Radio continues to be part of our daily lives. It is ubiquitous in our travels to work, the background in our kitchens and offices.
My main reason for doing this post is that I want to rediscover radio for you, but also how I have rediscovered it myself.
When I was in high school there was a station that promised new format. I believed that and they delivered. My fraternity even had their main morning man come by for a “Rush to Halifax” event in 1996. Unfortunately Rush was so popular that they decided that they would not make a presence here until 25 years late when they became irrelevant.
There used to be a few channels that I caught on my transistor radio at night in my home town – even better at my cottage without the signal noise. It was then That I first heard “Another Brick in the Wall” and rushed out to the local shop to buy my 45″. None of my friends knew what I talked of.
Circling back to today.
My car recently had to get some work done. When I picked it up all channels on the FM (There is no AM in my hood) were set to 88.8 or something – the default. So I had to reset. As I started to restet I came across a new station.
Backtrack a few years.
When the local station Live 105 came online I thought it a savior as it was playing all the stuff from my generation. That could not last, but it has expanded to include recent music which is also relevant to thier format. For that, I still like to turn it on now and again.
Another station came online which promises new music which is phenomenal. Well that station Radio 96.5 (which BTY used to be a Lawrence Welk station a few formats before) lives up to it’s promise.
I LOVE CBC. I do. I love it. but it is for me information and Saturday morning is something that I do not want to miss, but If I do, I log into another city time zone to hear my morning shows. Every night when I get home I put it on as I cook supper and do chores.
So what about that other station?
That other station I found is doing the format where it says it plays everything. There was a former station that said that and by god they did. It was crap. This station does play not everything, but a variety of music.
Music that to me growing up with older siblings in the 70’s, getting pimples in the 80’s and being somewhat of a mature human in the 90’s means that this station really is missing the mark.
Branding for this station should and must be – if they continue their current format – about targeting the Gen X.
- I might suggest the following:
- Radio for GenX
- Radio for the generation who waits
- Gen X – Stop waiting – your radio is here.
Oh, right – what is this new station I talk of? It’s Radio 92.9 Jack FM. I assume that Jack represents “We don’t care about Jack Shit”. Perhaps they should if they want the brand to reflect their current playlist.
Let’s see how they are doing on Facebook:
This is not very pretty – in the sense that it really fails to tell me what the play format it. Actually its gonna turn me off.
I think the following speaks for itself how the brand and the marketing presence are dysfunctional. The website is not appealing to anyone in the Gen X mode, but that is the target for that station. Perhaps online presence for my generation is irrelevant to some, but since we are the ones who built the marketing framework of digital marketing – I would say not.
Recent radio playlist from JACK FM
Why the Slam?
I think that (based on the format) that this station can rectify itself, but it is not doing any justice to itself thorough digital advertising because it’s visual presence does not reflect its format. The station also must live up and bring the premise that the music it formatting for the Gen X. There is enough not only us X’s (we are a small group) but the demographic bleed in the Boomers and Millennials to garner a unique spot.
Right now, that marketing is missing the point.
I shall still tune in to this station and the others. If you think this sis a slam on our station 92.9 Jack then you don’t know great marketing advice when you see it and deserve to me in the lower end of the market share.
Links:
Update: They just played Supertramp, however it was a track that was not played to death on another station ( to the point that we refereed to a certain DJ as Supertramp Man). I think that might be excusable.
For now.
Keep sending those radio wave all of you in that vital industry.
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