Overview
From the advent of digital television and mobile phones to advancements in the Internet and
wireless networking, the ongoing evolution of technology is constantly changing the way people
access and interact with information.
Giving audiences the ability to take part in programmes is now recognised as one of the most
effective ways for broadcasting organisations to cultivate consumer interest, and, through
doing so, improve their listening figures and encourage advertisers to invest.
With so many convenient, new communications media now available, it is also vital that Radio
companies understand their audiences (in terms of their opinions, expectations and preferred
uses of technology), if they are to provide the optimal listening experience.
Crosby's RAPS Solution
Crosby's Radio Audience Participation System (RAPS) is a sophisticated alternative to the
costly switchboards, expensive computers and other outdated methods that many radio companies
are currently using to provide interactive services.
In addition to facilitating reliable audience participation over a variety of different media,
RAPS gathers valuable information about listeners in real-time from various sources, including:
- Telephone calls.
- Text messages (including picture and video content).
- Fax messages.
- E-mails.
- Website hits/clicks.
How it works
1. Whenever a listener uses one of your interactive services (whether they do so via phone,
text or the Internet), RAPS automatically records a range of information about the exchange.
This will often include: the medium used by the participant, the exact
time at which the interaction took place, details of its purpose and content, and even the
participant's geographical location.
2. Once gathered, RAPS arranges these data using a built-in content management system, to
create a detailed 'profile' for every listener who has ever participated in your
programming.
These 'profiles' can contain details such as:
- The preferred medium through which a listener participates.
- Which programmes they participate in.
- Which competitions or voting procedures they tend to enter.
- How frequently they participate in your interactive programmes.
- Their preferred time for interaction.
By creating and updating profiles for every participant, RAPS gradually develops a footprint of
your entire interactive audience.
3. Using its built-in content management system, RAPS then interprets and manipulates these
data, enabling you to predict the general opinions and preferences of your listeners as a whole,
and take action in accordance with your findings.
With our RAPS solution's content management system you can:
- Evaluate listening figures based on percentage participation rather than relying totally
on RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Limited) estimates.
-
Retrieve a complete 'profile' for any participant at the touch of a button,
including a full history of the competitions they have entered, how often they have entered
over the last day/week/series, and how successful they have been.
- Generate graphical interpretations and interactive charts based on audience participation
statistics, to better illustrate listener trends and preferences.
- Produce loyalty reports detailing your most active listeners.
- Estimate the popularity of your programmes and presenters.
- Provide advertisers with reports demonstrating the level of interaction at different
times and through different media, helping them to target the most profitable advertising
techniques.
- View a map of your coverage area (which populates in real-time), showing an accurate,
up-to-the-second geographical distribution of your participants.
- Cross-reference audience response statistics with programming schedules to ascertain the
best time to air a certain programme.
- Change your programme scheduling in real-time and issue or amend recordings advising
callers of any changes to programming or other promotions/services instantly.
Summary
By putting detailed audience information and powerful content management apparatus at your
fingertips, our RAPS solution offers a variety of commercial and operational benefits for
your company, giving you a clearer understanding of your listeners, and empowering you to
operate a more profitable and customer-focused service.
Installation and cost
Crosby realises that every radio station is unique and interacts with its listeners in a
different way.
With this in mind, we have aimed to make our RAPS solution as flexible as possible and we
will even spend a week in your business before installing our systems, to become acquainted
with your operations and establish your requirements. This will enable us to fine-tune our
product to suit your specific needs, and ensure its smooth integration with your existing setup.
Because RAPS is configured differently according to each situation, all systems are priced
individually. As a guide, prices start from around £12,000 +VAT for RAPS as part of a
fully managed service from Crosby.
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