[cr-india] How a ‘Tiny’ Radio Show Raises Over $147,000 on Kickstarter

Tue Aug 7 00:54:22 IST 2012

 radio <http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/category/radio>
How a ‘Tiny’ Radio Show Raises Over $147,000 on
Kickstarter<http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/how-99-invisible-public-radio-show-raises-kickstarter_b14766>
By Kevin Loker on August 6, 2012 1:28 PM

The crew of the radio show and podcast 99%
Invisible<http://www.prx.org/series/31835-99-invisible>doesn’t compare
to that of Morning Edition, This American Life, or most
popular public radio strongholds. It’s only two people (and even that’s a
recent addition.) But with the support of its distributor Public Radio
Exchange, and numerous design-curious fans, it may be paving a new model
for audio content that fits the purpose of public radio.

With four days to go in its fundraising campaign, the “tiny radio show
about design, architecture and the 99 percent invisible activity that
shapes our world” has raised over $147,000 through close to 5,000
supporters on Kickstarter<http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1748303376/99-invisible-season-3>,
shattering its original goal of only $42,000.

(Notably, the number also already marks it as 1 of only 208 successfully
funded projects on Kickstarter to raise over
$100,000<http://www.kickstarter.com/help/stats>
.)

If funds continue to flow in, the show’s host and producer *Roman
Mars*will be able to do much, including bringing on former intern Sam
Greenspan
to help produce a strong third season.

This should catch the attention of both content creators and fundraisers.
What began as a short one-minute segment on a KALW show is organically
growing into a stellar success story of digital storytelling worth
examining. So how’d it happen?

*Content*

The “99% Invisible” in the show’s title refers to all the thought that goes
into our often overlooked surroundings and the objects that inhabit them.
One episode speaks about the design of walking spaces, another speaks about
queue theory (going beyond the magical lines at Disney). All have catchy
titles—who wouldn’t want to listen to an episode titled “The Best Beer in
the World <http://soundcloud.com/roman-mars/99-invisible-55-the-best-beer>”?

The thing-centered focus, however, is just the surface. The show’s hook may
be tangible objects, according to Mars, but the stories are really about
people who interact with them.

“Design awareness is at an all-time high,” said Mars, who saw an appetite
about how things work but didn’t want to produce a show bolstering
consumerism.  “[And it’s the] hook of objects to tell story about people
and genius.”

The show about walking spaces, for instance, is a compelling look at what
it’s like to walk-and-talk with someone while blind. The show about queue
theory is about how to keep people entertained in all forms of lines and
enjoy an experience. The Best Beer in the World? It’s really about the
lives of Trappist monks.

The lesson here is content is king.

*Drive*

Mars was in love with the idea, and the interaction with fans was positive,
too. In short, he was not going to give ’99 Percent up even when “99
Percent” meant something different a year
later<http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/occupy-movements-making-their-mark-on-language_b30923>
.

“No matter what I did, it wasn’t staying a hobby,” Mars told me.* *

Some of that may just be credit to Mars’ personality, which comes through
in other jobs, too.

*“*We realized early on that Roman shares our subversive sensibility and
that’s why we initially brought him on board to curate our Public Radio
Remix channel,” said Jake Shapiro, CEO, Public Radio Exchange. “Roman’s 99%
Invisible takes our collaboration even further, fusing together a
distinctive pace, tone, curiosity, and craft into something totally new.”* *

Mars was decisively behind the content. With building 99% Percent really as
a side project (admittedly with support by PRX), there was nothing holding
him to putting out a new episode every week or two except commitment to
those already in the audience.

The lesson here is passion.

*Model*

Mars has drive, helping him call this gig “the best job in the world,” but
there still needs to be money in order to not struggle—and in order to
continue producing strong content. Where the players in 99 Percent’s model
benefit is firstly how content is distributed.

PRX <http://www.prx.org/>, the show’s distributor, is a self-called “online
marketplace for distribution, review, and licensing of public radio
programming.” Mars has a good relationship with the organization, and he
also curates their Public Radio Remix, “the best of public radio on
shuffle,” which Boston’s WBUR just picked up.

That base support is most certainly helpful. It’s something not all side
project content creators have.

The second propellant is now how the show is seeking extra funding.

“It’s hard to figure out how you’re going to raise money for a thing that
you are inclined to give away for free anyway,” said Mars. Corporate
sponsors got them going, he says, but comfortable asking for money from his
years in pledge drive-filled public radio, Mars took to Kickstarter as a
way to fund extra help for the show.

Press around Kickstarter is a mix of success and a lack
thereof<http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/only-31-87-of-kickstarter-publishing-projects-get-funded_b53464>.
But with the support the show already had from both fans and PRX,
Kickstarter was a “referendum” for Mars—if he couldn’t get the funding, 99%
Percent may not have “truly” been worth it to his fans.

The format’s also not wholly different than public radio’s model—get
support not all through ads, but instead right from your audience.

“There’s something about taking pledges that makes you more tied to people
and want to serve them,” Mars said.

A father, Mars says much of the extra money will go to paying for help: a
former intern to become paid (and look for other opportunities to fund the
show), and then paying for freelancers, a cost Mars previously took himself
in between paychecks. The campaign thus wasn’t entirely for growth per
se—it was for sustainability that doesn’t involve breaking the bank, or
oneself.

“We’re going to treat this beyond a glorified hobby as a professional
concern and we’re going to take the investment from the people and turn it
into other support through underwriting and grants,” said Mars of the
message of the Kickstarter campaign.

It’s an uncommon model. But the numbers show it’s working.

“This is the idea that a show doesn’t have to be this massive thing that
you staff up for and get a massive grant,” said Mars. “There’s a smaller
way to do it, and better way to do it.”

The lesson here is strategic thinking.

“It’s a different media world– having your own project and doing your own
things is easier now and more meaningful, and if there’s some justice in
the world you can actually make a living out of it,” Mars said.

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/how-99-invisible-public-radio-show-raises-kickstarter_b14766
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