Garrett Puckett

BCA 511
October 15th, 2013
Assignment #1
B's Music Portfolio/ Needs Analysis
Station Operations:
WCFX Rate Card

:60 or :30
Monday Friday
6 am 10 am $30
10 am 3 pm $25
3 pm 7 pm $25
7 pm 12 mid $15
Saturday - Sunday
6 am 10 am $10
10am 3pm $15
3 pm 7 pm $15
7 pm 12 mid $5
Monday Friday 6 am 7 pm $24
Monday- Friday 6 am 12 mid $20
Monday Sunday 6am-12 mid $17
Monday Sunday 12am 6am $2
Sponsorships/Specific Times $35
All rates are gross and agency commissionable
Policy regarding non-profit organizations:
Bonus commercials equal to 50% of the number of paid commercials are granted to qualifying
501-C non-profit organizations, churches, service clubs and charitable organizations. All
bonus commercials will run M-Sun 6am-12mid R.O.S., and are offered on a space available
basis, pre-emptable by paid commercials.
Sponsorship packages range from $3,500 - $10,000.
Ratings Information: Due to the relatively small size of the market, Arbitron does not survey
Isabella county, therefore WCFX serves an unrated market.
Seasonal Sales offers: WCFX offers seasonal incentives when purchasing package bargains.
Offers vary from season to season and holiday to holiday. The most recent stimulus was a
Valentines day sales package.
Sales Staff: WCFX currently has five people working on the sales team.
Current Client Incentives: When purchasing package deals WCFX offers price incentives for
customers.
Incentives for Sales Personnel: The sales personnel is able to control their income due to a
paid commission with incentives. Bonuses are given when personal and team monthly goals are
achieved. WCFX also holds sales contests were the winner can earn a prize of a car wash or a
single night of dining.
Digital Media Tools: WCFX offers a very interactive website where listeners can do a great
deal of things, such as check road conditions and school closings, send and view request and even
listen and stream the live radio. Also, a new website is in the process of being launched and is
anticipated to arrive by this fall.
Social Media Tools: WCFX likes to keep in touch with the community so a profile Facebook
page is provided, as well as a Facebook page for fans. Amongst the many social media outlets,
WCFX also maintains a twitter account where users can follow the station and view tweets, view
information about contests and much more.
Central Michigan University: WCFX is played exclusively in the Student Activity Center (SAC) at
CMU, which is visited by over one million people a year. As part of the CMU Sports Network, WCFX
airs all football and mens basketball games. Together with 6 other radio stations, we cover 95% of
the Lower Michigan listening area. WCFX has been voted CMU students favorite radio station in
the student newspaper, CM Life, and has the largest presence of any radio station on the campus of
CMU. WCFX broadcasts live during tailgates before every home CMU Football game. Tailgating
includes contests, prize giveaways, and interviews. WCFX gives tickets away on air to every home
football and basketball game. We also interview many of the football, basketball, baseball
gymnastics, and wrestling coaches on our Breakfast Flakes morning show. Associate Athletics
Director Nick Williams is a special sports guest on the Breakfast Flakes morning show each Friday.
Target Demographics & Geographic Market: Our audience stretches over eight mid-
Michigan counties. Roughly 30 miles in all directions. The typical listener is between 22 and 42
years of age and is 65% female. The average age is 32 years old. These listeners are active with
growing families and have a proven desire for all of the products and services to provide for their
families.
Topics and Music: Wake up each morning with the CFX Breakfast Flakes hosted by 21-year
local broadcast veteran Kent Bergstrom and co-host Bobby St. Charles, a fun, friendly and
entertaining member of WCFX. Youll get the perfect blend of music, entertainment and information
including 20/20 news updates, local weather every 10 minutes with CFX What-to-Wear-Weather,
school closings and plenty of fun and games. Bobby St. Charles, a top entertainer with SHOWS
CFX, follows with 30-minute all-hit power-plays from 10am-2pm, shining star Angie Evans plays
Todays Best Music all afternoon from 2pm into the evening show with Clint James, who plays
Todays Best Music from 7pm to 10pm, before our favorite Awkward Situation Rob wraps up the
night from 10pm on.
The most important part of our programming is the music. Its researched and updated to
make sure we provide our listeners with the songs they want to hear. News and information is very
important to our listeners, too. WCFX partners with The Morning Sun to bring you news in a timely
and accurate manner.
Why this station is different:
WCFX connects with our listeners and the community
Community Events: CFX invests in our community by hosting events such as the annual
Caravan of Care, Toys for Tots, Light the Night, Peak Golf Outing, Relay for Life, Haunted Forest,
United Way Volunteer of the Week and other cause-related fundraisers.
At-Work Network: Over 700 businesses in the Central Michigan area receive the latest
events, news and games via a bi-monthly e-mail blast. These businesses have requested to be part
of this informational database.
Work Perks: Each week, WCFX awards one business for listening at work. Thousands
of businesses have registered to be part of this well known promotion. The list of winners is well
beyond 500. Winners who call in while listening receive $95 in cash along with other great prizes
for the office.
Salute to Working Women: Every year WCFX invites 750 hard working women from our listening
area to attend this free annual event. Attendees enjoy complimentary food and beverages during an
evening of music and prizes.
95 Cent Days: WCFX teams up with our clients to offer listeners fantastic savings at
various businesses, resulting in 8 hours of heavy foot traffic. 95 Cent Days have been a staple in
Central Michigan for over 12 years and makes a big impression.
Other Promotions: WCFX webstreams so listeners can tune in to us over the internet as well
as over the airwaves. WCFX is part of the CMU Sports Network, airing football and mens basketball
games. Hundreds of businesses are registered has part of our weekly CFX Pin to Win promotion.
During 2011-2012, wcfx.com had an average of 3,202 unique visitors/mo, 8,623 visits/mo and
25,528 page views (average of 3 pages per visit). Almost 1000 people have signed up for our E-
club to be the first to know about whats going on at CFX. Over 4000 people are registered for the
CFX Birthday Club. Over 15,000 people carry a CFX Everything Card. Over 45,000 different people
tune into WCFX each week. WCFX has more listeners than any other local radio station. Our annual
Salute to Working Women is attended by approx. 500 women with 77% in the age range of 21-55.
CFX is a community-orientated station helping non-profit and civic organizations.
Unique Selling Position: We do much more than play music and inform. For years, WCFX has
been involved heavily with the business of civic communities. While businesses look to us to
deliver an effective message to their prospective customers, non-profit organizations come to us for
support and to inform listeners of the many events that take place within our area.
Management of Sales Staff:
-Meetings: The sales staff holds weekly, morning meetings where they discuss their
goals and projected sales.
-Method of Pay/Motivations: Sales personnel are able to control their own income due to
a paid commission pay. Bonuses are awarded when personal and team monthly goals are
achieved. Sales contests are also held where the winner can earn things such as car washes or a
single night of dining.
-Reports: Sales staff is required to give monthly projection reports as well as 3-
month rolling reports. These reports include how much was sold, how much was spent, distance
from the goal and any pending sales.
95.3 WCFX-FM
5847 Venture Way
Mount Pleasant, Mi 48858
Office: 989.772.4173
Fax: 989.773.1236
Jim Spangenberg
V.P. General Manager
95.3 WCFX-FM
(989) 772-4173
(989) 326-2286 (cell)
B's Music
613 N. Mission St. Mount Pleasant Mi. 48858
(989) 773-0777
brian@bsmusicshop.com
www.bsmusicshop.com
Brian Hansen
Owner
B's Music Shop has been in business for 15 years now and operates in a store front retail
center. Their inventory is strategically placed and displayed for customers to view as they stroll
through the establishment. A range of products are available at B's Music to service all types of
customers. The majority of products are higher end, yet still affordable, and made for beginner to
intermediate musicians. Much depends simply on how much money the customer wants to spend.
B's Music does not advertise often, in fact, other than Facebook, they haven't advertised in
years. Brian Hansen, owner of B's Music, believes that the times have changed significantly, and
mediums are so deeply imbued with ads that people have learned to immediately tune them out. B's
Music hasn't advertised in newspaper or radio in the past five to seven years and has never
advertised on television. Brian says " I think if you really want to be successful in marketing and
advertising you better be creative because there are a lot of businesses out there who aren't doing
anything, and they're filling the general culture with so many stupid ads that people don't even pay
attention anymore. If you want to live in an ADHD culture you better stand out or no one is going to
care. You can throw money into advertising all day long, but nobody will care."
Within the past decade many people have opted to visit larger chains such as Guitar Center
or even order from catalogs due to convenient locations, lack of population in Mt. Pleasant and a
changing market. People think that smaller local shops will be more expensive, and some may be,
but B's Music offers incredible price incentives. Every price tag in the store has a listed value and a
store value, and you better believe that the store value is always lower than the listed. Guitar Center
may have an abundance of name brand products and huge flashy department stores, but B's Music
is very comparable, much more affordable and they offer a lot more services.
The amount of services that B's Music offers are outstanding. They offer private lessons,
repairs, product knowledge and the owner is almost always in the store, so you can get a good idea
of who you are conducting business with. B's Music undoubtedly has an authentic music shop spirit
that takes you back in time to the age of the greatest musicians who ever lived. The problem they
are encountering is not with their product or service, but with getting people through the door.
B's Music has advertised on every medium except television. They have been around doing
business for nearly 15 years, built themselves up from the ground, witnessed technological
advances and gained some experience on the way. In the past they have used radio, newspaper
and the internet to advertise.
For radio, B's has advertised with WKQZ in the past. They find radio to not be as effective as it
used to. The majority of advertisers are going to stations such as Pandora, Sirius and XM radio.
Again, B's hasn't advertised on radio in the past six to seven years. What Brian likes most about
radio advertising is hearing himself on the air. B's does not have a monthly investment in radio.
B's Music has never advertised on television. Owner, Brian Hansen says "I don't see a lot of
advantage to television. Maybe if your trying to reach that 50 and up market. The only way I would
advertise on television is if I was selling Life Alert." B's feels that television advertising is a thing of
the past and they don't ever see themselves advertising on it.
Print media has been a dyeing medium for years now. B's Music has used newspaper in the
past, but they don't feel that people pay attention to it anymore and its just to easy to ignore. They
like the fact that the newspaper supports local businesses, but so much of the newspaper has
switched to the internet. Anybody can get online and read the paper with out seeing the ads in print.
B's Music does have a small mean of advertising with the internet and social media. They
have advertised on Facebook in the past, but that was primarily to increase the number of fans and
friends on their page. Now they just use the friends they have collected and routinely write posts.
They also have their own website which shares loads of information and has an option to instantly
register for lessons.
B's Music reaches a diverse set of people of all ages. Brian says " We see college band
mates to mothers with children to grumpy old violinists." Although, primarily they deal with men from
the ages of 18 to 35. The education and economic statuses of the target customer is hard to say
because they deal with everyone. You have a wide margin when your dealing with a 18 year old
college student one minute and the next your helping an older mother.
When it comes to B's Music and advertising there really isn't much to say. Any kind of
advertising from them now would mostly likely consist of Facebook posts and maybe some other
advertising in social media. Advertising just hasn't helped them much in their business and they
don't like spending money on it. Perhaps they simply haven't put in the effort towards ads to really
see a change, but only the client can decide when enough is enough. If they had an unlimited
budget, they would do more advertising, but it would primarily be in radio. Nothing else, besides
internet and social media, really connects to their target demographic.
Q&A
Company:
1. How long have you been in this business?
- I've been in the business since '98, so 15 years.
2. How did you get started?
- I got a job at a music shop when I was 16, and then I started my own store 4 years
later. I had a different building in Alma for 3 years then I moved to this building in Mount Pleasant on
Mission st.
3. Whats most enjoyable about being in this business?
- Well its a job. I like being my own boss some days and I like the people. Its hard to
say, sometimes I just do it because I know how to do it.
4. Whats least enjoyable about being in this business?
- On the flips side, being your own boss isn't all that fun all the time. Your always
working harder than you would for someone else.
Products/Services:
1. Do you consider your products to be average quality? High-end? Low-end?
- I think everybody would consider their product high end, but as far as what market we
try to hit, I try to hit the affordable/beginner/intermediate market. However, I feel I offer high quality
products in those price ranges.
2. What are your best sellers? Worst sellers?
- We sell a ton of accessories and strings, but instrument wise, we sell a lot more
acoustic guitars. We have so many types of customers that we have best selling items for each type
of customers. Personally I try to focus more on accessories, where as other places focus more on a
specific instrument. Its not everyday someone walks through your door and buys a guitar. however,
accessories are constantly needed as strings break and what not, so I believe that accessories are
the drive that builds. Worst sellers would be drums. Drums suck, nobody buys drums.
3. Anything you consider your specialty?
-We do a lot of in-store repairs which is cool. Most places will send your instrument
back to a manufacturer to get repaired. Also we do a lot of lessons, we just have a really old school
guitar shop vibe.
4. Anything you like to feature (maybe because of higher profit margin)?
- We try and think of things like add-ons such as tuners and stuff like that which people
might not necessarily think of, but I don't really try pushing anything to much. I can see myself doing
it more in the future maybe, but not right now.
Customers:
1. Who are your current customers?
a. Average Sex?
! Mostly males.
b. Average Age?
! We get many different age groups so we don't try to attack one specific
demographic. If you stick around for about an hour or so you will see everybody
from every shade walk through here.
c. Average Income
! Thats really hard to say because again, so many types of people come through.
It literally varies from broke college students to senior residents with too much
money to spend.
2. If you had an ideal customer, who would they be?
- Somebody who has a lot of money!
3. Has your client base changed in the last year?
a. - No, not really. Our customers are pretty loyal and we'll occasionally see a new face,
but nothing new.
4. Do you anticipate any changes in your business that would affect your current customer
profile?
- Not particularly. I plan on redoing our website this year. I do it every 3 to 4 years, but
thats it.
5. From how far away do your customers typically come to shop?
- Probably 5 to 10 minutes away, but we do have people who travel up to an hour to
come here.
6. What is the average amount a typical customers spends each time they shop your store?
- About $25.
7. How much is a customer worth? (Amount they spend + number of referrals)
-Well I guess a customer is worth the average amount of money they spend in the
store, but since I really don't believe in advertising they are worth a lot more to me. Almost all of our
business is due to to word-of-mouth. I feel that advertising now is just so saturated and people have
really learned to tune ads out. I have anyways, so I just don't waste money on advertising.
8. How would a typical customer describe the experience of shopping at your store?
- I think they would say we have a large inventory and were knowledgable, happy and
friendly, but I don't really know. I just try my best to make sure everyone is treated good.
9. What is the single largest misconception non-customers have about shopping with you?
- I think since we are a local shop people think our pieces are higher when they're
really not. Our prices are really good, probably too good. Most people assume we're slightly more
expensive than a catalog and realistically we are neck at neck.
Competition:
1. Who is your biggest competitor?
- Well we don't have a local competitor, so really the internet. People get online and
purchase off the web these days, which I feel is true in any retail. It's not like I'm Coke and theres a
Pepsi. Its a new age with such an abundance of consumer goods. I mean this is America, there is a
huge supply and a limited demand. Guitar Center is also a competitor but there isn't a store within
an hour of here.
2. What are their primary competitive advantages?
- I wouldn't say they have an advantage over me except for online services can have
nearly an unlimited inventory.
3. What do they offer customers that you cant or wont?
- I can't think of anything except maybe an extended return policy.
4. Why do customers come to you?
- Because were awesome.
5. What do you offer that your competitors cant/wont?
- We have a real brick and mortar service. We offer real lessons, in-store repairs and
we try to have an actual physical connection with the music world. I think a lot of it now is just
through a screen and it's really important to keep that physical connection. Art is a medium that
doesn't translate well to a forum on a website.
6. What is your single greatest competitive advantage?
- We're small and nimble so if I decide something isn't working I can just stop doing it.
When your a bigger company you can't really do that, and if you can it will be very slow. If I decide
ukeleles are going to be huge I can just start buying a ton of them. It may not seem like much but I
can change the way the store operates pretty drastically if I need to.
7. What is your single greatest competitive disadvantage?
- I don't have unlimited money or anything, that would be cool.
Objectives:
1. Is your business experiencing the kind of growth you need/want? If not, why?
! We grew a lot some years ago, but the last 2 or 3 years we've really leveled out. I
mean, how big can you really get in this town? Im trying to figure out how to get bigger
right now.
2. What do you feel is your unique selling position?
! We talk to people face to face. We literally put it in their hands and thats huge. As much
as people like the internet they still love the personable shopping.
3. What is your primary business image: low price, large inventory, service, etc.?
! I think being the only local market all those things would count. I mean, we have to
know how to do everything or else our customers will go somewhere else.
4. Could you describe your single biggest sales and marketing challenge?
! Getting more people trough the door; getting more people to play.
5. How are you actively addressing this challenge?
! Right now we're doing free Sunday clinics at 1 o'clock were I have one of my teachers
do a free hour session here in the store. This weekend we're doing chicken pickin'
blues, just bring your guitar and pull up a chair. We also have Sunday clinics for
ukeleles and violin as well, they just differ every weekend.
6. How would you like to see your business change over the next 12 months?
! We're switching to a new computer system because I want everything off paper. I want
this place basically to be run by a robot. A robot I can tell what to do.
Advertising:
1. What media do you currently use?
! I don't use a lot of advertising. I think people are over saturating advertising and not
paying attention to it anymore. I get 10 to 15 advertisement emails everyday that I just
ignore. I did Facebook advertising in the past mostly to drive up my Facebook page
but mostly it.
2. Which do you use most often?
! Well I've tried a little bit of everything except television, which is why I think I'm at this
point, but if I had to say it would be Facebook. Honestly though, nothing has really
drove a huge number through the door.
Radio:
1. How often do you typically use this medium?
! I haven't used radio in 6 or 7 years, but when I started I did some public radio spots at
93.3 for a few months. I only did it because I started in Alma and nobody knew I even
existed
2. What do you like best about this medium?
! Hearing myself on the radio. Who doesn't like hearing themselves on air.
3. What do you like least about this medium?
! That its so expensive.
4. What would you change about this medium?
! I think there should be less regulations for stations to follow. Everything being
Clearchannel kind of killed radio. Now its like the pasteurized milk of what radio used
to be.
5. What is your typical average monthly investment in this medium?
! Nothing. Zero dollars.
Television:
1. How often do you typically use this medium?
! Never, and I can't imagine I ever would.
2. What do you like best about this medium?
! I don't see a lot of advantage to television. Maybe if your trying to reach that 50 and up
market. The only way I would advertise on television is if I was selling life alert.
3. What do you like least about this medium?
! The fact that I don't think anybody watches it anymore. Everybody is watching Netflix
or Hulu.
4. What would you change about this medium?
! I think everybody is trying to figure that out right now. I just keep hoping that Apple will
become a cable provider where I can just buy channels that I watch.
5. What is your typical average monthly investment in this medium?
! I've never advertised on television and probably never will. I think television is the next
landline phone. People might have it, but not really use it.
Print:
1. How often do you typically use this medium?
! I haven't used it in 5 or 6 years because I just think about who's reading it. I haven't
even had a paper delivered in years.
2. What do you like best about this medium?
! I like that its local and supports local businesses.
3. What do you like least about this medium?
! I don't think people pay attention to. Again, its over saturated and to easy to ignore.
4. What would you change about this medium?
! Thats the million dollar question. I don't think there is much to change about it. The
majority of it has gone to the internet or apps and become free to the public.
5. What is your typical average monthly investment in this medium?
! I used to do CM Life and The Morning Sun randomly, but again, I haven't advertised in
the paper in roughly 5 or 6 years, so zero dollars.
Specific questions about Interactive:
1. What is your goal for your website? Branding? Direct response? Providing information?
Building
your customer database?
! Providing Information is mainly what I focus on. I feel like the first goal of any website is
to get on the information super highway and let people know all about who you are.
2. How pleased are you with your website's results?
! It does pretty well. I'm in the process of rebuilding it. I dump it every 3 to 4 years and
completely change everything. It's not where I want it to be, but thats why I'm redoing it
now.
3. What do you like best about your website?
! I like that you can go on there and sign up for lessons whenever you want. People get
on there all the time at 2 A.M. and instantly register for lessons with any teacher they
want.
4. What are you doing with your database?
! Rebuilding it and doing a whole new point of sale
5. How are you promoting your website?
! We don't much. Its on our business cards and receipts, but mostly people just get on
google and can search and find us instantly.
6. Who handles your Internet advertising and other new media advertising?
! I do all of it.
Currently B's Music does not advertise anywhere. Newspaper just doesn't cut it anymore and
radio and television are too expensive. B's has been around for 15 years so they have experienced
many different mediums and ways to advertise. They have advertised on nearly all mediums, but
haven't had much success. Therefore, they work with what they have and what they know best,
word-of-mouth.
Their primary target demographic would be men from the age of 18 to 35 who play, or want to
learn to play an instrument. Their secondary target demographic would be women in the same age
gap, who also play or want to play an instrument. They have an exceptionally broad demographic
due to the array of instruments and musicians out there. Ideally they would attract nearly any
musician out there, because hypothetically virtually anybody out there could play, or learn to play if
they chose to do so.