If I… Were VP Ad Sales for XMRadio
I am the most loyal XM Radio user — so loyal that I still refuse to call it Sirius Radio. But I’m one ad shy of K-Oing my XM. If I were VP of ad sales for XM Radio, I’d make a few serious changes to keep loyal users in the game. Now, nevermind that the whole business model for XM went down the shitter — originally it was ad-free radio. In fact, that was the whole point of subscription radio. No more, as we all know. A shame since it seems it’s the only business model that works for them. I’m pretty certain their choice in advertisers isn’t supposed to drive their users away from their service, right?
If I were VP of Ad Sales for XMRadio, here’s what I’d do:
1. Local, local, local. Invest in cool technology that can use the geo-targeting in your unit to target local ads. Figure out what newcomer companies like CopiaMobile are doing to geo-target coupons to mobile phones and get on the bandwagon. I’m driving in Campbell and you tell me that I get a free chips with my meal at Aqui Cal-Mex during happy hour. I pull over and go! I call my friends to come! I don’t go in, but I remember that if I mention XMRadio, I get free chips. Your local brand confidence goes up, your brand association goes up, your value to the customer goes waaaay up.
2. Put a cap on ad rotation. I have heard the same four commercials on XMRadio virtually non-stop. It has gotten to the point where I hear the same ads on various XM channels at the same time. There has got to be a cap on ad rotation. The saturation level cannot possible be a value-ad for advertisers and even if positive, the over saturation of the same ad dilutes the value of the message. I’m sure we’d all agree that bombarding your audience isn’t the smartest thing in the world. In place of over-delivery of the same ads, use the opportunity to demo the beta of the local ad targeting.
3. Get smarter about what I want by using social media tools to instigate and maintain two-way communication with your users. Invite your Twitter users to a virtual listening party, create favorites and playlists to be shared. Show up and be a part of local big markets, just like radio stations do. Be present. Ask questions, be relevant to your market. The targeting for XM ads is abhorrent. While maintaining communication with your audience (and building trust while you’re at it), take your learnings and sell back to your advertisers. Be the authority on what your users want and need and then demand that from the advertisers that you are bringing to them.
If XM Radio were to target ads that were relevant to me, added value to my life, provided me with opportunities, showed that I, as a user, matter to you, then I’d have a lot easier time listening to ads on the XM Service. Without improvement in ad targeting and direct communications with what the users want, I fear that others like me will fall off the XM signal and move to a place where there is less noise.
Read More
Side Gigs
