The most exciting word in marketing and branding is new! Consistency is important, which is why McDonald’s would never take the Big Mac off the menu. But humans are conditioned to get excited over the next big thing. That’s why McDonald’s re-introduces the McRib as a new, limited-time offer. September and October are a new beginning.
Fall is the perfect time for radio shows to launch a new fall season. New products are routinely rolled out. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is everywhere. Tech companies launch their next big thing just in time for holiday shopping. Streaming services introduce new movies and shows. Along with January, the time just before holiday madness is the best time for a fresh coat of paint. It’s prime time to introduce new features and update your show.
As listeners settle into new routines, you can influence new habits. The combination of familiarity and innovation is powerful, so use it to introduce a new fall season.
The New Fall Season: Get Rid Of Junk
Of course, there has to be room for that new content. The first step is to conduct a full show audit to eliminate dead weight. When Disney introduces a new attraction, they make room in the park by retiring something old. It keeps the park fresh yet familiar. Getting rid of on-air junk is like cleaning out the garage. It’s challenging at first, but once you get started, it’s refreshing. And it creates a lot of new space! That’s when it gets fun.
Here are some areas to explore fresh, new ideas for a new fall season of your radio station:
Branding: This is the time to introduce new branding and production elements. Have you wanted to bring out a new theme with an audio signature, jingles or musical theme? This is the perfect time.
Themes: Maybe planning and promoting a Theme Week or month would create new excitement. How about a series of Halloween themes or making October Teacher’s Month? Feature teachers and play special editions of your primary games with them.
Features: Even established shows should never retire their best feature content, but this is a great time to introduce a second one. If none of your features are strong enough to be your one-thing feature, this is an excellent time to put new energy into it.
Secondary Features: These are easy to cycle through. Maybe it’s time to replace some older ideas with a fresh concept. How about a new idea that is for a limited time only. If it’s wildly popular, bring it back later, like the McRib.
Storylines: What are the new storylines about show members? Maybe someone is in a new relationship, moving to a new house, starting a side hustle, or has kids attending a new school. Explore these life changes for serial content. This is also a great time to review your Character Brand Profiles.
Fresh Spins: Sometimes, all it takes to create something new is a fresh spin on a popular feature. KMVQ/San Francisco’s signature game Big Money Minute is branded as the Back-To-School edition. The show gives away iPads as part of it.
Topics: what are listeners talking about? What are they interested in? What are they excited about? Football? Baseball playoffs? Pumpkin Spice? What are they worried about? Find the topics that are top of mind and develop ways to use them during show prep sessions.
Promoting The New Fall Season
Making changes is the first step, but listeners must also know about it. So let’s promote it!
Video: Create a video trailer featuring the talent explaining what is new and different and what to listen for with specific times to tune in. Feature the video on the website’s main page and consider buying social media ads to promote it as well.
Promos: Put promos on the air frequently that communicate the excitement of the changes and use the term “new” as much as possible. Even if the biggest changes are bringing back a previously retired segment, it’s still “new” to the schedule.
Mini-Brands: Treat each major element as a mini-brand. How can each become famous through promotion, marketing, and teasing?
Tips and Best Practices
New features should debut in September, but October is not too late. Spend a week or two working out the kinks so that it’s ready for prime time when the campaign starts! Practicing off the air ensures it’s executed well at launch.
Challenge each person on your team to bring new creative energy. What can each person do to grow personally? How will you individually become a better personality?
While you’re at it, set new goals or reset objectives. This is a great time to make a commitment to excellence for the upcoming season.
Conclusion
September is the start of the last 1/3 of the year and October is the gateway to the fourth quarter. Don’t let it sneak up on you! Plan early to win listeners’ attention by starting new routines and participating in the new fall season with something fresh and exciting. What ideas will energize your new fall season?
Pic designed by AI for Freepik.com.
Tracy Johnson is a talent coach and programming consultant. He’s the President/CEO of Tracy Johnson Media Group. His book Morning Radio has been described as The Bible of Personality Radio and has been used by personalities worldwide.