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In a
world where “what-I-want-when-I-want-it” is the standard brands are
judged by, the “unexpected surprise” is a key part of growth through
word of mouth.
Call this a simple concept, but I was
reminded of an important fact while at the Portland airport today.
Most of the brands we use on a daily basis meet our expectations.
The laundry detergent gets my clothes clean, as I expect. The car I
drive gets me from point A to point B, comfortably, just like I
expect. My job pays me every two weeks, and in the amount I
expect. The brands we choose to use, or become affiliated with,
meet our expectations. If they didn’t, we’d find one that does.
But when was the last time you were surprised at how a “brand”,
treated you?
I got in line at the
Starbucks at PDX assuming I would pay more for my Venti Carmel
Macchiato. It IS an airport, where the latest version of Newsweek
costs $5.95 after all! So I was more than willing to pay a few
extra bucks for my regular Starbucks fix. I figured it in, it’s the
cost of travel, all part of my “expectations” of the Starbucks
airport brand. But when I got to the register, the price was the
same as my local shop around the corner. I even made the cashier
read my order back to make sure she hadn’t given me a grande. Call
me easily impressed, but I loved the little savings! I called my
wife to tell her about it, and you know what? She was surprised
too.
The point isn’t my extreme pleasure
in saving a buck or so, but rather the unexpected surprise Starbucks
gave me this morning. Certainly they know charging more in airport
settings is accepted (albeit grudgingly) by the customer. But by
making their prices the same at PDX, they surprise people, which is
worth more in the long run. I’m much more likely to share my latest
“Starbucks experience” with friends and acquaintances now.
So, what
is your radio brand doing to surprise your consumers?
What does she or he hear from the speakers that is above and beyond
”normal”? And what process have you put in place to consistently
surprise your listeners?
Exceptional brand
touch points usually don’t happen by mistake. They’re planned out
in advance.
Is your morning or afternoon show
calling listeners, personally, on their birthdays? Do you ever call
your music panel to say “thank you” for their input, and ask about
which new artists they would like to hear? A while back my on-air
friends at
KCMS in Seattle were calling a random listener a couple times
each day, and giving them a choice between two or three songs they
would like to hear at the end of that hour. The songs were Gold and
at least one was going to play anyway. So they took the opportunity
to touch one person, and make them feel special. Think maybe some
of those people got off the phone and told a friend or two what
happened?
Remarkable experiences get remarked about,
and by the way, the better your brand gets at emotionally connecting
with listeners, the harder this process becomes. Because of my
experience, I won’t be surprised next time I pay regular price at an
airport Starbucks; it’s part of “normal” now.
So again, what are you doing to make
sure you exceed expectations with your consumers?
Your thoughts?
E-mail me:
scott@radiorenew.com
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Scott Michaels publishes engaging radio dialogue at
http://radiorenew.com and is an experienced Program Director in
the Christian AC and CHR format with fifteen years experience.
He landed his first full-time radio position in Portland, Oregon,
and has since programmed stations like KKJM/St. Cloud, WQCK/Baton
Rouge, KSGN/Riverside and KWPZ/Bellingham & Vancouver BC. He
also recently spent time as the Director of Operations & Research
for CRISTA Broadcasting (including KCMS-FM) in Seattle. Alan
Mason, John Frost and Scott Valentine are some of the many whom
Scott considers mentors.
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