(By Buzz Knight) Do you sometimes feel your brand is stuck in stagnation?
Something just doesn’t feel right.
Ratings are down. Reaction on social media is off. Sponsors aren’t getting the same results they are used to.
Sluggish is the operative way to describe what you are feeling that you just can’t put your finger on.
I recently went through this exercise with a client where we looked at the overall brand as if we were starting from the beginning. The concept of taking a beginner’s mindset is rooted in Zen Buddhism in a concept called “Shoshin” which is about embracing an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceived notions and perceptions.
If you’re looking to inject some fresh, actionable thinking for your radio station or frankly any brand you are working with, take a close look by breaking down everything you can control with this process.
Ask yourself questions like: “If I was building my station from scratch, how would I put it in the best position for success with a sustainable commercial load strategy?”
The answer wouldn’t be the current overloaded outcome I’m certain. Maybe this would spurn a conversation that would take elements of the strategy that public broadcasting utilizes with its underwriting philosophy. Either way by taking the beginner’s mindset approach you approach the situation differently.
Maybe another question would be: “How can we own the street presence in our community with a unique a different approach than everyone else?”
Once again, this conversation probably wouldn’t start with believing a station van is the only way to go. Maybe you’d create something as audacious as the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile? This process allows you to think boldly and differently about every facet of your radio station. Too often we are stuck in this trap of repeating the same actions repeatedly because we are too comfortable.
This “we’ve always done it this way” approach is deadly.
As business climates shift and audience behavior becomes even more fragmented, it’s imperative to take a fresh look at what you are doing to beat stagnation. If you want to take in some great reading on this topic, check out Detonate: Why Corporations Must Blow Up Best Practices (and Bring a Beginners Mind) to Survive by Geoff Tuff and Steven Goldbach.
Buzz Knight can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Read Buzz’ Radio Ink archives here.
