Free market*
*Research. Because Richard and I are doing a presentation in November at a conference organised by the Radio Academy about podcasting (which we will, of course, record as a podcast), we thought we'd do a survey, to find out a bit more about those who download the podcast. The survey is here. There is no inducement to get involved, beyond the remote possibility that we might read out one of your comments on the podcast. But it will be fun, and informative, and we don't need your bank account details nor date of birth nor mother's maiden name. We will not sell your answers on to anybody, because they wouldn't want them. We do, though.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 2:19 PM
17 Comments
Contact
Andrew at
17 Comments:
Have filled in you 'Please improve the sound quality' survey Andy. (Don't rant about the responses when you asked for it.)
Looking forward to your presentation.
You forgot to ask whether anyone listens to Dom Joly's Pubcast simply because you mentioned it. That's how I heard about it, and whilst I still subscribe it's far from the top of my essential listening list.
This post has been removed by the author.
I'd love to see you present the results to the Academy with any sort of statistical analysis involved. Presumably you'd have a giant pie chart with thing that people like about each of you
Richard 45% paedophile jokes
27% interrupting Andrew
19% calling Andrew's mum a fucking idiot
4% plugging "Talking Cock"
3% doing a squeaky Mr Bean impression
2% pretending not to have read the news
Andrew 37% do-gooding leftie
22% looked like Mark Steel in the picture
20% homeopathy
10% Oatmilk
8% reading and commenting on own
reviews
4% reading and commenting on Gaunty
Still you should be able to scientifically prove that you're better than the Cobra podcast and the Armstorng and MIller one too
Simon in Sevenoaks
That was a nice fun survey. I always seen to get the BBC one whenever I visit the 6Music page and that seems to go on forever, yours was much better.
Well, I managed to do that without declaring my undying love for either of you. I'm very proud.
I feel a bit bad now because I filled in the survey and I was a bit negative.
There wasn't actually a space to say what I would like to say, which is that I really, really love the podcast and I look forward to it every week.
One of the reasons I wasn't so positive on the survey is that I don't like the idea of it being sponsored or paid for. I know this probably sounds like being cheap or unrealistic, but I think you know as well as I do that the reason you do it is not for money, it's because it's a lot of fun for you and it's a lot of fun for us.
In contrast I was fairly positive about the sponsorship idea. Not because I'm keen for there to be sponsorship on the podcast, more that if it took sponsorship for it to continue I'd be happy for A&R to flog the wares of others.
They already plug enough goods and services for free. I can't see much would change.
Dom Joly et al used to have parodies of product placement in their sponsored podcast. I can see what they (Cobra) were trying to do, but they've now dropped that, probably because it stopped being funny after one episode.
My objection to sponsorship is not actually the fact that products etc would be mentioned - I'm sure that could be done in a funny enough way.
My point is that I like the podcast more, simply because A&R are (or seem to be) very happy to do it for free because it's fun.
Or maybe this survey is a sign that the good times are over and the credit cunch is putting a stern business face onto our otherwise genial podcasters.
Your are mad Mr Collins, you paid for a whole new domain name just for that survey?
Mad.
Sadly it is early, I felt under pressure, and so my answers were not very good. Accurate, just not very good.
Will you be recommending other podcasts based on those popular with Collings and Herrin listeners? I hope so even though I cheated and only listed about half of the ones I subscribe to.
Some of the others are single series type things though, like the Robin Ince ones or the American university lectures.
I didn't pay a penny for the domain name, Michael - the survey was set up by our friend at the Radio Academy, as it's going to be part of our presentation. I am not mad, Michael, I can assure you. (Although maybe I am according to some of the comments you have left about me!)
By the way, that's the reason we're doing a survey, it's not some sinister preamble to us taking on sponsorship or charging money. But since we have a survey, we may as well gauge opinion.
Answered No to the download other podcasts on iTunes, but have downloaded them through other, less invasive means.
I don't think I agree with myself regarding the 30p I would pay for the podcast. How would that work anyway, postal orders? As an Internerd, I should know.
The point is that as a direct result of the podcast, and other free Collings-Herrin output like Warming it Up, I have bought Andrew's book, 2 Herring DVDs (and one Simon Munnery) from gfs, several Herring live tickets, and given a few quid to Scope. I'm sure most of the listeners are the same. Good will generates good will, and beats the credit crunch.
Peter Fletcher
Just filled in the questionnaire and wanted to pass additional feedback along similar lines to other responses. I've three colleagues at work who've started to listen on my recommendation. From what they've said they aren't regular readers of your's or Richard's blogs so it would be interesting to see whether a mention of the questionnaire in the next couple of 'casts increases the number of "word of mouth" respondees.
One question that the podcast didn't ask was whether fans (not in a "I'm such a fan" way) of R or A started following more closely the career of the other as a result of the podcast. I know I did. I now read your blog and have bought your book as a result of the podcast - which of course I found thanks to Herrin's Warming Up, which I have read for years. I probably would never have come across you otherwise - and boy am I glad I did!!
I'd second that. Before the podcasts started, I didn't know a lot about Mr Collins, but have since purchased 2 of his books (as well as started reading this blog) and have begun to actively seek out any TV appearances or projects he's involved in. I've also been to one of Mr Herring's Lyric shows, purchased a couple more of his DVDs and donated to Scope. No doubt the businessman (in his suit and tie) would think giving away the podcast is mad, but the rewards are there.... they're perhaps just not immediately obvious.
Jon Haw
Isn't the "how you found it question" going to be useless if you only advertise the survey on your website?
Alan Creer
Fair point, Alan, which is why we advertised the survey on the podcast today. Also, it's not 100% "from your website" thus far, which proves that even though people have found the survey via the websites, it doesn't automatically mean they found the podcast via the websites. (I can't think of any other way to advertise the survey beyond our websites and now the blog. A sandwich board, perhaps? Or a TV ad?)
Post a Comment
<< Home