Not all P1s are created the same. How can this be, you might ask. Isn’t a P1 a P1 a P1? The top of the heap, king of the hill? Not necessarily; in particular in the new PPM (Personal People Meter) world.

At Strategic Radio Solutions, our brand assessment and development research shows that truly healthy radio stations possess a healthy stable of brand ambassadors and less brand ambivalents and/or convertibles. To explain, let’s start with a few definitions:

  • Brand Ambassadors: Listeners who are engaged and passionate about the radio station. They share station-generated information and music and visit the Web site regularly.
  • Brand Ambivalents: Those who listen but are not completely satisfied. Your station is doing things that cause them to leave.
  • Brand Convertibles: Listeners who are on the edge, looking around. They may be on your arm now but they are looking over your shoulder to see if there’s another pretty girl in the room (another station or medium).

The goal of every top programmer, then, should be to strengthen a station’s listener base by converting ambivalents and convertibles to ambassdors. How do you accomplish this? By paying fanatical attention to everything that creates brand engagement and makes the station not just good but great. Where, though, to start?

Be ‘famous’ for at least one thing. Identify your great differentiator – do you have an outstanding morning show or a memorable, well-branded bit at the same time each day of each week? Are you the “Work Day” radio station? – then push it, promote it and continue to capitalize on it. What do you offer to keep listeners coming back?

Also remember that your on-air talent should serve as your greatest “front line” ambassadors. Although important, it is no longer enough to be “live and local.” The PPM has shown the need to keep talk breaks tight, but your jocks must still engage their listeners with useful information, including about the music and the artists you play (something that has become a bit of a lost art form). The basics of a solid personality approach may seem simplistic – diligent show prep, yet it bears repeating and introspection as you strengthen your station’s foundation.

Ongoing benchmarks create listening appointments that are still important, because they create more occasions of listening and influence consumer engagement and habits. To borrow from a famous movie: “Build it, and they will come.” Solidify that foundation so that they stay and spread the word, like any good ambassador does.