You may have recently read that Dawn is the strongest brand in America. Yes, the same Dawn you may have used to wash some pots and pans the other night. There is a great deal we can learn from the story of this brand and apply it to your station or your show.
Dawn’s clear message is that it cuts grease better than the competition. Nobody really knows if that’s true, but consumers believe it. So, what’s the promise of your brand? If you went on the streets of New York or Los Angeles and asked what Z100 or KISS-FM does, people would say they play the hits. Is your station or show clearly defined that way for the audio users in your market? Hopefully, your positioning is something a person on the street would use when describing what you do. That’s easy for news or sports stations, but music stations sometimes lean toward “industry speak” instead of the words of their listeners. Of course, you need to be true to your positioning. If you say you play Classic Rock, don’t offer me some new song that means nothing to me.
Emotional Connection
Almost every time you see wildlife damaged by an oil spill, you see Dawn being used to help those endangered by the toxins. That creates a positive feeling for consumers. Similarly, your brand needs to stand for something as well. Whether it’s animal rescue, raising money to cure cancer, mental health, helping the homeless, or a children’s hospital, you need a cause. However, do not take on a totally different cause every month. Instead, pick one and really be known for it. What charitable cause fits your brand that you could own in your market? It would be further amplified if someone on your staff had a personal connection to that effort. Ultimately, your station or show has to stand for something.
Consistency Over Decades
Dawn has not changed a thing. Same bottle, same color, and same messaging. I know people who come into a station and the first thing they do is change the logo. Certainly, if your brand is failing, that might make sense. But remember, it takes years for a brand to become familiar. If your brand is positive, leave the damn logo alone. Yes, there are times when you might need to change a positioning statement, but tread cautiously. Again, make sure you use the language that your listeners would use when explaining what your station or show does.
Strong Word of Mouth
Endorsement is the strongest form of advertising. Since Dawn has been effective and has become top of mind through its work with wildlife, consumers recommend it. Have you made a conscious effort to ask your listeners to spread the word about your station? I work with a new morning show, and every time a listener calls and says they discovered it and love it, the host asks them to tell their friends. When someone wins a contest, do you ask them to post on social media that they won and that their followers could win too? Rather than complaining about the lack of a marketing budget, be proactive and ask for the order. One morning show does the “pre-set re-set,” asking his audience to change pre-sets in cars to his station. Listeners happily call and report when they do it. If you can get listeners to talk about your station or your show, that’s a huge win for your brand.
Build Your Brand Depth
In the same way Dawn went from being just another dish soap to the strongest brand in America, that blueprint can work for your station or show. Strong brand depth makes it very difficult for a competitor to displace you. Therefore, I encourage you to sit down with your key people and examine your brand depth now. To kick off the meeting, you may want to ask the group to name a dish soap. I believe I know what they will say.
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Jim Ryan is a Music Radio columnist for Barrett Media. In addition, he runs Jim Ryan Media LLC, a consulting company which assists major market radio brands and top talent including national radio personality Delilah. Prior to relaunching his consultancy in 2025, Jim spent 15 years with Audacy/CBS Radio, serving as SVP of Programming. Among his responsibilities included programming WNEW-FM and WCBS-FM. His career includes additional programming stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston. Jim was voted the #2 PD of 2024 in Barrett Media’s Top 20 series in the AC category. He can be reached by email at Jim@JimRyanMedia.com.