Recently, I was approached by the folks at Splat! imaging and asked about my thoughts on imaging for the Hot AC format.  So here's a rundown of 26 things to keep in mind as you create imaging aimed at this audience.

A-Audience:  They’re who you need to please and entertain, not other production people.   Make sure everything you do is for them.

B-Beds:  Music beds set the tone, pacing and mood of your production.  The right bed can make all the difference in selling a message or emotion to the audience.

C-Copy: Every piece of production starts with the writing.  Good writing leads to good v/o and good v/o leads to good production.

D-Deadlines:  They will always be there and will always be broken.  Get used to it.

E-Emotion: Radio is all about connecting emotionally with your audience.  Tap into their hearts and endear them to your station through your imaging.

F-Fast, Fresh, Focused, and Freakin’ Phenomenal: The four ‘F’s, if you will.  Make your imaging and production meet these criteria and you’ll rule the imaging world.

G-Gigabytes: Too much is never enough.  Have lots of storage for your audio and video and know where to find it.  Most of a producer’s time is spent looking for stuff.

H-Humor:  Have fun.  Making someone laugh is one of the easiest responses to elicit.  People who make us laugh endear themselves to us.

I-Intelligence:  Don’t insult the listeners’ intelligence.  This is an adult audience and things that are too sophomoric or juvenile will turn them off.

J-Java:  Sometimes a little coffee break is all that’s needed to get the creative juices flowing.

K-Knowledge:  Keep seeking it out.  I’ve learned so much during my 10 + years in this business and I’m always yearning for more.

L-Listener actualities:  And not just random “this station’s great” lines.  I’m talking about people saying “I Like Mix because…”  Specifics from real people about the station, the music, the artists and their live are digital gold!

M-Message: Keep the message consistent and uncluttered.

N-New Skills:  Learn about more than just audio production.  Learn web design, graphic design, video production, acting.  These will all be valuable skills that radio producers may need to adopt to stay relevant as radio evolves.

O-Observation: Be a people watcher…in restaurants, at the mall, in the grocery store.  Life is happening all around you.  Your next promo may write itself if you just observe your listeners in their natural habitat.

P-Production Value: Specifically EQ and COMPRESSION, giving that little polish that separates good production from great production.

Q-Quality:  As we get overburdened with multiple stations it’s getting harder and harder to maintain; but, as in the automotive business, “quality should be job 1” in imaging as well.

R-Relatability:  Goes back to Observation.  Make your message relate to your audience’s world and it’ll surely sink in.

S-Sound Effects: If music sets the tone and the pace of your prod, sfx are the garnish that adds to the presentation.  Don’t have the right sound in your library?  You’ve got a mic don’t you?  Make it up!  One of my best concoctions was trying to create the sound of “10 Lords a Leaping” on a bed for a 12 Days of Christmas Promo.  It was a combination of a squeaky mic boom and slapping the seat of my chair, then overlaying it 10 times.

T-Theater of the Mind.  Paint a picture with sound.  This is the power of our medium in that each listener interprets what they hear differently.

U-Updates.  Make sure you don’t let things burn.  Update your imaging as a Music Director updates the playlist.

V-Voice Talent: Great voice talent can bring your copy to life.  Some of the best V/O’s in the business can add the weight of emotion to something as simple as “Your music, your station.”

W-Work ethic: To succeed in this field, you’ve got to be willing to put in the time and effort.  These days a good work ethic may be all that separates you from the unemployment line.

X-Xecution:  Okay, I’m reaching but if a great idea isn’t backed up by good copywriting, great voiceover interpretation, the right music and sfx and proper production value, it can be lost on the listener.

Y-Your: Give your audience ownership “Your music, Your Station, Your Town, Your Life”

Z-Zeroable (That’s right, bitch! I came up with something for Z!) Words that can be omitted from a sentence without losing the meaning of the message.   Instead of “Elton John will be performing at the Benedum Center, Saturday, August 25^th.   Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10am;” simply say, “Elton John…August 25^th at the Benedum…Tickets on sale Saturday, 10am.”   Other zeroable phrases relate to commercial production like “conveniently located,” “courteous and knowledgeable staff,” etc.