ILM West Keynote: Bob Pittman

When Bob Pittman launched his career in radio decades ago, he touted the virtues of advertising’s “big three” — radio, TV and newspapers. All these years later, during his keynote address at ILM West 2011, Pittman was still bullish on radio’s position in the hierarchy.

“Radio is your companion,” he noted. TV operates as consumers’ “hobby,” while the Internet is a vital “research and communication tool.”

For marketers and media alike, the imperative is to build a synergistic “mix of media” that fosters awareness, kindles purchase intent, retains customers and motivates viral word-of-mouth recommendations. For brands, “that’s your best friend — someone whispering in your ear.”

Clear Channel continues its digital migration through the build-out of iHeartRadio, its Internet music platform. Of course, digital music solutions are plentiful, though Pittman is quick to distinguish iHeart from Pandora and its kind (Last.fm, Slacker, etc.).

“Pandora’s a nifty feature, whether it’s a business or not. Pandora’s not a radio station, but a playlist generator.” IHeart has followed Pandora’s lead in building custom listening features, but with a “familiar-to-discovery meter” and deep social embedding.

Even though he represents a traditional media player, Pittman is clear (so to speak) that his stations understand the digital ecosystem, where partnerships and collaboration must be the new norm. “We’re in the advertising business, and that means renting our customer relationships.”