MRM BLOG | Mark Ramsey Media

MARK RAMSEY MEDIA

Advertisers Can Be Their Own Worst Enemies

Apr 5, 2017

Advertisers Can Be Their Own Worst Enemies

We had to produce some direct response ads for my podcast project (you’ve heard it, right?), but one of the would-be sponsors was a hard sell. You can find them advertising on many podcasts here and there (and maybe even on a certain televised annual sports event). But this kind of podcast doesn’t work for them, they argued. So they’ll steer clear. Our work-around solution: Create a spec spot that really illustrates the power of audio and moves the product and even has what a

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Media Unplugged: 10 Media Trends You Need to Know

Mar 29, 2017

Media Unplugged: 10 Media Trends You Need to Know

10 media trends you need to know. And… Niche! It’s the new mainstream! Plus, rants and raves about lying with podcast trend statistics and more. It’s episode 60 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And if you’re reading this by email, click here for the audio. Sample and subscribe to Media Unplugged at iTunes. Or do the same at Stitcher. Or G

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Where’s Radio’s Branded Content?

Mar 16, 2017

Where’s Radio’s Branded Content?

I’m not in the business of crafting ads for clients. Let me get that out of the way right up front. And maybe that’s what permits me to see the world in ways many folks in the trenches selling radio don’t. I hear lots of terms: “Non-traditional revenue,” “integrated selling,” the “events business,” and so on. But here’s a term I hear very little: Branded content. And yet, it’s one of the big growth areas in the advertising space. Branded content is content that exists because

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Strong Debut for “Inside Psycho” Podcast

Mar 15, 2017

Strong Debut for “Inside Psycho” Podcast

Last week I told you about the new podcast I am producing for Wondery: Inside Psycho. This week I am proud to announce that Inside Psycho is now #1 on iTunes in the TV & Film category (#46 overall at this writing). It’s also featured by Apple as “New and Noteworthy,” which is a special privilege. Now, these are dynamic lists and rankings to be sure. Stuff changes. And iTunes rankings aren’t the whole story. But even so, with the zillions of podcasts in distribution every day

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Secret Revealed: Mark Ramsey Media Signs Content Deal with Wondery

Mar 9, 2017

Secret Revealed: Mark Ramsey Media Signs Content Deal with Wondery

Today, I am proud to announce that my company, Mark Ramsey Media, has signed an agreement to develop content for on-demand audio publisher Wondery. The first show created under that agreement launches today. It’s called Inside Psycho, and it’s the first audio graphic novel in the podcast space. It’s a six-part deep dive inspired by the making of the classic movie Psycho. A special sneak preview is available today wherever you listen to podcasts. So what’s the show about? It’s

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It’s Time For Radio To Make Spots Shorter

Feb 20, 2017

It’s Time For Radio To Make Spots Shorter

YouTube has announced that they will no longer support 30-second ads that viewers can’t skip, starting 2018. No more. Nada. Zip. Why? A YouTube spokesman said… We’re committed to providing a better ads experience for users online. As part of that, we’ve decided to stop supporting 30-second unskippable ads as of 2018 and focus instead on formats that work well for both users and advertisers. This change will not affect shorter ads – the 20-second videos and six-second bumpers

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Radio’s Lost Podcasting Opportunity

Feb 8, 2017

Radio’s Lost Podcasting Opportunity

When you talk to radio broadcasters about their podcasting strategy, they tend to see it from the same perspective: The one that relates to their own content. But there’s another way to see podcasting strategy, one that is right in front of your ears. I have a secret podcast project (B2C, not B2B) launching this spring (it’s gonna be killer), and that has given me the chance to chat up some of the key figures in the “business of podcasting” space. I encouraged one to reach ou

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New Radio Competition from the New York Times

Jan 31, 2017

New Radio Competition from the New York Times

Oh but so much more than that. From MediaPost: The New York Times will launch a new daily podcast hosted by Michael Barbaro called “The Daily.” The show, which is billed as “a reimagining of a daily audio report for a digital audience,” will debut on February 1. It will include a text messaging component and will be available on Alexa-enabled devices. Each 15-20 minute weekday show will publish at 6 a.m. and will focus on the news of the day, featuring two to four stories. BM

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Media Unplugged: How To Win The War For Attention

Jan 30, 2017

Media Unplugged: How To Win The War For Attention

How to win the war for attention. And… I am Keats, and so are you! Plus, rants and raves about TV promos missing the boat, and what happens when the company that makes checks thinks they can convince millennials to use them. It’s episode 57 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And if you’re reading this by email, click here for the audio. Sam

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Non-Commercial Christian Radio Had Better Worry About This

Jan 27, 2017

Non-Commercial Christian Radio Had Better Worry About This

I am blessed to do a lot of research work with Christian non-commercial broadcasters. As I travel around the country working with these amazing and passionate folks, I have discovered something unsettling – a trend that, I believe, should concern them a great deal. Here’s what I hear: Over time, the magnitude of giving is steady or rising, but the total number of givers is declining. Also – as my own research shows – the age of the giving audience is not just a little older t

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The Magic of Radio Experiences

Jan 19, 2017

The Magic of Radio Experiences

Retail stores are closing all across the country. “It’s Amazon! They’re stealing our market!” That’s the refrain. And it’s true, right? But wait… Has America lost its taste to shop locally? And what does that imply for local broadcasters who also compete for the attention of their audiences with platforms not bound by geography? Here’s a reality check from Forrester Retail Analyst Brendan Witcher: Consumer confidence is the highest it’s been in over a decade, and leading reta

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The Secrets to Facebook Engagement for Radio

Jan 17, 2017

The Secrets to Facebook Engagement for Radio

Now that Facebook is all but “pay for play,” what’s the best way for you to maximize your time and your investment on the platform as you build out your social media engagement for your radio brand? No longer is it worth wasting time posting for posting’s sake. And no longer is money involved in Facebook advertising so small that it doesn’t matter. So what should you do? And what shouldn’t you do? Those are the questions tackled in a new report based on an analysis of data fr

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Younger Audiences Hate Ads Even More Than You Do

Jan 11, 2017

Younger Audiences Hate Ads Even More Than You Do

According to a new global media habits study from Kantar Millward Brown, if you think your audience hates advertising now, just wait. It is about to get a lot worse. The study spanned 39 countries and 23,907 interviews, including populations representing Gen X (35–49), Gen Y (20–34) and Gen Z (16–19). According to the report: It’s particularly tricky to get Gen Z to engage, because they are highly discriminating and more averse to advertising in general. In the online space G

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Here’s How Radio Gets MORE Important In Cars

Jan 5, 2017

Here’s How Radio Gets MORE Important In Cars

I have written extensively about the challenges radio will have in cars with a dashboard which is built to sync with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. I have also written a lot about what happens to radio when cars drive themselves (hint: It gets ugly). But there’s another force out there and it’s a force in the other direction. And that force is your own voice. Ford has announced an integration between their Sync platform and Amazon’s Alexa voice control system: [Starting] thi

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Long-Term Trends in Radio Listening Revealed

Jan 3, 2017

Long-Term Trends in Radio Listening Revealed

One of the biggest secrets in radio is what’s happening to listening over the long term. Talk to insiders and they will acknowledge that while a huge majority of Americans still listen to the radio the amount of time spent listening continues to decline. Or does it? Well, it depends on how you measure it. And that should add one more reason to the long laundry list of reasons why broadcasters should be irritated at Nielsen, which presumes to produce the accepted unit of measu

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hivio 2016 – Glenn McQuaid and “Tales from Beyond the Pale”

Dec 28, 2016

hivio 2016 – Glenn McQuaid and “Tales from Beyond the Pale”

The power of audio is more than just music or even “spoken word.” With his partner Larry Fessenden, Glenn McQuaid is the co-creator of the extraordinary contemporary audio drama series “Tales from Beyond the Pale,” featuring voices you’ll recognize from artists like Vincent D’Onofrio, Sean Young, and the late, great horror legend Angus Scrimm. In addition to writing and directing many episodes of Tales, Glenn is also well known for his feature film work – he was writer/direct

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Facebook Live Audio – So What?

Dec 21, 2016

Facebook Live Audio – So What?

Cue the panic in the radio streets. Facebook is moving into the audio space by making available a publishing tool called “Live Audio.” “Should you be worried?” asks Radio Ink (which should be in a position to answer that question rather than ask it). First, let’s acknowledge the utter inevitability of this announcement. Facebook’s job is to extract dollars from potential advertisers who value the platform’s virtually infinite and addressable audience and want to reach them in

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hivio 2016 – Jesse Thorn on Leveraging Podcasting and Radio

Dec 8, 2016

hivio 2016 – Jesse Thorn on Leveraging Podcasting and Radio

What can the audio space – radio, online radio, and podcasters, learn from Jesse Thorn? Jesse is the host and producer of some very popular radio shows and podcasts, Bullseye and Jordan, Jesse, Go!, and the co-host and producer of Judge John Hodgman and the proprietor of MaximumFun.org. He founded the show that became Bullseye way back in 2000. In 2007, the show began to be distributed by Public Radio International, making Jesse the youngest national host in public radio hist

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The Biggest Problem with Podcasting is…

Dec 7, 2016

The Biggest Problem with Podcasting is…

Everyone’s abuzz about podcasting! Well, kind of. Maybe not everyone. You’ve probably seen the 2016 stats: According to Edison, 21% of Americans ages 12 and up have listened to a podcast in the past month. That’s followed by this spin on trends: “That is up from 17% in 2015. Monthly podcast listenership has increased 75% since 2013.” Everyone deserves a high-five, right? Those numbers are huge! But wait a minute. I think folks in the audio space are missing the bigger story:

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And the Future of Radio is…

Dec 2, 2016

And the Future of Radio is…

I love “future of radio” discussions, even though the premise of the phrase is completely wrong. Radio people care about “the future of radio” – listeners don’t. Indifference to what listeners really care about is why Clear Channel didn’t acquire Pandora when it was bargain-priced. It’s why there are many podcasts that sound like radio shows and enjoy radio-sized audiences but have never played on a radio station. The issue isn’t about the “future of radio” per se, but rather

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