Take A Walk On The Narrow Side

Raise your hand if you've seen this meme:

Jesus probably wasn't talking about programming a radio station going into 2020 when he said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

He was spot-on though. Is your brand perfectly narrow?

It's a balancing act, to be sure. Too narrow, and no listener will feel like they fit what you're doing. Too wide, and you won't be meaningful often enough for your listener to develop loyalty. In my heart of hearts, I'm a "Highway to Hell" guy. Wait. Let me rephrase. I'm a wide road guy. And also just...well...wide. A face AND body for radio!

I want the brands I program to be as broadly appealing as possible. You may feel the same way. I've learned having a truly wide variety in music, in air talent, in messaging, and even in marketing can actually hold us back from the broad appeal we crave.

Let's focus on music to drive the point home. There was a day when Top 40 radio stations played a small list of the hottest songs from Rock, Pop, Rhythmic, Country, and related subgenres. "A hit is a hit" was one of the format's mantras. As you've probably observed in this century, CHR is usually Pop, Hip Hop, plus dashes of Rock and EDM. The only mass appeal formats left with the appearance of variety are AC and Classic Hits. Yet, even they stay in three or so genre lanes. Their variety comes from being able to tap into multiple decades, not a half-dozen styles.

You might be thinking "Sure, but I and almost everyone I know likes a little bit of everything." Many radio pros have used that line of thinking to try widening their lanes. While it's true most people like a little bit of most things, each person's things are different. I like Pop and Hip Hop, you may like Pop and Polka, and your third cousin twice removed may be loyal to Pop and Pokemon songs. If you were to program a radio station targeted to all three folks, would the smart play be to: A) Play a balance of Pop, Hip Hop, Polka, and Pokemon songs? B) Play the ONE genre you all have in common? Without intending to cast shade at Pikachu Kowalski (your third cousin twice removed), the smart play is B. Stay where the common ground is. Otherwise, whenever you're not playing consensus music, you're only pleasing one out of these three characters. You should extrapolate that to everything NON-music your brand does too. Stay where the people congregate. BTW, staying where the common ground is does not mean you have to reduce your brand to the lowest common denominator. (That's probably a separate convo.)

The other flaw in the "everyone likes a little bit of everything" approach is how it runs counter to the personalized, fragmented, digital entertainment planet we live on. Nearly everyone under 45 innately goes to certain sources to scratch certain itches. When I want the news delivered calmly, I punch my NPR button. When I want something pleasant to help me focus while I'm at my desk, I tune into 103.3 HD2 (Smooth Jazz here in St. Louis. No money or other consideration was exchanged to mention them, or NPR. Please don't open an investigation.) If I was in my Boney James groove and suddenly 103.3 HD2 started updating me on impeachment news, I'd be OUT. I like and want both, but on MY terms.

Here's the payoff when you find your version of narrow: When we launched BOOST Radio almost six years ago, one label rep's perception is that we seemed like "a Christian Jack-FM." Totally NOT what we were going for (I never told him that). We relentlessly learned more about our own DNA and the needs our audience was hiring us for. About 18 months ago, we really began feeling like it was nearly dialed in. (Though that's an always moving target.) Since then, our cume has remained steady (instead of swinging wildly from one month to the next), our TSL has grown (it's now 8 hours a week from our P1's), and our audience engagement on social media, at live events, etc. has never been better. For our CCM brand, JOY-FM, there's a similar story. Much of the "dialing in" was done before I got to it. Our team's role has been to build on that foundation. Thanks to those efforts, cume is up year-after-year. Fundraisers are ending early. Concerts are selling out in record time.

I'll close with a non-radio analogy I know way too much about: fast food. (Hence the body-for-radio line earlier.) Think about the chains who have all the buzz. Chick Fil-A. Five Guys. In-n-Out. They're each known for one or two things at best. Then think about Jack In the Box. Carl's Jr./Hardees. Their menus take a year to read and it's probably rare to hear anyone craving a single thing on them, save the greasy J.I.B. tacos as a once-a-year guilty pleasure. The latter chains eek out an existence and have their place, but I'd prefer my radio brand to have the appeal and top-of-mind love of the first group. Being all things to all people isn't the way to get there. Chick Fil-A's flag is planted on fast and friendly. In-n-Out's on fresh and simple. Find out where your brand's flag should be planted, then fly it high from that place and no other. Your music, promotions, air talent, etc. should all fit cohesively under that flag.

If you're concerned that narrow = boring and predictable, I challenge you to get to know your audience and the lane they expect you in as deeply as you can. You'll find countless ways to delight and surprise them when you entrench yourself in their lives. Ways that draw them further into your brand instead of ways that may confuse your brand.

In case this is worth repeating: There is such a thing as too narrow. So tight that even your P1 feels squeezed out. And too wide: So vast that your P1 can't get a grip on who you are. Let alone P2s/P3s you'd like to convert. The science and the art of radio need to work together for you to know where your sweet spot is. One or the other, alone, won't be enough.

Always feel free to email if you'd like to discuss. mikec@boost1019.com Have a great holiday season, and if you're ever in my town, let's grab some chicken minis or something.