You take the good…
You take the bad…
You take them both…
And there you have…

The Facts of Radio

There is good and bad news for those following the trends in radio.  The good news, things are changing!  The bad news, it is getting more difficult to pick just one way to listen to your favorite station or broadcast.

Shucks… are options such as the traditional AM/FM dial, satellite and streaming radio, mobile devices and apps such a bad thing?  The answer is a giant NO!  These options have made it even easier for people to listen to the radio wherever they go… in the car, out for a run or even sailing 200 miles off the shore!

Comedian and Political Commentator, Bill Mahr has said, “Men are only as loyal as their options.”  Luckily for radio, increased options have increased listener loyalty.  Newly released research from Latitude Research and OpenMind Strategy finds 85% of listeners feel radio is more accessible than ever, demonstrating that digital media apps like iHeartRadio have fueled category growth and expanded the medium’s accessibility and relevancy.

This increased relevancy and continued popularity has only picked up as people find newer ways to hear songs, news and information.  The good news is, people think radio is cool.  The same research finds those Millennials and Generation Z, who listen to radio regularly describe it as “Trustworthy,” “human” and “relate-able.”

Even more good news, this new younger audience is hip to the fact that most listening happens outside of the home – something decision makers have known for years.  The study finds 92% of Americans tune in to AM/FM regularly and much of this listening happens at or near a place of purchase.  Wow, in the words of Arbitron, that’s “the last word” for advertisers reaching the most consumers right before they shop.  Talk about a wow factor!

Now, when it comes to the messages and types of advertising listeners like, the majority want “their” hosts to be part of the mix.  That’s right, they are definitely participating in a unique relationship.  66% of listeners say their favorite stations reflect who they are as a person.  They trust their on-air talents and communicate with them on the fly… texting, tweeting and using social media outlets like Facebook and Pinterest.  An on-air talents word is golden.  That being said, purchasing a spot on a radio station could cost a couple hundred dollars.  Buying a broad rotator could cost a couple thousand dollars.  Leveraging the credibility of a host or on-air talent is priceless!

Wow, what great news!  A highly engaged audience listening intently to a message specifically meant for them via a medium and channel they love.  Sounds like the perfect love story – perhaps, “Radio & Juliet.”

The newest research also points out how being viewed as “trustworthy” and “relatable” pays off for programmers and advertisers.  Results show 72% of those surveyed say radio feels more “human” than the internet and 65% believe it is more “personal” than TV.

But, the combination of all three is the best news…

You take the radio…
You take the TV…
You take the Internet…
And there you have…

A combination that significantly raises your reach!

… I wonder what Mrs. Garrett thinks about that?

SORRY… but I just had to watch it (and you know you want to too):

We are proud to have received a total of 4 Telly Awards in the 34th Annual Telly Awards for our work with various clients. Our work with clients such as Allstate, OnStar, Chevy, and Siemens has received recognition for outstanding TV programs, segments, and promos. Be sure to check out more of our work.

Category: TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces

Bronze Winners:

Allstate: Safest City to Drive in America Campaign

OnStar Preps Residents in Path of Hurricane Isaac and Sandy

Chevy’s Sonic Introduces New Technology In Standard Transmission – “Stay Clutch” at MLB All-Star Game

Category: Internet/Online Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces

Bronze Winner:

Siemens / Disney Partnership Brings Make Believe Movie to Life with New Theme Park Attractions

Synaptic Digital, a Definition 6 Company (www.synapticdigital.com) helps brands tell their stories across earned, owned and paid media through newsworthy, informative video. General Motors, Honda, Procter & Gamble, American Express, GlaxoSmithKline, Siemens, Intel, NATO, Ericsson and others rely on our expert video services, targeted multimedia news releases, narrative marketing, digital media centers, and thenewsmarket.com, the world’s largest content exchange for journalists and influencers, to connect with their audiences in measurable ways. We are privately held with offices in New York, London, Ahmedabad, Beijing, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Munich, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

Job description

This position is responsible for coordinating and facilitating the activities of the Synaptic Digital franchise team.  (The Franchise Team provides strategic counsel and production expertise to several Fortune 500 clients). This person will coordinate our internal and external communications support production, media outreach, distribution and monitoring related to any franchise client engagement.   Project Manager will work with clients, operational team leads and other personnel as appropriate to coordinate across functions to ensure on-time, on-budget, and in-spec delivery of the client’s requested solution.

Typical work activities

• Interface with Franchise Account Manager(s) to ensure data entered in Sales tracking system is always current and accurate.
• Assist with creating budgets, eventually gaining responsibility to take over the task.
• Actualize project costs vs. budget and submit approved invoices to Finance Department for payment.
• Coordinate all content distribution via broadcast, online and audio distribution channels with our Distribution department.
• Responsible for ensuring all footage is ingested into shared edit system. Assist Producer in entering metadata.
• Book crews and edits for production activities across the continental US.
• Write and edit scripts to time for narrative marketing projects.
• Obtain rights for Music, stock footage, and other elements needed for production of client projects.
• Support sales Account Manager(s) by ordering airchecks and other materials when required.
• Resolve and / or escalate issues in a timely manner.

Requirements:

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Understand how to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully.
• Demonstrable expertise in gaining functional expertise in new software programs.
• Some production experience (1 – 3 years) with knowledge of file formats, tape formats and compression/encoding specifications.
• Experience using both PC and Mac computers including Microsoft Office.  Ability to use Photoshop, Sorenson squeeze, Compressor, Episode, ScheduAll, Salesforce, and/or Editshare a plus.
• News background or newsroom experience a plus.

To apply, please send your resumes and cover letters to SynapticOperations@synapticdigital.com

I’ve been working with media tours and interviews for over a decade.  My work history includes a colorful spectrum of tasks, from helping a team of pro football players with quick jersey changes to negotiating with bodyguards to get talent in front of the cameras on time. I’ve worked with celebrities, government officials, business executives, non-profit leadership, and I have worked with PR agencies of all sizes in states across the country. Through it all, the goal remains the same – get the message in front of the right audience as quickly and efficiently as possible.

No matter the story, there is one thing in common: success is critical – both in terms of return on the financial investment and the spokesperson’s time.  Even with the constant barrage of information hurtling at us, a media tour is still an efficient, strategic tool to get people talking about your issue or brand. Despite the ever-changing media landscape, media tours continue to work for three reasons:

• From a single chair, the spokesperson can speak with 20-25 stations before lunch
• Even with a tightly-booked tour, there is time to perfect the message with a generic interview that can be distributed to further expand the reach of the message
• Leading and participating in the conversation is invaluable

Bigger than that though, with a media tour we have an amazing opportunity for cross-channel messaging.  We have access. You’ve already invested in the time and the talent.  Why not expand your multimedia tool kit while there, often for free or very little additional investment?

Consider how the message could be adjusted for use on the website or with other internal communication channels like newsletters, and record that package during a break in the media tour.   A multimedia interactive news release pushes the message to a wider online audience, and an interactive conversation through a chat on Facebook after the tour can give you the power to have the conversation directly with a brand or issues’ biggest advocates there.

Today’s target audience is no longer limited to morning television. What if you also need to reach audiences watching late night, primetime, daytime or even weekend programming? Narrative marketing is a powerful, informative tool that gives you the ability to place your PR message during programming breaks on shows like Good Morning America and Ellen, and it can be done for both television and radio. These packages can be created using content captured during the media tour or a short extension to add additional production.

So what is the next big initiative you’re working on that has a production element?  As campaigns take shape, plan to capture content that can be used today and additional content for use in the future.  Engage every asset to your advantage while you have access, and plan to deploy your message across multiple channels where your audience finds information in order to efficiently and effectively increase the return on the investment of the media tour.

During the press days of the NY International Auto Show, our crew was on-site with a robust video production crew to conduct back to back media tours for General Motors while also covering GM’s press reveal to a bevy of journalists.

Synaptic Digital provided a series of live, digital, and taped feeds for journalists around the world. The coverage was outstanding. From the number one morning news outlet in the USA, to prime time outlets on TV, Radio, and the Web, GM’s coverage and reveals of the new Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet offerings for 2013 and beyond, received the most media attention with millions of impressions from all media outlets.

Below is a clip of the coverage that WABC-NY ran on-air and online.

Downloads of the stories on TheNewsMarket.com included news outlets like CNBC, Bloomberg, The New York Times, MSN, CCTV (China) and Automotive News .

Image via www.shutterstock.com

We’ve been the beneficiary over the past few years of the corporate communications and brand marketing suites embracing video story telling as a mindshare driving tactic and the categorical imperative that has become social media. However, one area that we’ve definitely seen lagging is when it comes to Investor Relations. You would think IR would benefit more than any element in the corporate suite from turning a 3,000 word release into a two minute video or a 140 character tweet but it has been a slow grind. We’ve actually had the chance to distribute video content from global brands on our www.thenewsmarket.com platform around earnings releases and helping distill complicated spreadsheets into effective sound bites. We’ve also created annual reports for other clients such as PwC but this has definitely been the exception rather than the rule.

PwC

Much of this is dictated by Regulation FD, which mandates public companies to disclose all material information to shareholders at the same time.  The S.E.C. has been slow to shape policy as media has evolved thus the dependence on the press release. It wasn’t until 2008 that they allowed websites and blogs to serve as disclosure points for investor communications. However fast forward five years and little has been done to address social media. Earlier this week, after an inquiry which began following Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings posting a note on his Facebook feed containing what was construed as material share information, the S.E.C came out and made a ruling which definitely impacts our clients. They ruled that publicly traded companies CAN use Social Media channels like Twitter and Facebook for shareholder communications under the presumption that “corporations have to make clear which Twitter feeds or Facebook pages will serve as potential outlets for announcements”.

The key part about the ruling is that in “Field of Dreams” terms, if you build it, they will come. As companies begin to look at these channels as IR communications channels the possibilities are endless. Imagine a Vine video showing earnings pie charts mixed with pictures of key projects from the quarter, or an interactive Facebook app showing revenue by region and business unit or just a produced video telling the company’s story in a way that can be easily understood by investment bankers and retail investors alike.

The SEC just gave brands a new channel to tell their investor stories…. Curious to see how they use it.

Shameless plug… Check out the great video that our team did with PwC for their 2012 Global Annual Review. Get in touch with us to figure out how we can help you.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to go behind the scenes during a satellite media tour?  Well, here’s your chance!  Our team conducted two SMTs during the press days at the NY International Auto Show last week and we were there to capture it all!

Leading up to the event, our media relations team worked with our client, General Motors, to come up with a newsworthy pitch to secure a great lineup of media interviews for TV, radio, and online news organizations.  Our production crew then hopped into motion securing a robust camera crew, SAT truck, and other technical equipment to conduct these two tours.

These photos show the spokespeople while they are on air, as well as the footage as seen from inside the SAT truck.

The second media tour on the second press day highlighted traveling with pets.

With our live events production crew leading the charge, we were able to capture sound bites and b-roll for both of these tours, as well as footage from the GM press launch where the Camaro Z/28 rolled out on stage to a roar of cheers and applause.   This content was then edited by our team and published to both the Media Center for GM and the media distribution portal, TheNewsMarket.com, where journalists were able to download the footage in any format desirable for their publication or website.

Check out the stories on TheNewsMarket.com by clicking on this link.  You can also see more of the photos from the show in this slideshow below.

If so, you could play an important role at our pioneering broadcast news distribution service, www.thenewsmarket.com, which brings newsmakers and the media together via a single Web-based platform. Launched more than 10 years ago, the platform was the first of its kind and remains the biggest around with more than 36,000 media outlets subscribing across the world.  Our clients include major global brands and organisations such as Intel, General Motors, adidas, Lamborghini, NATO and the US Department of State.

Our London team is very multi-national with staff from 6 European countries and our global media reach would also mean European travel for newsroom visits – so make sure your passport is up-to-date!

Now part of Definition 6 (www.definition6.com), a unified marketing, advertising and web design agency with offices in US, Europe and Asia, we thrive at the intersection of marketing and technology. We unite brands and people in motion.

About the Role

You will be responsible for engaging existing media subscribers and opening new relationships through positioning and pitching our latest content to the media as well conducting some newsroom visits in Europe. You will also be responsible for gathering product and content feedback from journalists and working with our technology and client team to tweak the platform accordingly and provide editorial content suggestions in order to optimize performance across the board.

About you

Perhaps you have worked in PR or worked as a journalist. Alternatively, you could already have media relations experience in the last 1-3 years. Whatever your background, you will be an experienced media relations person with a good knowledge of the media industry. You will be used to handling high-profile international stories and dealing with the media on a daily basis. This calls for a creative mind with excellent communication skills including the ability to build relationships, manage stakeholders and handle a wide range of contacts.

Detail orientated and highly organised, you will be able to prioritise and manage multiple projects. Ideally you will have a journalism or media-related qualification. You’ll certainly have excellent writing skills plus knowledge of standard IT.  Decisive, organised and determined, you’ll be prepared to give expert advice and take responsibility for specialist subject areas.  Due to the global nature of our business, mastery of a foreign language would be a bonus (especially German or Russian).

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to recruitingeurope@definition6.com.

This Thursday, March 21st, marketers from around Atlanta will gather at the Fox Theater to honor the best and most creative in the marketing industry throughout the past year for the 2013 AMY Awards.

The Atlanta Marketer of the Year (AMY) Awards are put together by the American Marketing Association (AMA) in Atlanta to honor brands that craft innovative marketing strategies and unforgettable creative campaigns with outstanding results. The awards recognize companies and individuals who’ve made their mark on the Atlanta marketing scene during the previous calendar year.

Synaptic Digital  is honored to be the presenting sponsor for the AMY Awards cocktail party . If you will be attending the awards, we hope to see you there!  If you can’t attend, be sure to follow the action and find out who the winners are on our Twitter account using the hashtag #AMYS13.

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, Sullivan Higdon & Sink, and Ogilvy Public Relations have all been nominated in the category “Integrated PR for Profit or Non Profit.”

Other agencies and brands have been nominated in categories such as visual branding, integrated marketing, email, web & interactive, search, and general advertising. A full list of the finalists are on the AMY awards’ website.

We’re thrilled to be a part of the PRWeek Awards gala, where hundreds of PR agencies and brands gather at this yearly gala to be honored for their stellar work in communications. Tonight we’ll be dressed to the nines with our NY team to network, congratulate and award some of the best storytellers of the past year. I’ll be presenting the award for Mid-Sized Agency of the Year to one of the finalists among Allison+Partners, Citizen Relations, Coyne Public Relations, RF | Binder and Zeno Group – we wish the best to all of them and look forward to seeing who takes home the trophy.

If you plan to attend, look out for our team members Nick Abramovich, David Weiss, Anisha Patel, Sharon Fraade, Julia Heath, Scott Michaeloff, Rachel Conforti and Laura Pair to say hello. If you can’t make the event, you can follow us along Twitter at @SynapticDigital or like us on Facebook to see some of the pics of the night.

We’ll update this blog as well with a live Flickr stream so you can see who is dressed the best and who took home the gold.