(By Buzz Knight) Abraham Lincoln said, “If once you forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.” Building respect is crucial for any brand that wants to establish a strong positive reputation and foster customer loyalty.
It is only earned over time with consistency and excellence. Sometimes a new radio brand or show is launched and they violate the “bad first impression” rule and they never gain respect.
Here are some pillars of respect that I think make for a great brand. If you find one that jumps out to you as missing with your brand, it’s worth doubling down and fixing it – it could be a difference maker for you.
Are you respected because:
- Of consistency across all touchpoints when it comes to your visual identity
- Of honesty and integrity
- Of transparency and clear communication
- Of a responsive approach at all times on social media platforms
- Of great customer service for your clients and listeners
- Of the manner that you treat your employees.
- Of your consistency of excellent execution from your air-staff
- Of your commercial production excellence
- Of your rate integrity
- Of your engineering and technical excellence
- Of your unwavering commitment to your community
- Of your ability to mentor
- Of your multi-platform approach to distributing content
- Of your knack for capturing the moment when it matters the most
- Of social responsibility
- Of actively listening to customer feedback and needs
- Of developing products or services that truly solve customer problems
- Of fostering a culture of innovation
- Of empathy in all actions
Which pillars of respect would you add to this list?
By focusing on respect, brands can build a strong foundation making them impenetrable from any competitor. This respect translates into customer loyalty, positive word of mouth, and a resilient reputation that can weather challenges.
While it takes time and effort to cultivate genuine respect, it’s an invaluable asset for any brand’s long-term success.
Buzz Knight can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Read Buzz’ Radio Ink archives here.
