Respected marketing consultant and frequent guest columnist for Radio-Info.com’s “On the Mic”, Mark Ramsey, has written a new book, “Making Waves: Radio on the Verge.” As CEO/President of Mercury Media Research, Ramsey works side-by-side with broadcasters on a daily basis, strategizing the best ways to brand their product and better understand the listener. He also writes about what he discovers in his work, on his blog Hear2.0.

“Making Waves: Radio on the Verge” takes his observations from his blog several steps further, and at the same time, condenses his market and brand research knowledge into an easy, and readable guide for broadcasters. The book also gives radio hope, and a positive alternative outlook, amidst the doom and gloom predictions we’ve been hearing in recent months.

I asked Mark to take the Radio-Info.com “Five in 5” challenge, answering five questions about his new book. All you have to do is take 5 minutes to read his answers, and you too could feel there’s still hope for radio.

1. The new book is called, “Making Waves: Radio on the Verge”. This could describe either the end of the radio business — or a new beginning. Why did you choose to focus on the latter when so many seem to think it’s doomed to a downward spiral?

Ramsey: Radio’s history has been to reinvent itself as media changes and new alternatives enter the scene. Why should today be any different?

But transformation doesn’t happen by itself or by wishing it to be so. It happens because heroes take action. It’s that kind of action I'm trying to inspire and those kinds of people I'm trying to inspire it from. If I can offer a kick in the pants or a tad of inspiration, so much the better.

From a personal standpoint, I love radio and all of its potential. Listen to how real people connect to radio in a crisis, then consider how valuable that impact is. Listen to the passion regular folks have for their favorite personality, whoever it may be.

What our industry has a tough time remembering is that it’s not the songs that make radio worth listening to, it’s everything that comes between them.

2. You describe “the nightmare scenario” in your book — all the challenges that radio is facing today. What do you think are the three biggest concerns for our industry, and how do you propose that radio deal with them?

Ramsey: I devote the entire last chapter of the book to resolving these issues. While I can’t go into all that detail here, I can point to one theme which will become increasingly obvious: We’re no longer in the “radio business.” We’re now in the business of leveraging our relationships with listeners and advertisers and connecting them to each other no matter how or where or when they want to be connected. The key is to do it on their terms and to do it with an awareness of exactly who each individual listener is and what information he or she wants.

Then the radio station becomes the trusted friend who understands you, Mr. Listener, and connects you with the local goods and services that interest you.

None of this has to do with “radio advertising” per se. The future is less about spots and more about being spot-on.

3. You interviewed “great marketers” from inside and outside of radio. What can all of us in radio, learn from people like Douglas Rushkoff or Ricky Gervais?

Ramsey: We can learn much from folks who understand marketing and trends well, even if they have never spent a day working in radio. That is one of my life-long obsessions, in fact.

Seth Godin sees radio in ways that we don’t. And he’s not afraid to say so. Douglas Ruhkoff appreciates that there’s a “person” in “personality” and, in fact, the personal nature of radio is a key thing setting us apart from music services which are, ironically, “personalized.” Ricky Gervais advises us not to pander and compromise until the vision we begin with is unrecognizable to its creators and undifferentiated and undistinguished to its audiences.

There are dozens of interviews like this in the book.

4. You asked Greater Media’s Peter Smyth to write the book’s foward. How is Smyth’s view of the future of our business, different than other CEO’s?

Ramsey: I don’t know how Peter is different from other CEO’s, but I do know how Peter is different from lots of folks in radio. He has an authentic vision for radio that shines with optimism and possibility. Not simply a “yes, but” retreat into stale themes such as “everybody listens” and “we have great reach.” Advertisers care less about reach nowadays than they care about impact and connection. There’s no reason to take a back seat in these areas unless we choose to.

You can build a brand for the next quarter or the next decade. Peter understands that if he builds for the next decade the next quarter tends to take care of itself.

5. What do you hope readers will take away for themselves and for radio, after reading this book?

Ramsey: I hope they take away an enthusiasm that they had feared was all but lost. I hope they take away specific actions to make the future different from the way it looks to be on this side of the horizon. I hope they take away an appreciation that many folks – in and out of radio – care deeply about the medium and value incredibly its impact on them and their lives.

I hope they take away tools to be better broadcasters, better managers, better marketers, better talents.

I hope they are motivated to act rather than react. And to make radio everything it can be.

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You can read an excerpt from the book, or you can purchase it, by visiting Amazon.com.