The Strongest Brands

Share two distinct characteristics...

As Tom Asacker has said: "Every strong brand is a niche brand."

What makes your station stand apart from all the others?

If it's not distinct, why choose yours?

The more options I have to choose from that are indistinct from your station, the less value your station commands.

That's part of radio's problem right now, which is why radio has become a mere commodity ... and why it's almost impossible to hold rate even when your station is ranked #1.

You need to offer something of real value, whether it is music or talent or information, that your target can't find anywhere else. And that doesn't mean anywhere else on the broadcast radio band.

This seems especially difficult now for radio, because we know that music needs to be familiar or it alienates the vast majority of potential adult listeners. And PPM seems to show that even popular talent -- Ryan Seacrest, as one example -- loses listeners after even brief periods of talk.

So, if you can't play music others aren't, and even the most attractive talent doesn't seem to be the answer, what is?

You have to remember that you don't need everyone to love you.

In fact, the more you try to get everyone to love you, the weaker your brand identity -- and the less valuable your air time is to advertisers.

You need distinction and scarcity.

You need 5-8% of potential listeners to love what they hear so much that they become evangelists for your brand.

These are the people who will listen every day.

These are the people who will support your events, and your clients.

Stop thinking "mass appeal." Stop worrying about the other 92%

Start thinking how you can dazzle your niche, how you can touch their hearts every time they hear you, how you can offer something they cannot hear anywhere else.

Until you get that, you're going to be competing in a commodity market where supply is endless and costs are zero.

Is that how you want to compete?