A great concern of mine today is that there are instances where decisions are made due to financial concerns or needs that lead to short-term growth but long-term decline.
I’ve watched as Radio brands have been denigrated, content misaligned, influential talent eliminated, and the connection to a community interrupted. Make no mistake about it. I understand that we are mostly a for-profit industry. That doesn’t change my difficulty in understanding how those things that bring an audience to a radio station are the elements most frequently eliminated to cut costs of operation.
What separates a business that merely survives from one that achieves legendary status?
According to Stingray President of Radio Steve Jones, the answer lies not in a better product, but in a better experience. Jones is, at his core, a “Radio Guy.” The Canadian broadcaster spent 17 years with Stingray as SVP/Brands & Content before taking the helm of the radio group. He has been involved in media globally, having led radio stations in the United States, the Caribbean, and various Canadian markets.
I’ve been blessed to call him a friend for decades, having first consulted him in Halifax, then Edmonton, and ultimately in Grand Cayman. We’ve worked on several projects together over the years. He practices what he preaches.
In his book, Brand Like a Rock Star, Jones uses the world of music, especially iconic artists, to illustrate how great brands are built, differentiated, and sustained. He notes that the objective should be to move beyond transactional marketing and build a brand that is Memorable, Authentic, and Emotional. Rock stars don’t just sell music; they sell a lifestyle, a feeling, and a sense of belonging.
There is no better business than radio to apply his principles to achieve Rock Star status.
The strength to protect the brand requires a religious-like commitment. It’s that thing that sometimes gets lost in boardroom discussions. Branding like a rockstar is about creating a visceral bond that far exceeds the transaction itself. It’s about having a “monopoly on your creative voice,” a core part of your business that competitors can mimic but never fully replace. Stop aiming for a sale, and start aiming for a “sold-out show.”
Here is how you can apply Steve Jones’ Rock Star Principles to your radio station, podcast, show, platform, or personal brand:
- Be Unmistakably Memorable: If you want to be a Rock Star, you cannot be a cover band. You must be different. Grunge music didn’t take over because it was “better” than 80s pop – it took over because it was markedly different. When all talent are using “War of the Roses” or “First Date Update” type bits, what can you do differently to be memorable?
- Embrace Your Edge: Don’t be afraid to alienate some people. “The risk of insult is the price of clarity.” While not appropriate for all formats, this is an arena where, as a seller, you can push on an advertiser repeatedly to get them to seriously consider what you’re offering them to sell their services, wares, meals, etc. I believe in the old adage that it takes 12 No’s to get to a Yes.
- Under-Promise and Over-Deliver: Rockstar brands do not rely on empty, boastful hype. Instead, they win over fans with humility and honesty, then blow them away with an experience better than expected. This applies to contesting (experiences), being on-site for an appearance. It’s as applicable for sales as it is for programming.
- The “Grateful Dead” Approach: They gave fans a different experience every night. They didn’t just play a setlist; they created a “long, strange trip” that made fans want to come back again and again. Can your radio station, using talent, content (music or spoken word), and/or imaging, be consistent and yet deliver on unpredictability? The late legendary programmer Bill Tanner once said, “Predictable Unpredictability.” Regardless of its origin, Tanner delivered on that approach.
- Surprise and Delight: Small, unexpected touches – like a creative, interactive business card or a personalized thank-you note – leave a lasting impression. Pre-Internet, I used to send a handwritten note to those I met, to those whom I saw in the trades, and wanted to acknowledge them, and I am surprised to have learned recently that some have kept those notes.
- Build a Community, Not a Database: Embracing your listeners. Never take a listener for granted. It is not your birthright to attract an audience. One of the greater concerns I have is that many stations have no direct communication with their audiences. There are Apps for stations that have a microphone for listeners to leave messages or ask questions. There are texting platforms that enable direct access, too.
- Embrace Your Superfans: Your superfans are your marketing team. Use them to help you spread the word. We often look at P1s only… but a P2 who is a heavy radio user could be giving you more quarter hours than a lower-level P1 listener. All P1 listeners are not created equal. Think more of your heavy users. Then filter in P1s.
- Give Them a “Backstage Pass”: Use social media to show the behind-the-scenes, the messiness, and the humanity behind your brand. More and more stations have added cameras to their studios. I think adding video to your studio, podcasts, and graphics & images to the center stack of the car is critically important. Use your stream, app channels, or an HD channel to present a “Show after the show.” That’s the backstage that will create loyalists among your listeners.
- Engage, Don’t Just Broadcast: Don’t turn your brand communication into a shouting match. Listen to your community and engage with them directly. The need for two-way communication is important between advertiser and sales management, programming, and the audience, listeners, and promotion, especially with that small part of the audience that participates in promotions and contesting.
- Be Consistently True to Your Core: Longevity comes from consistency in core values, not by chasing every trend. AC/DC provides the same electrifying experience every time, delivering on the expectations of their fans. The same need for consistency exists across all businesses and all brands.
- Reinterpret Your “Greatest Hits”: Reinterpret older works or products to drive profit from original forms while keeping them fresh. This is more than repeating content on-air, reusing commercials, or making a contest a habitually presented promotion. It’s about refreshing those things that have worked in the past and revising them for the current times.
- Find a Niche and Own It: Bob Marley became a global icon by staying true to his niche (reggae) until it grew into a mass market. I’ve witnessed stations that said they’d never repeat a song during the day purposely break the promise to give away money. I’ve heard radio stations promote that they “don’t play games” and then break their No Contesting/No Silly Games promise with a giveaway. Mentioned earlier, it takes a religious-like commitment to stay true to your brand.
- Leverage the Power of Storytelling: Stories make us human. A great brand isn’t just a logo; it is a tapestry of ambition, vision, and journey. The best talent are great storytellers. The best sellers are great storytellers who know how to paint a benefit for their client/prospect.
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