James Howard, Regional Senior Vice President, Programming & Program Director at iHeartMedia Chicago, explains how your audio company can be the hero, the ruler, the rebel and much more within the narrative.
When looking at the different possible characters that the radio stations can embrace, there is a possibility to maximise revenue by being able to locate what is the best spot to include and for a brand.
Howard elaborates that being a hero brand is not about the brand being the hero, but their audience playing that role. It’s about saying to your listeners: “You are the hero of our story and we want to highlight that for you. We believe that we can fight through the obstacles.”
There is space as well for a rebel brand, who is a disruptor amongst the others. As Howard explains, they are fighting against the current system, standing out by challenging the status quo. Their content goes to show that there is a better way to do something, and the advertisement placed there will share the same attitude.
Another possible character is the ruler, which Howard describes as one of the most dangerous “because it’s the cockiest”. Those different roles can be applied within the same radio, by segmenting the content, meaning you can have a rebel, a hero or a ruler program in a generalist radio station.
When looking back at who your brand is, you have to understand what your brand’s why – “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”, states Howard. Should also consider that the audio business is not simply about sound. As Howard explains, it goes beyond: it’s about the connection.
Written by Michelle Coelho and Ana Rita Silva.
