A Lesson On New Media From Howard Stern (Or, How Not To Make $500 Million From Ad Sense)

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Howard gets it.

Dem%27s%20Fighting%20Words

The King Of All Media has understood what’s up for a lot longer than most. And now – now that the technology is in place and his audience is savvy enough, he’s cashing in on his vision.

How?

By implementing down-geeked new media strategies.

We can learn a lot from him.

Fans want deep. Howard goes deep. Two channels that air around-the-clock Howard-universe content. I mean, he’s created an entire news organization to deliver news on all things Howard. That’s deep.

Howard embraces, and leverages, a Howard online community – referencing and acknowledging the discussions taking place there on an almost daily basis.

He offers his audience the chance of becoming stars within their universe – investing time to create characters and personalities that add future value to the show (as well as helping some fullfill their dreams).

User generated content’s a very new media thing, correct? Well, to the delight of his listeners, Howard’s been capitalizing on that for ages.

Sometimes he’ll mash up a few new media ideas – user generated content, micro chunking, going deep, etc. etc. – to produce something special (The winning entry is well worth the view).

Oh, did I mention his television channel?

He’s on a role and making a tonne of money.

He’s been practicing new media strategies since long before you were talking about them, trying to earn a cup of coffee through ad sense.

Sure he hasn’t embraced the truest forms of new media. But, if anything, that’s a testament to his patience and understanding of his fans – if he aimed for that he’d be faaaar too geeky for his core audience and would shatter his following, distroying his long-term value. He’s down-geeked new media strategies, keeping them within the promise of what the majority can embrace.

[note: if you believe that there's a "truest form of new media" please close the browser, turn off the computer, go out and experience life]

Here’s the biggest two lessons we can all learn from Howard – whether we’re involved with new media or not. Ready for them?

(1) He’s authentic and honest. Beyond belief. And the loyalty that this generates is incredible. Both from his listeners and his costars. (Actually, part of his success comes by making his listeners his costars – much like many successful bloggers).

(2) He understands that his audience is everything.

Fiiiiire! Hiiiiii Fred.

  • chartreuse

    Required reading. Great post.

  • Fraser

    Thanks Char. He’s been on a tear lately and it’s based upon years of being authentic and honest and staying true to his audience. If you aren’t listening you’re missing some hilarious stuff.

  • http://chartreuse.wordpress.com/ chartreuse

    Required reading.
    Great post.

  • http://www.disruptivethoughts.com Fraser

    Thanks Char. He’s been on a tear lately and it’s based upon years of being authentic and honest and staying true to his audience.

    If you aren’t listening you’re missing some hilarious stuff.

  • Loren Feldman

    Agreed, he always understood the power of the fan base. Only problem for him is Sirius itself. His ego and ambition is bigger than the companies reach.

  • Howard

    the kid scoressss

  • http://www.newyorkhotlist.com Loren Feldman

    Agreed, he always understood the power of the fan base. Only problem for him is Sirius itself. His ego and ambition is bigger than the companies reach.

  • Fraser

    “His ego and ambition is bigger than the companies reach”. Great line and couldn’t agree more. The question you have to ask is – could he have made a better play in the short-term? I don’t buy the internet as a better alternative for any number of reasons.

  • http://www.lindzon.blogspot.com Howard

    the kid scoressss

  • http://www.disruptivethoughts.com Fraser

    “His ego and ambition is bigger than the companies reach”.

    Great line and couldn’t agree more. The question you have to ask is – could he have made a better play in the short-term? I don’t buy the internet as a better alternative for any number of reasons.

  • David

    Great article. I believe in the long run Sirus will be like cable tv and thus later on he will reach larger audiences like before. Also as I said on another blog not every cares about or can be bothered with the latest fancy internet gadget crap. Some people are perfectly happy with a plain old RADIO!

  • Fraser

    By the time (if at all) Sirius becomes cable-like, the technology will be ubiquitous AND his fanbase will be technical enough to start to further capitalize on current new media trends. That’s when things will get interesting.

  • David

    Great article.
    I believe in the long run Sirus will be like cable tv and thus later on he will reach larger audiences like before. Also as I said on another blog not every cares about or can be bothered with the latest fancy internet gadget crap. Some people are perfectly happy with a plain old RADIO!

  • http://www.disruptivethoughts.com Fraser

    By the time (if at all) Sirius becomes cable-like, the technology will be ubiquitous AND his fanbase will be technical enough to start to further capitalize on current new media trends.

    That’s when things will get interesting.

  • ericklein

    The thing is that he is using his fan base to convert “traditional” radio listeners to Sirius subscribers. I have Sirius and tell others about it and that seems to fall right into his power and his use of the collective power of his fans.

  • Ramone

    hoo hoo I invented new media. Tell em Fred.

  • http://www.wackbag.com Ramone

    hoo hoo I invented new media. Tell em Fred.

  • Adam Zand

    Hi Fraser, Great recap of the media strategy behind the KOAM (and Queen Robin Ophelia)! I’m guessing shareholders are pretty happy about the serious Sirius investment … http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060524/nyw178.html?.v… As noted somewhere on a blog or two, when I get some disposable income or Howard Stern moves to an MP3 player/podcasting medium, I’m joining in too. Thankfully, Queen of Spin at Topaz Partners lets me listen in her car! Speaking of, hey Fraser, Howard and Mel K., please read my recent hit for my client, Podcast Ready, that show the next medium for Howard to dominate (MP3 players and phones): http://www.wired.com/news/columns/1,70884-0.html

  • http://topazpartners.blogspot.com/2006/05/may-25-day-when-i-love-lawyers.html Adam Zand

    Hi Fraser,
    Great recap of the media strategy behind the KOAM (and Queen Robin Ophelia)!

    I’m guessing shareholders are pretty happy about the serious Sirius investment … http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060524/nyw178.html?.v=34

    As noted somewhere on a blog or two, when I get some disposable income or Howard Stern moves to an MP3 player/podcasting medium, I’m joining in too. Thankfully, Queen of Spin at Topaz Partners lets me listen in her car!

    Speaking of, hey Fraser, Howard and Mel K., please read my recent hit for my client, Podcast Ready, that show the next medium for Howard to dominate (MP3 players and phones): http://www.wired.com/news/columns/1,70884-0.html

  • koko

    you Jew……you big nosed hairy Jew…….. Take me to L.A. with you…………………

  • brooklynite

    first of all, YOU can get MP3′s of howard if you search the internets enough. I know that it is “stealing”, but im not the one who is stealing the material. by the time i get it, it is posted on the internet for free and i dont think im doing anything illegal. 2. I also subscribe to sirius, but the unit is built into my car and i do not drive as much as i used to. 3. Since howard is going to be streaming online, i expect a lot more people signing up. 4. i rarely watch TV anymore and thinking about cancelling everything but HBO and YES. The radio is making a comeback and today i would rather listen to the Howard Stern Show talk about american idol then actually watching that goddamn stupid show. 5. GOing off on a tangent, American Idol gets 60 million votes, not voters. I love how the media portrays that AI gets more votes than BUsh v GOre, but they are missing the point that the show has a lot of obsessive viewers (ERIC the MIDget.) who vote hundreds of times.

  • brooklynite

    first of all, YOU can get MP3′s of howard if you search the internets enough. I know that it is “stealing”, but im not the one who is stealing the material. by the time i get it, it is posted on the internet for free and i dont think im doing anything illegal.
    2. I also subscribe to sirius, but the unit is built into my car and i do not drive as much as i used to.
    3. Since howard is going to be streaming online, i expect a lot more people signing up.
    4. i rarely watch TV anymore and thinking about cancelling everything but HBO and YES. The radio is making a comeback and today i would rather listen to the Howard Stern Show talk about american idol then actually watching that goddamn stupid show.
    5. GOing off on a tangent, American Idol gets 60 million votes, not voters. I love how the media portrays that AI gets more votes than BUsh v GOre, but they are missing the point that the show has a lot of obsessive viewers (ERIC the MIDget.) who vote hundreds of times.

  • Dodger

    Help!!!!! I don’t know how I got here?????

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