Jurassic World – Why Talent Should Root for the Raptors

There’s a scene in “Jurassic World” where Chris Pratt comes upon a dying brontosaurus. Despite the fact this animal is all CGI, you’ll still push back tears. Likewise, throughout the movie, you’ll find yourself rooting for the raptors in this one.

While I won’t give away any plot twists, the reason for this is rather simple: this is a Steven Spielberg effort around a beloved and known movie franchise, and if this director knows anything, he certainly understands the value of well-defined characters. You can count the raptors in on that observation. This movie made $205-million its opening weekend and was so feared, no other movie debuted.

How does this apply to your personality-driven morning or afternoon show? While your show plot will drive its content choices, the characters you have on the program make that content sparkle and become memorable.

Shows must have a disparate group of people (even two) who are likable, yet different. Where the big win happens, which positively affects loyalty, is when your characters are grounded in honesty and the audience is moved to care about them.

Which brings us back to Pratt and those raptors. For those who’ve seen the movie, there is a human bond which happens between them which moves you to believe in all and even root for their success.

What do the characters on your show stand for? Who in your audience do they represent and speak for? Much more importantly, how much of their lives do they share with listeners so they’re moved to care about them?

There is a very distinct and definable bond between listeners of a radio station and its talent. You can only get so far talking about Caitlyn Jenner and Trump’s impeachment trial. The truly great talent who’ve crossed that magic line generate content so personal and genuine that the telling of those stories bond them further with the audience through this content which cannot be duplicated by anyone else in the market.

What percentage of your morning show’s content is dedicated to making me root for them, just like those raptors?

Need help creating a cast of characters that your audience will care about? Let’s chat.