I talk a lot in this blog about “owning the local market,” a feat that very few radio stations are able to effectively pull off. Part of the explanation is stations don’t make it a goal to embrace their hometowns.
And another is they simply go through the typical radio promotional motions even for those mega-milestone celebrations. This includes putting on a big birthday concert, staging a giveaway, or convincing the mayor to give them a key to the city. There’s nothing wrong with any of these activities, except “they’ve been done.” And while local fans may appreciate the effort, these events and activities rarely move the needle.
That’s why when I read about musician extraordinaire Nick Cave is celebrating his band—the Bad Seeds—and his adopted hometown of Brighton, it got my attention. You may not know Cave—he’s the antithesis of a pop artist—an eclectic rock dude who has collaborated with the likes of the late Johnny Cash, in addition to supplying soundtrack recordings and the title song for the hit show Peaky Blinders, as well as scores of other TV shows and movies. The guy always has something going on.
And his project this summer was recently written up by Jeremy Young in Hypebot. It is about using a concert homecoming in Brighton to embrace the entire town, from fan communities to local businesses.
Cave’s appearance didn’t begin when he stepped on stage and hit his first power chord. It actually began at the train platform when Cave first came to town. And merch genius that he is, there was all sorts of memorabilia on-sale supporting his various projects, including “The Red Hand Files,” an open Q&A project with photos, essays, and other expressions of Cave the artist.
A “spontaneous” performance took place on the rooftop of Cave’s label, Rooftop Records. There had been rumors about the performance, along with the sale of an exclusive picture disc of one of Cave’s albums, Jubilee Street.
In the same way radio stations do their best to include city names and other references on the air (city shoutouts, etc.), so do bands when they play their hometowns.
But Cave went several steps deeper. The event lasted four days, included an independent movie house that played films of significance to Cave over the duration of the festival. In this way, Cave staged both a tribute to himself and to favorite Brighton local businesses who benefited because of their inclusion. To make that celebration more meaningful, each film personally selected by Cave included a recording from the artist himself, explaining why it was important to him.
Of course, there was the concert itself. But with only a single show, Cave was able to sustain a four-day event with a host of other activities that supported his love for the city as well as a slew of local merchants. By aggregating his tastes for food, favorite venues, and fan groups, Cave was able to turn this event into something lasting for both local businesses and fans.
A radio station (or personality show) celebrating a milestone event (or just a hug for their hometown) could put together similar but different ways to connect their brands with the local environs. This could include local venues, restaurants, and recreational venues (bowling alleys or stadiums).
In Detroit, “A Day With Chuck the Freak in the Motor City,” with appearances, events, giveaways, and locally-themed area haunts where he regularly hangs out could be a perfect celebrating. In New York City, a similar version honoring a long-time morning star like Jim Kerr could have have similar impact while firing up the locals (and I would sign up for that one.)
And even for jocks that are no longer on the air or on this earth—like “Bob Stroud’s Chicago” or “Pierre Robert and WMMR’s Salute to Philadelphia” could incorporate some of that same unique hometown flavor.
And rather than a personality, this type of celebration could work for stations that have embodied their communities for decades, like KS95 in Minneapolis or 91X in San Diego. Each has a rich heritage in people, music, geography, and other cultural signposts.
These promotions are not for everyone. After all, an artist like Nick Cave is the ultimate special sauce. But so are umpteen station brands and personality franchises, still capable of pulling off that big one.
Let’s celebrate them!
President & Founder at Jacobs Media
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched – a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created – a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the “connected car” and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media’s commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
