(By Buzz Knight) You may have heard the inspiring, and somewhat threatening, rallying cry of “Differentiate or Die!” In the competitive landscape of radio broadcasting, brands must continuously seek a competitive advantage to thrive. To stay ahead of the pack, you need to constantly evaluate who you are, why you are here, what business are you in, and what makes you different.
For example: a foundation for radio had been its strength to engage with employed audiences, who were more likely to listen during commutes and work hours, but COVID changed all that. This behavior change created a need for content more suited to a remote workforce, which if done properly could have created a competitive advantage.
Radio’s strength lies in its broad reach and ability to engage audiences on multiple platforms and in a variety of environments. Unfortunately, when talent was eliminated due to budget cuts in many dayparts, stations were hampered in how to execute aggressively and creatively.
If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you know I believe strongly that radio needs to cherish great talent. Too frequently, talent is viewed as expendable as the industry trade winds face challenges. This is not a winning strategy. Audiences crave engagement and talent plays a vital role in that equation.
Differentiation through unique programming and strategic advertising is crucial for stations to distinguish themselves from competitors while building brand loyalty. This notion needs a severe creative jolt as station programmers are often playing from a decades-old playbook. Re-imagination is the key to finding a competitive advantage.
One often overlooked competitive advantage for radio stations is the quality of commercial content. When Jerry Lee owned and operated WBEB in Philadelphia, he was obsessed with commercial quality as a competitive advantage. He wanted to delve deeply into the commercial content, quality, and effectiveness so he understood the effectiveness of advertising.
Radio advertising remains powerful for brand awareness – leveraging sound to create emotional connections and lasting impressions. This is a major opportunity for station clusters to find a competitive advantage.
By integrating radio with digital strategies, brands can maximize reach and effectiveness, increasing the chances for long-term competitive success.
Radio stations need to think about each individual digital platform and commit to brilliant and consistent execution. Rather than just mailing it in on social media, make your brand the station that is standing out in your market and really owning that digital landscape. iHeart’s WBZ-AM in Boston has done that with their reporter Matt Shearer and his award-winning TikTok reports.
If you want to stand out in a cluttered media world, you need as many competitive advantages as possible. Don’t take the ones you currently have for granted and always be on the lookout for finding new ones. They are your lifeblood to success.
Buzz Knight can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Read Buzz’ Radio Ink archives here.
