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Branding is a huge part of what we do on the radio. Your news talk station has a brand. Your sales department helps local businesses brand themselves. Everything that you purchase has an identity. What is yours? If I asked you to give me an elevator pitch on your brand, what would you say?
We all are striving to separate ourselves from the millions of options to attract listeners to your show, station, or news cast. Talk show hosts are in the personality business. We all have or should have differing aspects of our lives that we wish to communicate to others. Some hosts are on all the time. Which is exceptionally unhealthy. If you can’t separate yourself from your on-air persona, I suggest being honest with yourself and perhaps seeing a psychiatrist may be a good idea.
Your on-air persona should be somewhat married to your station’s brand. You are a News Talk station targeting a 48-year-old male for instance. Your entire presentation should be reflecting his life from your unique art on the radio show. The on-air brand should totally be focused on that audience.
You may live in an area where there is a pro football team that is hugely popular and part of the lifestyle or a college football team. Are you referencing that team on the air? This is so huge. If your audience is talking about it, you should be doing so as well. One of my good friends, Dave, was hosting a show in Atlanta in the late 90’s when the Atlanta Braves were a great team.
He was telling me that during baseball season EVERY radio station, no matter the format, referred to the Braves. I asked why and Dave told me that it is a lifestyle thing. Atlanta was totally fixated on the Braves. Ok, you know your community. Your job is to provide a Listener-Focused experience. Your on-air brand should be always reflective of their lives.
Ok, I have different aspects of my life. You should have those different aspects as well. Away from work, what are you doing? Are you a foodie, fisherman, gamer, etcetera? When I hear someone say that everything is show prep and that show is balls and strikes over the happenings in the news with no other wrinkles, I know that their life is out of balance.
Your spouse, partner or relationships should have a center role in your life outside the radio station. Now for me personally, my interests will never be mentioned on a radio show or station. It is not like these interests are bad. They are boring for most people. I actually run a Facebook group that chronicles the recovery of the California Condor. I am fascinated by critically endangered species. It is geeky as hell. Well, you probably have niche interests or activities like that. Are you a furry? Do you love Swedish Folk Music? Are you a civil war reenactor? People don’t care, only folks with similar interests’ care. So, what is your personal brand?
If you are a radio sister or brother who has been laid off recently, you may be deciding what your next career is. You may be trying to get another radio job. What is your unique selling proposition? What image are you trying to relate to potential employers? If you are striking out on your own, what does that brand look like? What makes you new, better, or different? Radio people have a special skillset that can apply to a wide range of jobs. What is your BRAND? You may be starting a podcast. What is your mission?
Here are the questions that need to be answered to define your brand: What are your skills? Which professional experiences make you unique? Who will be using your services or hiring you? What are their needs? You want to reflect those needs. Who is that target employer? What are their needs and concerns? What are the struggles of that employer?
Radio people are wired to work on the weekend. We do show prep, appearances, create social media presentations. We have a strong work ethic. We are concerned about completing the task at hand. Just recently, radio people were working around the clock covering devastating hurricanes.
Radio people are uniquely committed to completing their tasks. Radio people are used to putting the needs of their employer and community above their own. Hey, some of us have chased away romantic relationships because we are totally committed to our work life. What employer wouldn’t want that commitment?
Defining your brand, whether it be for a station, show or personal life is not a one and done exercise. We all should be constantly evaluating our personal brand. The market is changing quicker than ever before. This evolution is led by data. Data should be a center of any business’ success.
How important is data? Facebook, Google, and nearly all big tech companies collect data. Every time that you are on your phone, laptop or tablet, they are collecting information on you. You are the product that they are selling. Data is a thing. It was a thing that people would trust their gut instinct. Analytics has overtaken instinct. Find the data to help determine your brand. Be focused. You are the product. Your Brand is the key to your success.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
