It's Not All About Differentiation After All

One of the puzzles in the world of Christian radio is this: How do we differentiate ourselves versus another Christian station, when we play similar music and profess similar values?

It's a legitimate question. And the typical answer usually veers off towards perceived differences like morning show, local address, etc.

But here's the thing: Being different is not the same as being differentiated.

Being differentiated means you're different in a way that matters to me, the listener. And all differences are definitely not created equal.

For example in CCM world, your morning show is rarely a meaningful differentiator - that is, it rarely spells the difference between Christian brand A and brand B.

Often in my research I will ask listeners to name the air talents on their favorite Christian station, and they are often speechless. They can't remember, they don't know, and sometimes only when you mention a talent by name does a bell ring (although sometimes it's a name that's been off the station for months or years).

Do you call that a differentiator? Do your listeners even know the names of your talent?

"Local" is the other one. But simply having an address that I drive by on my way to work does not in itself make your brand more valuable to me. What else is "local" about you? Information? I can get local information in a hundred different ways and radio is only one. Events? I don't need you to find those, and I don't attend those to see you. Traffic? Don't get me started. Besides, none of those are why I choose a Christian music station in the first place. "But we are your neighbors - we rub shoulders with you in the community, you might say." Well, that's only true only when it's actually true, and even then that may not matter. Do you watch the local weather person on TV just because you see her in the supermarket?

This is why the national brand can often beat the local brand - they master what's most important to the audience and ignore the rest.

So if being different is not enough, then what is?

The key is focusing on your advantages, not only your differentiators.

For example, if you have a stronger signal, you have an advantage (because more folks can hear you in more places).

If you have been around for years and the competitor is a relative newcomer, you have an advantage (because habits are long-since set, and if two stations are similar, listeners will always favor the legacy one).

If you win the values which matter despite a competitor who claims those same values, then you have an advantage (because why listen to the alternative when you have everything I want?).

If, by chance, you have the kind of morning show (or any other daypart show) that listeners specifically seek out, that's an advantage too (assuming they actually seek it out).

And if you create a lot of magic in the community in front of real people and touch their hearts in person, then that can be an advantage as well (note that this is not about you being local, it's about you being present).

So once you load up on all the values and prove them as well as you can on the air, remember that advantage isn't just perceptual, it's also 100% real.

Mark Ramsey Media does audience research for Christian Media - Perceptual research, digital studies, donor studies, underwriter impact studies, music studies, etc. Learn more here. Call Mark at 858-414-4191 or email markramsey@mac.com.

And if you want a strategy to solicit major donors to pay for your research, look here and download this Listener Impact Study solicitation for donors from WAKW-FM.

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