Pretending, Presenting, Promoting – Matt Wester’s blog

This week we’re joined at Radiocentre by work experience student Matt Wester. Passionate about radio, and keen to find out more about what we do and how we are working for stronger and more successful commercial radio, we asked him to write a blog post about how he got into this world and why he loves it. Matt has just finished his second year at the University of Gloucestershire studying a BA in Radio.

I prepare the next CD, maybe it’s Don Henley, maybe it’s New Radicals, but most likely it’ll be track 6 of Britney’s ‘In The Zone’. I get ready to ‘go live’, announcing that I’m Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1. Going wild to get to ‘Toxic’ before I run out of nothing to talk about, and then press play on the battered CD player. The remarkable skills of an eight year old.

That was me, Matt, in my bedroom, impersonating both a big British radio icon and whoever that woman was that had a beautiful voice for jingles. Apparently Scott Mills was a real person on a real radio station that could broadcast a little further than around my small cottage in Devon.

It wasn’t long until I found myself at the end of Year 10 in a real studio, broadcasting live on college radio station ‘KCC The Bridge’. From there I appeared regularly and took on the role as Head of Production throughout my time in the Sixth Form. I later signed onto internet station South Devon Sound, with my first show at 2am on New Year’s Day 2014, and shortly afterwards I took on an electronic and dance show on a Saturday evening at slightly more reasonable hours.

Nine months on and I made my way to the University of Gloucestershire to study Radio, and immediately joined the student radio station, Tone Radio, where I am now the Head of PR/Promo, and upcoming Head of Imaging for 2016/17. I also joined a youth project in media and music, BuzzBeat, in 2015. I then adjusted to a new role in promotions and marketing, given the responsibility to ‘be creative as long as it works’. And that’s something that gave me a clearer direction. I’d never considered myself to be critical up until this point, but it definitely flicked a switch in my head.

This was also an opportunity to decide how a new project looked, mainly on social media, as well as how the radio station sounded through imaging and promotions.

In November 2015, Clare Bowen, Radiocentre’s Head of Creative Development came to the University and showcased the strategy the organisation uses. I thought: “that’s neat, isn’t it?” Clare’s visit prompted me to contact Radiocentre to gain understanding of how they operate and persuade advertisers to do their bit to keep radio breathing in the UK.

They are a key figure in moving radio forward, and keeping strong connections with clients and agencies that could become potential advertisers. They also have strong tactical approaches to their own marketing (I love the new ‘See Radio Differently’ campaign) and are well in touch with the movement of DAB and where radio listenership is both soaring and requires improvements.

What I find particularly interesting is their approach to making radio advertising more creative and using sound as a platform for brand building and communicate key messages cleverly and concisely.

As much as look back fondly on the glory days of presenting Radio Awful as a kid, I have become passionate about what it takes to make radio happen and role of advertising and marketing in the bigger picture. And that’s not Scott Mills talking either.

Matt Wester, Radio (BA Hons) at University of Gloucestershire