No One Wants To Be The 'Taco Bell' Of Radio

They love you because your music is familiar. Not because they actually like you.

That's part of what I took away from an article I read recently about how familiarity can equal success. It's why Taco Bell is the favorite Mexican food chain in America. People choose what they are familiar with, and, by extension, "like" it. If radio programmers follow this logic-because familiarity and success are linked-we should be guarded and stingy with our new music, use abundant caution with new artists, and rely heavily on our classics to drive the sound of our station.

I'm sure there is wisdom in this logic. I'm sure it works for many stations. I'm sure it helps us stay focused on our overall sound and keeps us from steering the ship into a pile of rocks. I'm also sure it will drive us into obscurity if we don't try to push our format into the future.

I love the hits of the 80s and 90s just as much as the next person. Do you know where I listen to the stations that play those songs? Not in my car. Not in my home. I hear those stations in the waiting rooms of doctors' offices because the songs are familiar, not offensive, and were popular for a time and now they've become an acceptable form of wallpaper. I don't think any of us have "be like wallpaper" in our station mission statements. We want to impact people. We want to help encourage. We want people to hear the great news we have to share. How can our stations be that for people if we are nothing more than familiar background music?

There are songs on your desk right now that are from artists your listeners have never heard of. They sound different from some of the standards you're playing. They also have messages that your listeners need to hear. They may be worth airing instead of a familiar standard for awhile. If the idea of that gives you hives, maybe it's because you're relying too much on your music being the one thing that draws people to your station.

Of course, I absolutely believe that your music mix is important. If you are an AC station, playing a Manafest or Pillar song from 2009 would be a bad choice. But I don't feel like we serve our industry or our listeners well when we're so laser-focused on familiarity that we don't give some of the new and different songs a chance.

Here's where you get to be brave.

Play the song that comes across the desk that doesn't make the most sense, but you still love. Add it before it hits the charts and before there's testing on it. Smile to yourself when it works because that means your instincts were right. Quietly retire it into the "purgatory" category if it bombs. Sometimes those little brave moves can pay off.

There's been this multi-format single simmering all summer titled "Confidence." Did it make sense to add it back in April? Probably not. You've got an unfamiliar frontman in a band that hasn't been in the "hit artist" realm for years. Additionally, an act that isn't being promoted by a major label. Something about this three-minute pop-rock song just felt right.

A "what the heck, let's give it a shot" sentiment started with a few programmers across the Midwest. That opened the door for some good tests, a bunch of song requests, and now we're seeing a top 10 single; not to mention, a band that could have fallen off the map, but was just recently offered a record deal. Some of these things might not have happened if it weren't for a few people following their instincts.

So, how can you start being a little more gutsy and a little less dependent on the familiar? Know that the stuff between the songs is good enough to make people come back even if they leave for three minutes. Your hosts need to be fun, relevant and approachable. Your talk breaks need to provide encouragement without making people feel like they are drowning in a pool of Jesus syrup. Your imaging needs to be excellent. If we're getting these things right, our listeners will forgive a few missteps in music selection.

I know this is true because I have seen it. I have made my fair share of poor music choices and, thankfully, WCSG has still maintained consistently great ratings. I believed in a few songs-I wanted them to work-but once they were in the mix, they just didn't sound right or test well. The listeners are still here; they didn't bail. They may have turned away for a bit, but they still write us down as the station they love. Not just because of the music, but because there's an entire package they enjoy.

And just like the wisdom we give to our kids, remember that it's okay to be the "odd kid out" once in awhile. Do what works for you. There's nothing more attractive than a person who knows who they are and sticks to that no matter what others are saying. Take that logic and think about how that might translate to your station.

What makes people come to your Mexican restaurant instead of Taco Bell? Why are you the station that people tell others about instead of just sharing a list of Today's Christian Hits on Spotify? Sure, everyone can tolerate the semi-stale chips and lukewarm plastic cup of cheese at Taco Bell, but deep down you know you want more spice and flavor. So do your listeners. They really can handle more than Tomlin and Crowns, when given a chance.

Familiarity may be one key to success, but there's also the idea that "familiarity breeds contempt." Don't be so familiar that your listeners begin to be bored or annoyed with you. Trust those instincts that tell you to add a little texture and to give something new a shot. Celebrate the wins and learn from the losses.

Let's start moving from familiar to something more, because our message is far more important than wallpaper and so much more satisfying than a sort-of-okay bean burrito.