AI fills radio’s role as a companion.
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