Five Steps To Making Your Station Contagious

Is listening to your station 'catching?' At time one (what seems today like a very long time ago) the task of marketing a new radio station was rather simple. Find a unique position that grew out of a perceived need in the minds of a large segment of unserved listeners and simply tell those folks that you were ON.

Now, when consolidation has meant that marketing resources are more precious than ever and nearly everyone seems to acknowledge the power of perceptual research, most everybody employs the same techniques to find out what satisfies listeners. In fact, now that the goal is to build a cluster share and no longer just a zero sum game, simply building awareness of a new product is just step ONE in what has evolved into a five-tiered integrated marketing plan.

1. Awareness.

Now that the audience greets many new 'product launches' with skepticism and disbelief ("a new radio station that plays a better variety of today's hits with less talk? WHAT'S NEW?"), even the process of building awareness gets trickier.

The question today really is NOT what medium you plan to use but what content you will offer that will set you apart immediately in a very confused, over-communicated, fragmented marketplace.

In short, your medium is no longer the message. Today, marketing must be your message, whether you employ television, billboards -- traditional mass media OR create 'word of mouth' by using more innovative interactive media or cross-promotion on co-owned sister stations.

Five years ago, who had heard of Yahoo or Netscape? Understanding what media your target uses will help guide your selection of the proper mix of mass marketing and direct marketing to build awareness, as well as the other elements you'll need to truly be contagious.

2. Identity.

People don't fall in love with products. Today, we know that they identify with the things that using a product says about them. That can lead to passionate, committed bonding.

Which jeans you wear (rodeo vs. work vs. style), what vehicle (not just the make and model or the brand, but the TYPE) you drive, the beer you drink (micro-brew vs. Miller or Bud?), the coffee (mocha, latte, cappuccino, single tall, half-caff anyone?) you prefer says as much about YOU as it does about the brand.

Build an identity for your brand, which makes a positive statement that your target listener can feel good about. Once it's built, keep reinforcing that identity in everything you do. Today's brand identities could almost be called brand personalities.

Consuming Ben & Jerry's ice cream which simply STARTS by being high quality and delicious REALLY is also about saving tropical rain forests and wanting more peace in the world.

The Body Shop products are wonderful AND, as value-added, you are also helping people in underdeveloped nations.

If your brand name doesn't possess high levels of awareness in your target market place, while also clearly, credibly standing for something positive in the mind of the consumer, you may be good at what you do BUT you're just not lovable enough!

A new competitor may equal you in contents of your recipe, producing a product of equal quality. BUT -- can they make a better statement about people who use their product? That's what consumers fall in love with.

3. Intimacy.

Bonding never occurs while only one member of the relationship is talking. Listen to your listeners in a way that makes them understand you are definitely paying attention to their needs.

This aspect of today's marketing plan is even easier -- almost effortless -- when you mean it. And, today's savvy listener simply doesn't respond if he or she feels that you do not mean it.

Ask for feedback. Collect -- not just data, but -- information. Then, act on it. Learn what your listener wants, how they use you. Also, let them know that you are performing on what they asked for. THEN, ask how they like what you have done.

4. Community.

Become a part of your listeners' lives. Create events for your station family. Be sure that the values of your station community mirror the value system of the target audience.

Listeners on the phone -- relating about your music, talking about their lives, helping bring meaningful content to your audience -- can enhance this sense of community, if they say the right things and IF your target listener doesn't mind hearing listener testimonials in your imagery. If they DO, it may be that your own internal marketing efforts will defeat you, not another station.

Advertising your station, telemarketing one time or sending a full market direct mail piece is a bit like getting a call from someone who claims that they want to be your friend and then they never call back.

Relationship building takes consistent effort, it doesn't happen quickly or automatically. If it is perceived as 'marketing,' it may not work. It must be experienced as genuine concern for your listener (one person at a time).

5. Advocacy.

Turn your listeners into your champions. Your best fans must be referring new prospects to you today. Do you know if that is happening? Have you set up incentives to encourage more listener referrals tomorrow?

As Richard Cross and Janet Smith state in their book "Customer Bonding -- Pathway to Lasting Customer Loyalty" (NTC Business Books):

"Marketers can never sleep. There is always a new challenge to be answered in the marketplace. ...be masterful in your marketing... ...gain and keep the edge...by focusing all of your activities on building customer loyalty.

You will become wizards at breaking through commercial clutter because you will have a deeper understanding than anyone else will in your market of what such loyalty requires. You will earn the trust, admiration and support of an ever-expanding base of (listeners). And, you will have a permanent and ever-improving system for staying in touch with your market."

You Matter To Us

As a matter of fact, on the last page of their book, they have a form:

Please introduce yourself!

What business are you in?

Disagree Neutral feelings Agree

When is the last time a book asked for your opinions, and seemed to actually care about them? If you hear from them in response, and they let you know they paid attention to what you say, you may buy their book.

It's catching!