By John Hennessy, Vice President, Concept Shopping, Inc.
(www.conceptshopping.com)
Radio cooking shows are gaining fans. "It's not like TV, where there's a celebrity chef and you feel like you could never get through to them," said Talma Guy who is one of those hooked on radio cooking shows. "I feel like the people on the radio, I know them."
Radio requires involvement and imagination. Fans say it's easier to cook and listen than cook and watch.
Apple began offering a classification of food-related podcasts in 2005 through its iTunes service. Their list of such shows has grown to more than 350. These include podcasts with names like, "Biker Billy Cooks with Fire," "Caviar et Ravioli" and "The African Culinary Network."
The podcasts are produced by chefs, food journalists and marketers. Also included are amateurs with a passion for food.
From one of these amateur podcasts, Ali Herndon Ortega's "Cheap Recipes for Cheap Students," I learned how to prepare spicy Ramen stew. The show describes itself as "Totally half-baked concoctions created by students at a desperately hungry and poor moment." That's narrowcasting!
Moderator's Comment: How can retailers use the prevalence of online and portable audio to better connect with customers?
A couple of ways to inform, entertain and differentiate would be to include mp3s on your web page covering topics as different as:
- Stories of new and different products you make or carry. Where those products are sourced. How you discovered them. How they are used. What they are compared to.
- Wellness-related stories, such as the benefits of increasing produce consumption.
- Entertaining product use stories, such as Sony's Aibo robots being modified and used in soccer tournaments on college campuses. Or Frisbee golf, course setup and rules of play.
- And, of course, recipes and meal preparation.
Use audio content to connect with and enlighten the owners of the nearly 25-million mp3 players sold in 2005 (according to the Consumer Electronics Association). It's a great opportunity for you to get into the heads of your customers. (I couldn't resist). - John Hennessy - Moderator