DavidEduardo said:
NJMike said:
Exactly. "Lite FM" has a strong brand recognition in NY,
I am reasonably sure the station did considerable research, probably motivated in planning for the Arbitron PPM coming in September. Much branding has ben done to reinforce the ability to remember what you listened to hours later when you fill in your diary. The PPM does not measure memory ability, hence the lesser importance of branding for recall.
The PPM may not measure memory ability, as you said, but Lite is much more "identifiable" than "New York's 106.7." Certainly it's a mouthful if you're discussing what your favorite radio station is.
The other issue is that the "Lite" name very likely means Manilow, Streisand and Carpenters to many listeners. It may conceivable be an impediment to converting younger end listeners to users. The music is not "lite." And since only 8% of the staiton listeners write only "Lite" (or, "Light") in the diary, the name is not of great value... 92% write down the dial position.
Does it? Sure, Fresh's ad campaign has been based, in part, on making the competitor (Lite) seem "old." But with the station's strong ratings, book after book, whatever perception people may have had about Lite doesn't seem to have affected their success and billing...#1 in the nation. That's not the sign of a station that is in danger of sounding old.
Successful AC stations invite in people who come of age to listen to AC, and, consequentially, dismiss those they don't want... those over 55.
Yes they do, but Lite has been doing it successfully for years. Yes, being the only game in town (at least in the five boroughs) has helped, but they did not get to #1 in ratings and billing "by default." The Lite name certainly didn't stop those listeners from tuning to the station.
This name change really reflects the evolution of the station from a different kind of AC.
and listeners will continue to refer to the station as "Lite" for years to come.
Well, 92% refer to it already as a number. So my assumption is that only the oldest demos have any attachment to the name, and it is irrelevant.
I don't doubt that that's what the numbers are saying, but I think in most everyday interactions, people refer to the station they listen to "by name"-that is, they listen to "Lite," or to "Hot 97," or to "Kiss FM" or to "Z100" instead of 106.7, 97.1, 98.7 or 100.3.
The brand had been established and listeners are used to it.
Yet listeners think first of 106.7, not the name.
"New York's 106.7" says nothing about the station except that it's from NY, which everybody already knows.
No, it tells the most important thing: where to go for this kind of music.... which is not "lite" anymore, anyway.[/quote]
Exactly where does it say that? New York's 106.7 can be airing polka music for all I know.
This does not make it stand out among other NY station.
Unless there are two stations on 106.7, the exact address is the most powerful item for PPM branding.
[/quote]
So why not "106.7 Lite FM" instead of "New York's 106.7"? Especially when considering that for two decades, Lite has done well with that name.
Station branding (i.e. it's moniker) must say something about the station itself in order to be fully effective (examples - K-Rock, Hot 97, Kiss FM, Fresh 102.7, Power 105, Mix, etc.) - these are brands that are recognized in the NY radio market.
This is in part because the names reflect the current format. "Lite" is an impediment. [/quote]
The numbers and billing say the opposite. I know they are feeling a little pressure from Fresh, but my feeling is, people are going to switch the station due to the music, not the name. And especially if what you're saying is true, that 92% of listeners identify a station by its position - in this case 106.7 - then whatever "stigma" that may exist of listening to the "Lite" station shouldn't exist, right? Because people remember the station by the frequency, not the name (according to what you're saying).
My suggestion would be to call the station "106.7 WLTW - The Best Variety of Yesterday and Today" or, dare I say it, "Mix 106.7" Come on, 106.7, you are the #1 station in NY...be creative!!
Hardly anyone writes down calls for a music station. They are singularly non-memorable. And I would not want to brand any station by positioning it as "yesterday" as in today's media intensive world, "yesterday" is old and negative. [/quote]
"Mix 106.7" has the station's frequency listed just as prominently as "New York's 106.7" and better describes the music the station airs. What does "New York's" station air? Polka? Country? Reggaeton? Yodeling?
For PPM, it's a whole new world of branding and marketing. WLTW gets it.
I don't see what difference it makes, quite honestly. If a name like "Lite FM" wasn't enough to stop 92% of those who completed diaries to write "106.7" then the change seems entirely unnecessary to me.
