Radio Ga-Ga

Research is key in any profession and marketing is no exception. Ideally, any step should be based on experience and research. Provided it is done the right way.

In the middle of a working day my mobile phone rang.

- Is this Giedrius CP?
- Yes.
- I'm calling from research company X. Would you be available for a brief interview on radio usage?
- How long would it take?
- 6 minutes.
- OK, shoot your questions.

Sometimes I'm the good guy and agree to take part in a survey, just out of professional curiosity. The girl was reading a zillion of questions and multiple-choice answers very fast.

- Which radio station do you listen to most: A, B, C or D?
- A.
- Which radio station do you turn to for business news first: A, B, C or D?
- B.
- Which radio station would you rate as least unbiased: A, B, C or D?
- C.
- Which radio station would you..........: A, B, C or D?
- None.

A couple of times I asked the interviewer to repeat the answers as she obviously had way too many questions on her list. Soon I got tired.

- How much are there left? I think we've run out of time...
- There are just two final questions.

Of course, there were more than two questions to be answered.:) Anyway, the girl did a good job. When the interview was over, my mobile showed 7 minutes and 20 seconds as the duration of the call. I was pleased with myself (didn't turn the interviewer away) and her (did her job quite well).

BUT! I was also grinning - the questionnaire lacked one key (opening?) question: WHAT RADIO STATION DO YOU LISTEN TO MOST? Because it's neither radio station A (that obviously commissioned the survey), B, C or D.

Because it's a niche radio station, Jazz FM.