97X in Tampa recently went to LDR 24/7. What was the reasoning behind going beyond doing just dayparts? What moved the needle for them to go for it?
The 97X and LDR partnership was born out of collaboration with Cox Media Group and its amazing team in Tampa, Florida. Together, we shared the vision of pioneering a new interactive experience that gives Tampa Bay area listeners complete control of the station’s playlist 24/7. In addition to giving listeners the power to control the playlist in real-time, we also launched several features that allow 97X to better engage with Tampa’s alternative rock audience — Open Mic allows listeners to record their introduction to a song and send it into the studio as well as automatically receive an email, text or tweet when their voice is about to be on the air. In addition, listeners can dedicate songs to each other through Facebook and receive alerts when their favorite songs are about to play.
What are the biggest selling points that you pitch to stations considering the service?
LDR works closely with each of its partners to create interactive programming that increases station ratings, revenue and web traffic. Across all major formats, LDR systems have proven success in growing broadcast cume, TSL, and tune-in occasions, increasing digital revenue, and boosting web traffic and station mobile engagement. We support stations using our platform in every possible way.
We work with program directors on their strategy for using the system, whether they are using LDR.1 which provides the audience with occasional voting sessions and instant alerts when their songs are about to play or LDR. Takeover which turns entire day-parts (or in the case of 97X, an entire station) into a listener-driven environment.
We offer unprecedented sales support, unlike any other syndicated product or technology solution. Our team is a unique mixture of experienced professionals from the broadcast management world as well as software engineering. We work directly with sales managers to develop revenue connected to each stations use of LDR. Over the last year, we’ve raised over $2 million in pure digital revenue for our clients.
Can you supply some ratings numbers at LDR stations? What improvements have you seen?
Over two out of every three stations using the LDR platform increase their ratings shares by greater than 30 percent in the day-part where they use our system.
How does the LDR system keep single (or a few) listeners from requesting the same song or kind of songs all day long?
We’ve built LDR with a number of complex checks and balances that track the location and behavior of each voter and balance raw votes through an algorithm designed specifically for each station using the platform.
Prior to launching LDR, I worked as a consultant on programming and digital business strategies for radio stations around the world in a variety of formats. Many other people on our team also have experience as day-to-day operators. Therefore, we understand and respect the principles of good programming and the tenants of strong social interaction and digital engagement.
Our experience in these spaces has guided us to create a system that always tracks within the programming rules that are set by a program director. Some stations set these rules more liberally than others. We offer advice and consultation for each station using the platform to understand how to set it for the most advantageous results.
How is LDR best promoted at your station clients? How much of that is turn-key if they want it?
Every LDR station uses our system differently. We’re proud to say that while there are best practices, we are careful not to force a “one size fits all” approach to creating interactive broadcasting. We do offer a programming guide to our stations that is updated on a regular basis. In addition, each station receives a regular report with a comprehensive summary of their audience’s interaction, music guidance and demographic profile. Everything we do it turnkey, but never cookie cutter. We’re very hands on to make sure that our clients have a seamless and easy path to creating fun and innovative programming.
Since we never require any station to brand their implementation of LDR with our name, different stations take different approaches to branding. To assist our stations, we’ve developed some unique and proprietary trademarks that may be licensed as part of a station’s deal with LDR. Those trademarks include: “Takeover,” “Listener Driven Radio,” “CLICK to PLAY,” and a number of other marks that are consistently used in connection with our platforms.
What are the options for payment for LDR?
In the U.S., LDR platforms may be licensed for commercial barter inventory through Premiere Radio Network. In Canada, we’ve partnered with Orbyt to provide LDR to stations for commercial barter inventory. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, the system may be licensed for a nominal cash fee.
How many affiliates do you have now? What are some of the larger market stations?
LDR is on the air at over 160 radio stations, networks and broadcast groups in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, reaching over 50 million listeners monthly. In the U.S., we are in seven of the top ten markets including New York and Los Angeles. Internationally, our largest market is Bangkok, Thailand. Some of our clients include WAXQ/New York, KYSR/Los Angeles, Virgin Radio in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and the Virgin Radio Network in Italy, and KHKS/Dallas.
Other than increasing ratings for higher rates, how can adding LDR increase revenues in other ways at the stations?
LDR works with stations to create opportunities for non-traditional digital sponsorships. Affiliate sponsors have already committed over $2 million in digital revenue in 2013 and revenue projections continue to pace over last year. Major brands such as Pepsi, Fiat, McDonalds, Hard Rock Casino, T-Mobile, Skyline Chili and Nokia have all purchased multi-channel/platform LDR sponsorships — with 100 percent of the revenue going to local LDR station affiliates. Regional and local marketers including Plato’s Closet, Bellevue University, Creemore Springs Brewery and various auto dealerships have also participated in local campaigns.
LDR gives station affiliates the opportunity to have conversations with decision-makers who are otherwise not tuned into buying radio as a significant part of their marketing strategy. Marketers like that stations using the LDR platform have engaged with consumers — and that there are metrics to prove it. Sponsors also see the upside in the social aspect as well as the audio, direct messaging and display capabilities that the LDR platform offers.
What’s in the future for LDR?
We have a team of 17 people at LDR with extraordinary talent and vision for the future of the media industry. Together, we are always innovating and creating new systems for broadcasters. One of our newest systems—and one that has been really taking off this year is TopicPulse. It’s a system built for talk and personality media; It gives valuable real-time information to show producers and hosts on which topics and news stories are “getting buzz” in their market.
The system scans Facebook, Tweets, all available news sources, local blogs, and other social media.
Then, producers and hosts can see a report–which is updated to the second–on the HOTTEST trending topics and their shelf life. Are they trending up, flat, or dead? With TopicPulse, stations can determine which stories and topics are worthy of airtime.
Real time electronic ratings (PPM) keep the stakes high for stations to air only the very best content every minute. TopicPulse ensures that the topics you put on the air are ones that your audience cares about. You get instant insights on what’s resonating on social media.
LDR is constantly evolving and growing as a company. Since we started creating interactive Crowdcasting platforms for broadcasters, hundreds of stations around the world have embraced our vision for merging social and broadcast media. There is a revolution happening in media today, and I am proud to say that our team at LDR is helping to lead the way.
–Carl Marcucci
