Station names and branding

[Nate Wesley]

The most recent Urban First newsletter talked about a discussion here on the Urban/Urban AC/R&B Oldies board:

WHAT'S IN A NAME? There’s a conversation on the Radio-Info.com’s Urban/Urban AC/R&B oldies board debating why some stations use particular names as branding tools. The argument is, while it’s obvious to associate names like “Mix” and “Magic” with Urban AC, some users contend that many names used by younger-targeted stations are dated or “too old sounding” for the demo they are going after. Is the next generation of listeners done with the concepts of “Hot,” “Jamz,” and “Power?” How much does the station name really factor in with the overall branding of your station?

I never could find the actual discussion Dana Hall referenced, but I thought it was interesting enough to start/re-start it here. Are these tired brand names? Could we use some new ideas in this area? We've seen other formats get 'fresh' names, the best example that I can think of would be the CHR stations that going with 'Now'.

I've got a few ideas but I'll let others chime in first.

 

[bucwhyl]

Guess I'm old school now, because "Jamz" has always been my favorite.

 

[upstate29651]

To me, any business that positions it's name with a "z" at the end (jams = jamz, etc) is outdated. That's so late 1990's.

But that's not the issue. The issue is that fewer people are listening anymore. Revamping your name is the least of your worries.

G

 

[kilamanjero]

The brand name is irrelevant, it's the musical content and programming that matters at the end of the day.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

I always was a fan of the "BLAZIN" name. When Cumulus first adopted it there stations were heavy on Hip-Hop, but not so much now.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Thanks everyone for chiming in. A few thoughts:

I'm not sure I agree with the notion that branding doesn't matter. (It's certainly not irrelevent, kilamanjero--I doubt 'Root Canal Radio' is getting many listeners.) Maybe predictable or derivative branding doesn't matter, especially now that there are internet platforms where one can actually complain about anything (*ahem*US*cough*), and one now knows that there are 1000 other cookie-cutter stations calling themselves 'Hot', 'Magic', 'The Beat', or 'Jamz' on different frequencies. (Or "Blazin'" ...thanks SBA, forgot about that one).

Maybe there's room for a few fresh approaches going forward. I don't mind sharing my [horrible] ideas/identities I've played with, as I'm currently well behind in my plans of becoming a big broadcast mogul. If there are any such moguls out there reading this and you think any of these are the start of something, feel free to run with it--or at least send me the bumper sticker:

"Skool FM": New skool. Old skool. Night skool. Heck, even Sunday skool. (Please, someone tell me they get this.)

"Hip Hop History": Citadel's got a new format serving up 'Classic Hip-Hop', and perhaps 'Hot' and 'Jamz' are already in use. Solution! (This may not be that original, and frankly I might have unintentionally borrowed it from somewhere else. In fact, it sounds more like a podcast.)

"Urbanham.com @ 102.1": A radio station with a website? How passe'--flip that. I'm starting a new website local social internet portal with local jocks contributors who write blogs online articles that stir ish up foster debate online and on the air, giving you fresh talk spoken word content that speaks to the very people I'm trying to reach. Oh, did I mention it had a radio station?
(I have no connection to Urbanham.com, but it wouldn't hurt to go there for an idea of what I'm proposing for your favorite city.)

Thoughts?

 

[younglee981]

I always was a fan of the "BLAZIN" name. When Cumulus first adopted it there stations were heavy on Hip-Hop, but not so much now.

o how i miss the blazin stations..
I helped start the first one in Albany, GA working in promotions. then on to weekend and fill ins.

now there are only 2 blazin stations left.

Blazin' 102.1 Albany, GA
Blazin' 102.3 Tallahassee, FL
Blazin' 106.7 Nashville, TN
Blazin' 92.3 MAcon, GA

 

[kilamanjero]

Thanks everyone for chiming in. A few thoughts:

I'm not sure I agree with the notion that branding doesn't matter. (It's certainly not irrelevent, kilamanjero--I doubt 'Root Canal Radio' is getting many listeners.) Maybe predictable or derivative branding doesn't matter, especially now that there are internet platforms where one can actually complain about anything (*ahem*US*cough*), and one now knows that there are 1000 other cookie-cutter stations calling themselves 'Hot', 'Magic', 'The Beat', or 'Jamz' on different frequencies. (Or "Blazin'" ...thanks SBA, forgot about that one).

Maybe there's room for a few fresh approaches going forward. I don't mind sharing my [horrible] ideas/identities I've played with, as I'm currently well behind in my plans of becoming a big broadcast mogul. If there are any such moguls out there reading this and you think any of these are the start of something, feel free to run with it--or at least send me the bumper sticker:

"Skool FM": New skool. Old skool. Night skool. Heck, even Sunday skool. (Please, someone tell me they get this.)

"Hip Hop History": Citadel's got a new format serving up 'Classic Hip-Hop', and perhaps 'Hot' and 'Jamz' are already in use. Solution! (This may not be that original, and frankly I might have unintentionally borrowed it from somewhere else. In fact, it sounds more like a podcast.)

"Urbanham.com @ 102.1": A radio station with a website? How passe'--flip that. I'm starting a new website local social internet portal with local jocks contributors who write blogs online articles that stir ish up foster debate online and on the air, giving you fresh talk spoken word content that speaks to the very people I'm trying to reach. Oh, did I mention it had a radio station?
(I have no connection to Urbanham.com, but it wouldn't hurt to go there for an idea of what I'm proposing for your favorite city.)

Thoughts?

Uh ok...considering how most stations use those generic branding, I doubt most people are that overtly concerned with the name if they like what they hear. "Root Canal Radio" is cute, but I doubt any urban radio station would use...

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

I always was a fan of the "BLAZIN" name. When Cumulus first adopted it there stations were heavy on Hip-Hop, but not so much now.

o how i miss the blazin stations..
I helped start the first one in Albany, GA working in promotions. then on to weekend and fill ins.

now there are only 2 blazin stations left.

Blazin' 102.1 Albany, GA
Blazin' 102.3 Tallahassee, FL
Blazin' 106.7 Nashville, TN
Blazin' 92.3 MAcon, GA

BLAZIN 102.1 was my station when i would visit. The days of "Mr.Smith" runnin' thangs. Speaking of Albany, GA, POWER 105.5 is being sold! Format flip??

Nate, I like the "STREETS" name for Hip-Hop stations that run the streets, nightclubs and events. We had short lived STREETZ 102.9 here in ATL and I think there is another STREETZ station in Little Rock. I was shocked no stations adopted the "CRUNK" branding years ago when crunk music took over the airwaves.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Nate, I like the "STREETS" name for Hip-Hop stations that run the streets, nightclubs and events. We had short lived STREETZ 102.9 here in ATL and I think there is another STREETZ station in Little Rock. I was shocked no stations adopted the "CRUNK" branding years ago when crunk music took over the airwaves.

The problem with 'Streets' is that identity doesn't always connote the best of concepts likely needed for ad sales, nor is it a terribly inclusive in terms of a metro audience. Plus, it unnecessarily calls into question authenticity; and 'street' can a station be playing radio edits of studio songs?

There was one station that tried to adopt the 'crunk' banner, WBFZ 'Z-105.3' in Selma, AL used 'Certified Crunk' as a positioner, which was all sorts of stupid when they'd use those same liners on Sunday morning gospel or Saturday afternoon blues programs. And crunk itself petered out of popularity even in the South--it was a certain style of hip-hop and not a lasting brand to itself. That's probably the same reason one never heard of West Coast stations boastful about being 'Hyphy' either.

 

[Nate Wesley]

"Urbanham.com @ 102.1": A radio station with a website? How passe'--flip that. I'm starting a new website local social internet portal with local jocks contributors who write blogs online articles that stir ish up foster debate online and on the air, giving you fresh talk spoken word content that speaks to the very people I'm trying to reach. Oh, did I mention it had a radio station?
(I have no connection to Urbanham.com, but it wouldn't hurt to go there for an idea of what I'm proposing for your favorite city.)

I wanted to expand a few thoughts on my 'Urbanham example', which easily could be 'SoulofAtlanta.com'* or 'BigDHipHop.com' for Dallas*: In my opinion, there are consistent big interests within the audience a broadcaster might be trying to reach, and perhaps they should indulge those connections beyond music. So instead of merely being the station to hear hip-hop music, maybe there should be more of an engaged focus on the lifestyles of most hip-hop fans--a focus on entertaining these same people aside from music (of which they can now get elsewhere, un-edited). There's no practical reason to leave buzzworthy talk segments or interviews for morning drive anymore.

What's really stopping the 2 Live Stews' show from airing on your city's '#1 for hip-hop and R&B'? The show speaks to the same general audience, though mostly to men. Why shouldn't stations tease a drive-time interview with Roland Martin, Ed Gordon or Cousin Jeff, picking their brains on what's going on in the news? The director of the local Heritage Arts Festival...get him or her on the air to tell folks why they should participate, while taking calls?

These aren't things that are in any way new or groundbreaking--but there's opportunity (out of necessity, I think) to be more than a jukebox.

(*I just made these up, and they aren't registered...opportunity!?!?)

 

[wdb2003]

In the 90's Perry used Fresh on 105.3 in Tulsa. New at the time when the station signed on. Now its KJAMZ. Fresh is now used on AC and Hot AC stations. They also use Foxie in Augusta GA on their Mainstream Urban which I think belongs on Urban AC.

I guess Power, Hot, Q, and The Beat will be around for years. Wild fits the Rythnmic stations just fine.

 

[younglee981]

SBA are you serious...they was putting up good numbers in Albany, I hope the format does not flip its a good fit in the Albany area. as for mr. smith i havent heard from him in a few years now..last i heard he was back in the Athens, GA area managing a retail store. i would like to catch up with him.

 

[BJordan]

In the 90's Perry used Fresh on 105.3 in Tulsa. New at the time when the station signed on. Now its KJAMZ. Fresh is now used on AC and Hot AC stations. They also use Foxie in Augusta GA on their Mainstream Urban which I think belongs on Urban AC.

I guess Power, Hot, Q, and The Beat will be around for years. Wild fits the Rythnmic stations just fine.

Yeah the Power, The Beat monikers were overly used in the 90's and early 2000's. You know what i mean. In L.A. we've had KKBT which paved the way for the famous "The Beat" moniker and Power 106 Los Angeles has paved way for Power 99 in Phillidephia and Power 105.1 in NYC. Had it not been for KKBT & KPWR we wouldn't have any "The Beat" Stations and/or "Power" stations.

 

[kilamanjero]

In the 90's Perry used Fresh on 105.3 in Tulsa. New at the time when the station signed on. Now its KJAMZ. Fresh is now used on AC and Hot AC stations. They also use Foxie in Augusta GA on their Mainstream Urban which I think belongs on Urban AC.

I guess Power, Hot, Q, and The Beat will be around for years. Wild fits the Rythnmic stations just fine.

Yeah the Power, The Beat monikers were overly used in the 90's and early 2000's. You know what i mean. In L.A. we've had KKBT which paved the way for the famous "The Beat" moniker and Power 106 Los Angeles has paved way for Power 99 in Phillidephia and Power 105.1 in NYC. Had it not been for KKBT & KPWR we wouldn't have any "The Beat" Stations and/or "Power" stations.

Actually, Power 99FM in Philly predates "Power 106" in LA on the usage of the "Power" branding. WUSL (Power 99FM) began to use that brand in the early 80s; whereas, KPWR switch in 1986.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

Thanks everyone for chiming in. A few thoughts:

I'm not sure I agree with the notion that branding doesn't matter. (It's certainly not irrelevent, kilamanjero--I doubt 'Root Canal Radio' is getting many listeners.) Maybe predictable or derivative branding doesn't matter, especially now that there are internet platforms where one can actually complain about anything (*ahem*US*cough*), and one now knows that there are 1000 other cookie-cutter stations calling themselves 'Hot', 'Magic', 'The Beat', or 'Jamz' on different frequencies. (Or "Blazin'" ...thanks SBA, forgot about that one).

Maybe there's room for a few fresh approaches going forward. I don't mind sharing my [horrible] ideas/identities I've played with, as I'm currently well behind in my plans of becoming a big broadcast mogul. If there are any such moguls out there reading this and you think any of these are the start of something, feel free to run with it--or at least send me the bumper sticker:

"Skool FM": New skool. Old skool. Night skool. Heck, even Sunday skool. (Please, someone tell me they get this.)

"Hip Hop History": Citadel's got a new format serving up 'Classic Hip-Hop', and perhaps 'Hot' and 'Jamz' are already in use. Solution! (This may not be that original, and frankly I might have unintentionally borrowed it from somewhere else. In fact, it sounds more like a podcast.)

"Urbanham.com @ 102.1": A radio station with a website? How passe'--flip that. I'm starting a new website local social internet portal with local jocks contributors who write blogs online articles that stir ish up foster debate online and on the air, giving you fresh talk spoken word content that speaks to the very people I'm trying to reach. Oh, did I mention it had a radio station?
(I have no connection to Urbanham.com, but it wouldn't hurt to go there for an idea of what I'm proposing for your favorite city.)

Thoughts?

Nate, Radio One is now branding there station's websites with the city name connected to it. Ex..
www.hotspotatl.com
www.majicatl.com
www.hiphopnc.com
www.hothiphopdetroit.com

 

[wdb2003]

In the 90's Perry used Fresh on 105.3 in Tulsa. New at the time when the station signed on. Now its KJAMZ. Fresh is now used on AC and Hot AC stations. They also use Foxie in Augusta GA on their Mainstream Urban which I think belongs on Urban AC.

I guess Power, Hot, Q, and The Beat will be around for years. Wild fits the Rythnmic stations just fine.

Yeah the Power, The Beat monikers were overly used in the 90's and early 2000's. You know what i mean. In L.A. we've had KKBT which paved the way for the famous "The Beat" moniker and Power 106 Los Angeles has paved way for Power 99 in Phillidephia and Power 105.1 in NYC. Had it not been for KKBT & KPWR we wouldn't have any "The Beat" Stations and/or "Power" stations.

Actually, Power 99FM in Philly predates "Power 106" in LA on the usage of the "Power" branding. WUSL (Power 99FM) began to use that brand in the early 80s; whereas, KPWR switch in 1986.

Yep and Power was used in the early 80's. Oklahoma City had Power 1140AM for a short time in the 80's before Perry took over in the 90's And Kansas City had Power 95 but it was a Top 40 station. So the brand has been around for years. But KKBT was one of the first stations to use the Beat moniker I give them credit for that

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

In the 90's Perry used Fresh on 105.3 in Tulsa. New at the time when the station signed on. Now its KJAMZ. Fresh is now used on AC and Hot AC stations. They also use Foxie in Augusta GA on their Mainstream Urban which I think belongs on Urban AC.

I guess Power, Hot, Q, and The Beat will be around for years. Wild fits the Rythnmic stations just fine.

FOXIE (or FOXY) has always been very popular here in the South on Mainstream Urban stations. It's still used in Augusta, Columbus, GA and Raleigh. Fayetteville, Macon and Charleston once had stations with FOXIE branding. BTW, Perry changed FOXIE 103 JAMZ name to 103 JAMZ THE FOX once they bought it from Radio One. They had rouble marketing the new name so within a couple of months they went back to the FOXIE name.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Nate, Radio One is now branding there station's websites with the city name connected to it. Ex..
www.hotspotatl.com
www.majicatl.com
www.hiphopnc.com
www.hothiphopdetroit.com

I would have to give Radio One & Interactive One some credit for this--especially considering that years ago, a R-1 exec actually downplayed/dismissed the need for any of its stations to have a presence on the internet.

If they were really brave about it in the way I imagine doing it, though, they'd use 'Majic ATL' on the air instead of solely tying it to the radio frequency. Similarly, go ahead and stop calling 102.7 'Hot'. Call it 'Hip Hop Detroit'. There's more than one way to stay plugged in than Frequency Modulation.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Additional thoughts...ran out of editing time:

I would have to give Radio One & Interactive One some credit for this--especially considering that years ago, a R-1 exec actually downplayed/dismissed the need for any of its stations to have a presence on the internet.

If they were really brave about it in the way I imagine doing it, though, they'd use 'Majic ATL' as their identifier instead of continually tying their identity to the radio frequency. Similarly, go ahead and stop calling 102.7 'Hot'. Call it 'Hip Hop Detroit'. There's more than one way to stay plugged in than Frequency Modulation.

Does Majic only 'exist' on terrestrial frequencies 107.5 or 97.5, or does it reach beyond that? That's all part of my thinking, ya'll. Don't just tweak things for 'Arbitrons', tweak them for ComScores too!

"This is Hip Hop Detroit, live on FM 102.7 and online at HipHopDetroit.com." Don't think this won't matter--when they finally get Wi-Fi to work well in cars, the localized presence and content is going to set a station apart from what one could put together in a Pandora account.