For those scanning the dial for something to listen to, ear catching imaging could grab attention.
In this day of digital tuners and as many as ten pre-sets on most car radios, do you really think all that many people slowly rotate the knob on their Atwater-Kent searching for something to listen to? Given that an average song is about two and a half minutes, while a jingle or other imaging piece lasts a few seconds at most, even someone who is scanning the dial has a far greater chance of hearing something other than a station's imaging as the tuner zips past the station.
But, if you're running a station, and want to rely on imaging as your primary method of attracting listeners, go for it. That will mean your station won't find enough new listeners to pull any kind of ratings, which increase the chance that someone else will soon be running your station, and they might put something on the air that's worth tuning in to.
Not that imaging is a bad thing. I am an amateur gourmet chef, and quite good at it if I do say so myself. I appreciate that good garnish can make for a more attractive plate, even if it can't compensate for a bad tasting entre. So, if you want to concentrate on sonic parsley for your radio station, more power to you. Just don't expect it to accomplish anything other than impressing other radio pros.
