The New 35 plus: The Heritage of Identity

Rob Moore

Music radio for today’s 35 plus remains, as a writer once said, “remarkable for nothing…except for the marked-ness for which it is remarkable for nothing”.  For the few music formats that now exist, the same songs have been tested so often, by so many, that there is no new information that can be squeezed from listener input.  The “standard” format lists are now as old as a portion of the demo.  With the narrowing of the programming talent pool, and the tightening of lists for decades now, the disenfranchised faction once thought to be a small group has been growing for years.  Don’t look now, but your 35 plus format might be turning 60 plus. 

Part of the issue is the continued blind reliance on the axiom that “familiar is always good”.  To this generation, now comprised of listeners who grew up on AOR and bought albums (not singles), artist and song identity have always been important.  What we have discovered is that the “familiarity” axiom needs to be taken a step further.  There is a principle of “negative identity” that this generation is acutely aware of.  Essentially, it says that there is a large segment of this 35 plus target that would rather hear something radio has not burned out, or even discover something new, than attempt to make it through another play of the Carpenters or Kenny Rodgers before changing the station. 

Years ago, when we first started Identity Testing for an easy format, we started with what we call the “Mancini-Manilow-Metheny” principle.  What we found was a large segment who found Pat Metheny to be the least familiar of the 3, and yet it was the artist they were most interested in hearing on the station.  For our audience, Mancini had moderate familiarity and low appeal.  Manilow had high familiarity and low appeal.  Metheny had low familiarity and the highest appeal of the 3.  This was 20 years ago, but even then, the principle of negative identity was not difficult to discern.  In looking at the formats currently designed to serve today’s 35 plus, it is fascinating to see what constitutes a positive identity artist, assumedly underscored by the notion that “familiar is always good”.  Pat Boone?  Familiar to whom?  “My Heart will Go On”?  Positive to whom?   Kenny G.?  Bobby Goldsboro?  Really? 

On the other side of the identity scale, John Mayer, Van Morrison, and Diana Krall are just a few of the positive identity artists not prevalent in the formats currently targeting 35 plus.  Radio has entirely missed the point about today’s 35 plus:  They are actively (not passively) interested in the music they choose to compliment their lifestyle with.  The lives of the new 35 plus have moved forward, while their radio has not.  If you reward, or even acknowledge their active interest by utilizing positive identity artists that radio forgot, and recognize their appreciation for the opportunity to discover new artists, they will embrace your station passionately.  For many, it will be the first time they have been passionate about, much less set a button to, a radio frequency in decades. 

Deregulation and consolidation served to centralize and standardize music content across the country.  Local music programming beyond a corporate list has all but died.  The 35 plus demo remembers great stations, and will be quick to notice and embrace radio that recognizes that this is not the same 35 plus that populated the demo 20 or even 10 years ago.  Today’s 35 plus came of age to one degree or another during the 1960’s.  Do you really think this generation is waiting for your station to provide yet another spin of Perry Como?  

Playlist depth and diversity, along with positive artist and song identity (both new and old), will need to matter now more than ever for those who claim to target the new 35 plus.  In the New Media age, if you do not resonate with your target demo, and cannot attain a passionate connection with your core, there are simply too many other options available elsewhere. 

–Rob Moore has been programming locally and nationally for over 30 years.  He was a Gavin Programming Award winner in 1989, and nominated again in 1998.  He has spoken on numerous NAB Programming panels and other conventions over the years.  His father, Jack Moore, is a member of the Minnesota Radio Hall of Fame.  Rob Moore currently programs the nationally syndicated Timeless Cool format.  More information is available at Timelesscoolmusic.com. 920-271-2700 x313.

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