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CONSULTANT TIPS
Peter J. Oleshchuk
(Prairie Radio Consulting)
Is
Your Message Consistent?
When is the last time you
went into a McDonald's and were greeted with a "Welcome to Mickey
D's...," or "Welcome to the Golden Arches, how can I help you?"
Have you ever been served a "One Fourth Pounder," or has it always
been referred to as a "Quarter Pounder"? When was the last time you
were handed your food in a plain wrapper in a plain brown bag? Probably never.
That's because McDonald's values their name and brand. They make sure that you
know the sandwich you bought was from McDonald's. Have you ever noticed that
even their straws are color-coded to match the rest of their packaging?
This brings me to the
theme of this article, "Is Your Message Consistent?" Do you always
sell your station to your listeners in the same way? Have you defined who you
are and what you do; your name and your brand? When you identify yourself, is it
always the same way, or does it vary from jock to jock? What about the other
people that work at the station: sales, promotions, office staff? How are you
known by your listeners? How would you like to be known by your listeners?
If you haven't done so
yet, decide on how you want to be known to your listeners, clients and within
your radio market. Choose a name that best describes what you do. The obvious
ones deal with your format: Country, Lite Rock, NewsTalk, All News, Rock, etc.
If you want to be known by your frequency and call letters only, that is
acceptable as well. Once you have made this decision, remember that it is
important that everyone at the station refer to your station in that same way.
This includes everyone from the on-air staff to sales to the receptionist and
how he/she answers the phone. Post signs and notes in strategic areas, so the
station staff knows what is expected of them.
Here are five areas to
concentrate on when addressing this issue at your station.
The examples stated in
this article are fictitious, but based on real situations.
- Pick One. I recently heard a station
that used as many as seven names (or ways of identifying themselves) on the
air. For example: Country Radio 99, Country Station 99, Country 99, 99.1
WBIF, FM 99, Country Radio WBIF, and just plain WBIF. There are several
Country formatted radio stations in the market. So, they must decide which
identifier separates them from the other stations. Decide on one name and
use it in every way that you sell the station to your listeners. Let there
be no misunderstanding as to what station they are listening to.
- Station Features. When talking about
your station features like weather, news, traffic, etc. keep it consistent
as well. If you give your features an identifier to tie in to your station
and community, remember to always sell it that way on the air. For example,
if you call your weather reports and updates, "Hometown Weather,"
then always call it that. Don't stray and say "Hometown Forecast,"
or "Regional Weather," or use a word or phrase that also
identifies your area, like "Valley," or "Twin Cities,"
or "Bi-State." Using those in addition to your original identifier
just creates more confusion for the listener. The same goes for news,
traffic, stock report, ski report and any other features you carry on your
station. If you have anyone doing these reports for your station outside of
the station, it is important that they, too, use the correct station
identifier. Here's an example I have heard: "Road Report" from the
traffic reporter, while the jock calls it "Traffic Report". Yes,
it is a traffic report, but your station has identified it as a road report
and made that a unique phrase. Some other examples are: "Let's go to
the Traffic Center" versus "Let's go to Traffic Control,"
"Newsroom" versus "Newsdesk," etc.
- Morning Show. Often stations will
give their Morning Show a name, like "Bill and Hillary in the
Morning," or "The Crazy Morning Funhouse." Make sure that
everyone involved in that show uses the same name to identify the show on
and off air. If Hillary is sick and not working one morning or just not part
of a segment, then Bill should still call the show "Bill and Hillary in
the Morning," rather than just saying "Good Morning, Bill Smith
with ya...". Don't you think that your listeners will immediately
wonder what happened to Hillary?
- Liners, Promos and Sweepers. Make
sure your liners and promos all use the same identifier in them. Also use
standard outcues. If you are known by a certain name and identifier in your
market, then make sure when you promote a contest or any promotion that
listeners know it is your station's contest or your station's promotion. Get
and take the appropriate credit. For example, avoid always calling your
station, "Country 99" and then turn around and only use the
frequency and call letters in your promos. Instead of "WBIF 99.1 FM is
giving you a chance...," make it "Country 99 is giving you a
chance...". If you are using a station voice for your promos and
sweepers (which I highly recommend), make sure that you use that voice for
all your promos and sweepers. Avoid having your on-air staff doing promos.
That one voice that represents your station is the voice that should speak
for your station when promoting and positioning it.
- Logos, TV Commercials and
Advertising. Make your logo represents the identifier (name) that you have
chosen for the station. If you are "Country 99", then that better
be a big part of your logo. Don't settle for a logo with only your frequency
and call letters (unless you only use your frequency and call letters to
identify your station). When having a TV commercial produced, make sure that
your logo appears in it and use your station voice in the commercial, where
appropriate. The same is true for any outside advertising you do. Approve
all copy and printed materials before they go to press. Make sure it is your
current logo that is being used and the message you are selling is the same
one you use on the air.
It may seem obvious to
many programmers, but I have heard small, medium and even large market stations
making all of the above mistakes. Listeners have a great deal of other things
occupying their lives. Make their listening enjoyment one bit easier, by being
consistent in how you identify yourself. Make it easy for them to find you
again. Make it simple. Consistency in your message is the key.
For more information on
selling your station to your listeners, please read the article,
Memo
To Air Staff: Sell, Sell, Sell!!!
If you have any questions
or comments about this article, please e-mail me at
petero@prairieradio.com.
Peter
J. Oleshchuk
Prairie Radio Consulting
Small Market Radio Programming Specialists
7426 Perrier Drive Suite 13
Indianapolis IN 46278
317-695-2530
petero@prairieradio.com
http://www.prairieradio.com
If you're a
consultant or radio personality wanting to submit articles to "Tips from the
Pro's," contact:
The Morning Skoop
Phone: 800 -
614 - 4892
E-mail:
info@themorningskoop.com
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