by Michael O'Malley
Partner, Albright & O'Malley Consulting

It's frustrating when listeners don't recall or react to our station or events with the enthusiasm we anticipated. Sometimes it's the chaos theory, but often it's because the listener benefits weren't communicated as strongly as they could have been. Inspired by some recent air checks and the new Doug Hall book "Jump Start Your Business Brain" (watch for a full review soon), here are three steps to making sure your "Benefits Department" is fully explaining and exploiting all the great things on your station.

It's likely that throughout your company there are people in charge of employee benefits. If they're good, they can answer employees' questions. If they're really good they can readily explain the company's health insurance, 401k plan, etc. in compelling-terms that make employees feel good about their coverage.

Within your station there should be people in charge of listener benefits. And if they're good, they not only regularly remind listeners of these benefits, they express them in terms that are so compelling that the audience not only feels good about listening, they use these benefits to set your station apart from every other one.

And, just as employee benefits are important in attracting top professionals, offering and clearly communicating listener benefits are critical to attracting and holding an audience. 

People usually remain loyal to a specific brand as long as that brand promises and delivers on a benefit the consumer feels is personally important. Often when people switch brands, it's because the new brand confronted them with a unique or alternative benefit they perceived to be more important than the one they are now receiving from their present brand.

Listeners behave the same way - especially in had-to-head format competition. Strong benefits mean loyal listening; a lack of them leaves a station vulnerable to having their listeners switch when a competitor promises a more appealing benefit. 

Here are three steps to help you communicate your benefits in the most powerful way, reinforcing current listening and inviting new listeners to sample you instead of your competitor.

Make a list of all your station's attributes and programming elements: traffic reports every 10 minutes throughout the drives, special programming, a big contest, etc.

For each feature, ask, as a listener would, "What's in this for me?"  Write down your response to each in a clear, straightforward manner. These are the true listener benefits, the "end result" of hearing each feature.  

Now, take each benefit description and re-write it using words and specifics that will turn a generic benefit into what Hall calls an "overt" one - one that will be unique, cut through clutter, and make you stand out from your competitors. The more "overt" each benefit can be made, the more powerful your claims will be.

Let's follow the process using traffic reports every 10 minutes in the afternoon as an example. Here's how to morph it from a feature to a benefit and finally to an overt benefit.

Feature:

"WXXX has the latest traffic information, updated every 10 minutes all afternoon."

Benefit Morph:

Asking "What's in it for me" from a listener's perspective suggests knowing the latest traffic conditions means getting home from work more quickly. Thus the benefit statement could be:

 "You'll always know the fastest way home from work when you listen to WXXX for the latest traffic information, updated every 10 minutes all afternoon."

Not bad. Getting home from work as quickly as possible is the benefit of listening to a station that frequently updates its traffic. That will set you apart from some stations, but perhaps it's not enough to make you stand apart from a competitor offering a similar benefit.

Overt Benefit Morph:

Adding a visual element and a strong "lifestyle claim" to a benefit statement can make it really stand out above the clutter.

"Never eat a cold dinner again! You'll always know the fastest way home from work when you listen to WXXX for the latest traffic information, updated every 10 minutes all afternoon."

More overt, the benefit is more visual and powerful with superior standout-ability especially if a competitor is claiming a similar benefit. 

Let's try another example, a Sunday night oldies show.

Feature:

"KXXX plays all the classic country hits every Sunday night from 9 till midnight."

Benefit Morph:

Asking "What's in it for me" from a listener's perspective suggests hearing these old songs in a block will recreate the station in a way that listeners who like this type of music will remember and love. Thus the benefit statement could be:

"Turn back the clock and relive all the great country classics again, this and every Sunday night from 9 till midnight on KXXX."

Incorporate some song hooks and the basic benefit is communicated.

Overt Benefit Morph:

Again, adding a visual element and a strong "lifestyle claim" will make our benefit statement overt and powerful.

"The days of rhinestones (cut), Nudie suits (cut) and hair as big as a mountain of cotton candy at the sate fair (cut). Turn back the clock and relive all the great country classics again, this and every Sunday night from 9 till midnight on KXXX."

In today's message-saturated environment, if your benefits aren't overt, they may not even be noticed. That means the enthusiasm and loyalty you anticipated might not develop develop.

So forget about being subtle (you'll could get run over) and suggesting customers "read between the lines" (they won't bother).  Present your benefits directly and powerfully, and make your Benefits Department a potent weapon in your station's arsenal.

Your thoughts?

Mike
732.937.5757
mike@radioconsult.com