Perception is Reality
The easiest decision maker to sell your advertising to is one who listens to your station. They listen because they like what you do, and they become part of your culture; familiar with your features, your announcers and your music.
And demographics and psychographics dictate that most of their friends have the same likes and dislikes and listen to you too, creating the perception among them that ‘everyone’ listens to you.
But how do you create the perception that your station has a huge and loyal following if your prospect doesn’t listen to you?
Never underestimate the power of in-market visibility and one-on-one connecting!
You may be facilitating promotions that place you front and center in various communities within your community to build audience, but I would submit to you these promotions do as much or more for advertiser perceptions of your station.
That block party promotion that placed your street team and your sponsors front and center where your prospect lives can create an invaluable perception for your station.
And the business owner who sees your station’s window sticker in dozens of cars on her way to work every morning perceives their prospects are listening to you.
A recent Inside Radio article said, “Increasingly, it’s what happens off-air, not ‘between the records’, that differentiates stations. Differentiating a station’s brand from its competitors’ has become increasingly difficult in an era when most stations have access to the same music and research tools”.
DMR President Jim Eldredge says, "Differentiate by connecting in new ways and by connecting holistically, so that you’re setting yourself apart from competitors in deeply meaningful ways. It’s that connection off the air that builds mind share”.
And this is even more important when it comes to branding your station with business owners who do not listen to your station. What perception does your remote set-up create in the mind of a business owner who doesn’t listen to your station, but sees your set-up?
What perception does the announcer who meets a business owner at a community event create? And how often is your street team really visible and on the street?
These off-air promotions might not win a business owner over as a listener, but they certainly increase your odds of being able to discuss including your station in their next ad campaign.
Randy’s “what if” you arranged to have your street team set up at a prospect’s place of business for a short period, announcing give-aways.