I was hoping to post a story this morning called: “What Selecting a Jury Teaches Us About Targeting the Ideal Audience.” But I decided to take Michael Jackson’s advice instead. The story has to wait. Here’s why.
The story I was racing to write was triggered by a chance discussion I had yesterday with a smart, young trial lawyer I know. This 30-something litigator told me how he goes about sizing up which jurors will have the maximum impact for his client.
If I could translate his insights on choosing a jury into choosing a target audience, I could help knock the wind out of the worshipers of the 18-49 audience demo. But Michael Jackson’s advice slowed me down.
I can’t remember what song Jackson was singing at the moment in the captivating new documentary “This is It” (somebody out there who has seen it please refresh my memory.)
But Michael Jackson, behind the scenes, in rehearsal for his final tour, as dazzling as ever, AT THE AGE OF 50, thought his pianist was rushing just a bit. Jackson softly gave this advice to the pianist: “Let it simmer.”
The musical moment wasn’t feeling rushed to me, or apparently to anyone in Jackson’s breathtaking musical entourage. But Jackson felt it. “Let it simmer.”
Michael Jackson’s final tour, as we see in the movie, was going to be a huge spectacle, to say the least. But that one piece of musical advice demonstrated this. For Jackson, the fireworks, the sets, the special effects – none of it interfered with the nuance of the music. Jackson felt the power of slowing down.
The Power of Slowing Down
We journalists often have to remind ourselves of the power of slowing down. Don’t rush to air. Getting it right is more important than getting it first. And don’t talk too fast.
My old boss, Peter Jennings, used to chuckle when he’d ask a reporter to shorten the total time of a story, and the reporter would respond by speeding up his narration. No, Jennings would advise. Never speed up your narration to save time. Jennings knew how to let it simmer.
My Race to 50
In the case of the story I was racing to write for today, I only had one source. He’s a very smart, honest, reliable source. And when he told me what he and his fellow trial lawyers look for in a juror, I wanted to shout it from the rooftop. This is it! This is gonna bury those 18-49 demo-gods!
This is also the danger of writing a daily blog and tweeting, and using all the other tools out there that encourage and enable speed.
Let it simmer. (Don’t worry, my colleagues. If I hadn’t seen the Jackson documentary I still would have waited for a second source.)
More Sources
And so I made a few calls to some other trusted legal contacts of mine. The Vice Chair of litigation with a major firm in Boston connected me with her most trusted jury consultant. An Emory Law School professor directed me to the head of Emory’s litigation skills program. A veteran trial lawyer in Atlanta agreed to share his insights. I’ll be speaking with all of them in the hours after this story is posted.
These other sources may shoot down the insights that triggered my “eureka” moment. If they do, I’ll report that.
But I have a hunch that I’m on to a principle that could help change the way advertisers and programmers define their target audience.
I’m in the 50-day stretch before I turn 50. Either the 18-49 demo goes, or I do.
How Long Should It Simmer?
By the time you reach 50, (hopefully sooner), whether you’re a musician, or an attorney, or a parent, or whatever you do, you’ve hopefully come to trust your gut.
For journalists, the gut needs more than one source.
In order to determine if I’m on to something, I’ve got to take MJ’s advice.
Let it simmer.
Until tomorrow.
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About Michael Schulder: Michael Schulder is a Senior Executive Producer at CNN. He's also a man on a mission. A mission to take on the myth of the 18 - 49 "Demo" and create a New Demo for a New Age. Schulder is a frequent contributor to Anderson Cooper’s CNN site AC360.com: News and Commentary Direct from the AC360º Newsroom. |
