Friday Rant: And Then It Hit Me....It's Not About Distribut

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When I'm driving, I listen to radio. Radio is a pretty pure medium, particularly AM. I've always thought AM talk radio (I listen to sports radio when I'm bored with NPR, which is a lot, honestly) was a lot like blogging - you have a host who sits in the middle of a conversation, and the best ones are really good at getting the community involved. They have regulars, they have a defined area of coverage, they clearly connect to their audience. Anyway, as I was listening to AM radio on my way back from the gym, an ad for something pretty random came on. I don't recall the ad exactly, but it felt extremely...non-endemic. After all, everyone listening is really into sports, right? (I was listening because the Giants are back in spring training, the blossoms are on the fruit trees, and all is right in the world...) Anyway, this advertiser sent me on a reverie. Why, in all honesty, was this advertiser buying the ad space on the radio in the first place? Was it to reach men, 24-54? Yes, certainly. Was it to reach men, 24-54 with an interest in sports, and engage them in a conversation that was related to the product they were selling? No, not really, as the ad was for something else - maybe it was a mortgage refinancing offer. Was it to speak to this audience in the language they were all speaking at the point of context - the language characterized by the host? Clearly not. The ad was abrasive, a pushy come on. So why did the advertiser buy the ad? And then it hit me. The advertiser bought the ad to gain access to distribution. The advertiser wanted to speak to a big group of men, and the...

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