Case Study 5: specific radio show from Xfm website

Lauren Laverne’s Breakfast Show

It’s an interactive webpage for the show. Again targeting typical Xfm listeners; mainly those who listen to the breakfast show, but also providing information for those who don’t, promoting the show.

The audience can:

• Read the latest news (not real news, funny things such as youtube of the day) on the ‘frontpage’ online newspaper
• Competition – win a trip to Space Camp USA or be a ‘gig pig’ and see 5 gigs for free.
• Postings and comments in response to Lauren’s hot topics. This week’s ‘you shouldn’t but you would…’
• Play Lauren’s film quiz
• She’ll play 3 songs of your choice in one part of the show (the 9 0’clock shuffle). Kind of like a phone in but online.
• Listen online to any interviews you’ve missed with famous artists
• Find out more about this week’s show, about Lauren Laverne herself or about the ‘house band’ featuring on that week’s show.
  

The technologies involved again are just the internet, digital radio and online videos.

Like the general Xfm website, this is allowing audiences to choose what they listen to at their convenience. It’s different to traditional radio, as these new technologies are allowing a more non-linear approach but is also involving otyher mediums such as video and the internet. As a distributor of music and promoting bands online radio is really good; audience’s can find out more about smaller bands or watch videos and find links to download new singles from much bigger bands. Again this is a good example of interactivity, convergence and personalisation. This is also a great example to use when talking about the music industry, and how media is helping us to discover much smaller artists.

Case Study 4 - Radio Station Website

Xfm

Website for the Xfm radio station (local to London). In effect it is replacing the usual fashion of how to listen to radio – the way you can download podcasts or ust listen to it online makes it more convenient (you don’t need a radio in your office for example) and more personalised and non-linear for the audience (listen to what you want, when you want at your convenience). The technology used here is the internet, but also new digital radio distribution.

The site is clearly targeting its typical Xfm audience – generally quite young, alternative music lovers (generally indie and rock). Through the range of bands mentioned, promotions of very particular music festivals (Glastonbury as opposed to Take That’s new tour).

Online activities: Page split into 4 sections

On air: This weekend on Xfm, and the uploaded shows from the week (shows which you can listen to at your convenience, for example Lauren Laverne’s breakfast show) and an Xfm playlist, showing all the songs they’ve played this week on air.

News: General music news; Glastonbury tickets on sale, new tours, Jack White to play Elvis in new film, recent interviews.

Watch and Listen: More videos, podcasts and music available online from Xfm. Examples: watch Xfm’s winter wonderland, Xfm meets Noel Gallagher, Good Shoes new single ‘Think before you speak’, watch videos from Arctic Monkeys, Muse and more, the Xfm films show podcasts.

Extras: random competitions and gig tickets. For example: win Kings of Leon tickets or Arcade Fire tickets now on sale for Brixton academy.

Play button located at top of page – ‘listen to Xfm.’ - audience interactivity and convergence.

All of these provide great audience interactivity letting them discover more about specific shows or artists. Gives them a non-linear version of radio, they can choose to listen or watch what they want and when. All specifically targeted at Xfm audience – everything they would want from the radio station and more on the website.

Option to join Xfm plus: more news and updates, greater access to areas of website (basically more provelidges all round), free sign up, monthly newsletter. They can use your details to target you with more promotions, but it also allows the audience to feel more involved with a brand. Online surveillance.

Convergence: radio, now radio station online, radio also providing videos (not just about listening anymore!)