Pop Quiz - How does your Radio Brand stack up?

Your Brand is not Your Logo

It's also not your slogan, or music quantifier, or the station for X and Y in the morning.  Your logo is a symbol of what your Brand represents.  When I talk about your station Brand, I'm talking about your radio station's personality, product quality, product promises(spoken and implied) that you've made to your listeners and clients (we are "family friendly" or "trend setting", etc...)  That's how you define your Brand, your logo and slogan are just handles for listeners to easily identify you.  Because of it's strength, Nike is the most consistent brand example I see used, so I won't buck the system.  The Nike brand isn't the swoosh.  That is the symbol that represents the Brand.  Nike's Brand is the "Just Do It" personality, go for it, try anything, you are more athletic than you think.  Nike's Brand is quality and performance enhancing shoes of such a high caliber that they are worn by the most famous athletes in every sport.  These are the ideals and emotions hope to convey when a consumer sees the swoosh on the rack in Sports Authority.  I'll use Audi as another example of how a logo or a slogan isn't the brand.  I used to see the 4 ring Audi slogan representing German Engineering, reliability, luxury, status, etc...  now that I own an Audi my perceptions have changed.  Each time I have to take my car in to address a recall situation or some part fails because of poor quality or craftsmanship the Audi brand diminishes in my mind.  Audi broke the promises of their brand.  The logo is still the same, the slogans haven't changed, but my perception of the brand has done a 180.  You'll often find that a failing brand corrects their past indiscretions but that their logo still conjures up images of their past Brand Experience.  These companies change their slogans and logos, not because this so that the new logo will represent the new brand ideals and promises.  Your logo is just a symbol, you slogan is just a clever way to reinforce what you think is your most important brand promise, neither are your Brand.  Radio needs to consider the strength of our Brands just as auto manufacturers, shoe companies and fast food chains must.  We have to understand the scope of perfecting our brand instead of thinking of the symbols

Is there a Litmus Test to measure the Brand strength of our stations?

I don't know that there is 100% reliable scientific measurement that will answer our Brand Strength questions, but there are tools aplenty to help us constantly think about our brand, the brand promises we've made, the qualities we represent and how our brand is perceived by our listeners and clients.  I wanted to share one I ran across on the Web at AllAboutBranding.com.  The 30 Question Brand Assessment Test.  It is a great exercise for any station, especially because it doesn't differentiate between a Car company or an Alternative Radio station.  There are some questions that really pop out for radio however.  Here are a few examples of questions that a Program Director, Brand Manager, Promotions/Marketing Director should always be considering:

1.

We actively investigate what is important to our customers, using research, face to face interviews, questionnaires, suggestion boxes, etc.?

6.

Our customers can state quite clearly and simply what is important about our brand to them, and why they think it is different?

10.

We understand in our own minds what differentiates our brand from our competitors?

30.

If our brand did not exist, the vast majority of our customers would notice our absence and really miss having us in their lives?

There isn't a single question of the 30 that doesn't apply in some profound way to radio, even questions that on the surface may appear to mismatched.  The question about having to discount prices in our to keep our customers (listeners).  Do you have to continually stunt (discount prices) to keep listeners?  If so, what are you missing from your brand formula?  The four questions cited were the most powerful brand questions for me?  Regardless of budget, do you find ways to talk to the market, and specifically your listeners about your station?  Do you know what they want?  Of that, what can you provide that is unique, valuable and defensible?  Do you and your staff know what makes your Brand unique in the market?  Can you audience tell you what is unique and do the two ideals jive?  Question 30 is a measure of brand passion.  I think this question is especially relevant for stations with direct competitors.  If you are a Hot AC station competing against a similarly formatted music station, would your audience be just as satisfied with your competitor if you vanished tomorrow or would you be irreplaceable?  Don't consider this question thinking of your station as a music jukebox that anyone can replicate, but as a complete Brand.  Are you distinct, unique, valuable and memorable enough that you would be missed?

Take the Questionnaire.  The exercise will jog the way you approach your brand.  It will help you get out of the habit of thinking you are a logo and a slogan.  Your station and brand can represent so much more to the audience.  I aspire for my radio station's to reach that status.

30 Questions to Access the Strength of your Brand.

Comments

[David Sandusky]

Great post on defining brand experience. Considering the personal brand and the personal brand role in culture, product and service, can a radio station brand change by the talent currently on air?