MRKinLA made some excellent points in his reply to my “Pledge Drive Don’ts” post.
MRKinLA writes about how public radio stations have a
“… tendency to throw the local voice talent onto the airwaves with no scripting, ad libbing themselves in a downward spiral of inane comments like the ones you mention here — “Stop freeloading!” “Please, please, please, we’re in dire need!”
Agreed. Why can’t public radio stations take a page from the Creating Customer Evangelists playbook and use current paying subscribers to make the marketing/sales pitch? I would love to hear current subscribers tell me why they choose to become a paying member of their Public Radio station’s listener community. Public Radio stations could reach out to their subscriber base and invite long-time subscribers, first-time subscribers, and intermittent subscribers into the studio to record their story of why they choose to donate. Then, instead of hearing on-air talent ad-lib their inane sales pitch, listeners would hear passionate and articulate stories (disguised as pledge pitches) from current subscribers. That sounds like a much more meaningful and appealing way to drive donations.
MRKinLA also writes… “NPR listeners in general, but especially those who may be fence-sitting potential subscribers, are a smart bunch. They know in an era of Clear Channel and other media consolidation, their options for intelligent radio are dwindling. Enlisting them as partners in the fight against media mediocrity is one way to communicate why people need to open up their wallets for NPR.”
Sounds like Mark is borrowing another page from the Creating Customer Evangelists playbook by suggesting that Public Radio stations create a cause to better appeal to listeners. The consolidation that has occurred in the radio industry has resulted in lowest common denominator programming and Public Radio stations appeal to listeners who disdain anything lowest common denominator-like. Public Radio listeners are a curious and discerning bunch and creating a mission that pits David (local Public Radio station) against Goliath (Clear Channel station group) would seem to be a savvy way to galvanize support that would generate financial support during Pledge Drive time.
