Old and Tired?

With all the 'new media' tugging away at TSL for radio we all need to make sure we are look and sound fresh. As we all approach the new year with our stations take a good look and listen to your product.

Is it the same tried and true music, positioning, look, air staff style, and imaging that's been there for years and years?

Is it laden with 'old style' cliches in the production and from the air staff?

Does the logo and marketing image look the same as it did in the 80s or 90s?

Is the air staff doing the same features over and over for years and years?

Does it sound like a machine or is it human?

Does the web site look like it's right out of the 90s?

In radio we often get into a mind set that over focuses our habits and thinking for consistency. We get SO worried that we might ruin the recipe for success that we refuse to update or change anything.

Some of this comes from being measured with the recall -diary system for so long. We had to drill it into the audience's head so we did it over and over and over till we pounded it in there - and then we kept it up fearing they might forget.

Hopefully the diary system will fade away in our life times (it could take that long). But, our relentless pounding on so many fronts has damaged our image with the audience.

Aside from all the flash of new media we have been our own worst enemy when it comes to creative thinking, innovation, and just trying new ideas.

It's making terrestrial radio look old and stuck in our ways to the younger audience and in the older demos they've been exposed to it for so long they often show boredom or weaker passion levels.

If this describes your station it's probably time to take a long look at the ingredients of your brand and see which ones can be updated or shined up to look and feel fresh. Everything has a shelf life - radio is no exception. Take a day get away from the office - listen and look at your product as if you were a new listener. If it looks boring, old, tired then it's time to dig in and bring it back to life.