Blog

Are You a Brand Or a Format?

By Peter Don, BPR

The logs are tight, the clocks are clean, and the promo wheel hums. It’s easy to feel like the job is done. But formats—even great ones—only get you tuned in. Brands connect. It’s your nudge to protect what truly matters when pressure rises and budgets narrow.

Here are a few ‘rules’ to live by

A brand is expansive even when the music lane is narrow. You can be Rock, Hip-Hop, Dance but still open your arms wide. Casual listeners feel welcome, not judged. It means adding small, touchpoints that say “you belong here” without diluting the core: a 60-second “Today in [City]” a quick nod to local gigs, schools, and clubs; a breakfast ritual that anyone can join on day one. The format is the filter; the brand is the invitation.

Strong brands bestow status. Listeners aren’t just consumers; they’re members of a club. Give them visible ways to belong: first-name shout-outs with suburbs, a simple status ladder (Insider → Superfan → Ambassador), merch people are proud to wear, and small “member” perks through local partners. When a fan puts your sticker on a bottle or flashes a discount card, they’re not just saving money—they’re declaring identity.

Loyalty should convert into ambassadorship. Make it easy for fans to carry your story. Build weekly features where their fingerprints are obvious: a listener-curated set with a 30-second backstory; a “Local Legend” slot that celebrates the doer, not the celebrity. Perhaps an ambassador kit—tickets, one tee, a QR friend-pass playlist—and you’ve engineered word-of-mouth. We need more proof that listeners feel the station is “theirs.”

Evolve without losing yourself. The market moves, the city changes, platforms shift—your values shouldn’t. Keep the emotional lane constant (warm, confident, useful) while refreshing the wrappers: rotate features, update imaging textures, trial a guest voice week. Document your guardrails: what never changes (tone, mnemonic, promise) and what can (features, palette accents, content mix). Small quarterly updates prevent the big identity crisis later.

The audience is the reason you’re there. Usefulness beats cleverness. Lock predictable micro-utilities into the day so listeners can set their lives by you: traffic that names the road they’re actually on; weather that respects the microclimates; one practical “do this today” item. Habit forms when service arrives on time. Every hour you prove you’re here, not just on.

Communicate consistently. One station, one voice—on air, on site, on socials, in sales decks. Set three tonal rules (for example: warm, never syrupy; smart, never smug; fun, never snide) and coach to them. Edit links for payoff and plain language. Share a simple brand toolkit—logo usage, colors, photo style, caption voice—with everyone who speaks for you. Consistency is not a creative constraint; it’s how trust sounds.

Monitor what matters. If you can’t see it, you can’t change it. Track kpi (daily cume to TSL, repeat daypart usage), ritual recall (do people know the 7:40 feature by name?), and ambassadorship (merch uptake, friend-pass activations, saved posts). Pair numbers with narrative: “What did we do this week that proved who we are—and what did listeners send back?” When the story and the stats agree, you’re on course.

Reduce. What can you trim? Anything that doesn’t move hearts or habits: redundant promos that restate the obvious, generic contesting with low emotional lift, production tricks that bury humanity under noise. Trade two low-impact tactics for one, share-worthy moment that a listener will talk about.

If you remember nothing else, remember this line and make everything you do back it up: “We’re the home for [your music idea] that makes life in [City] feel connected, informed, and entertained—every day you can count on.” Sell habits and humans, not just “more music.”

Formats are necessary. Brands are unforgettable. In a world where anyone can assemble a playlist, your brand should be both simple and hard to copy: people, place, and pattern. Guard those, measure them, and let your audience wear the station proudly. Do that consistently, and you won’t just win share; you’ll win a place in people’s lives.