My Name is Magic. What’s Your’s?
If you’re in the mood to argue about the future of radio, this may not be the article for you.
There’s certainly no shortage of that conversation these days.
Depending on what you read, and when you read it, radio is either in serious trouble or doing just fine. Nobody’s listening.
Everybody’s listening. Revenues are falling. Revenues are showing signs of improvement.
There are plenty of people debating both sides, and I’m going to leave that debate to them.
Because this week in AC Programming Today, I thought we’d take a break from all that and talk about something a lot more fun. How do you name a radio station?
I’ve been involved in format changes for decades, and sooner or later, somebody always asks the question: “So... what are we going to call this thing?” And usually, the first names that come to mind are the familiar ones. Magic. Mix. Kiss. Sunny. Hits. The River. You know the list. Then somebody says, “Maybe we should research it.” So you spend the money, line up four or five names, ask people which one they like best, and one floats to the top.
But does that really make it the right name? I’m not so sure.
Steve Jobs famously believed that people often don’t know what they want until you show it to them. And I think that applies here.
When you ask someone to choose between five names for radio stations they’ve never heard, what exactly are they choosing? They’re choosing a word. They haven’t heard the music or the imaging. They haven’t met the personalities. They haven’t felt the brand.
Think about a name like Trivago.
Today, most people know it’s a site where you can compare hotel prices. But imagine if the people who created it had put that name through a focus group. They probably would have ended up with something like LowerPriceRooms.com. Perfectly descriptive. And perfectly forgettable.
Instead, somebody somewhere came up with Trivago. What does it have to do with comparing hotel prices? Nothing, really. But it’s catchy. It’s different. It’s easy to remember. And over time, they built the meaning around the name.
And remember, somebody had to be the first station to call itself Magic. Somebody had to be the first Sunny. Those names probably sounded a little different at the time, too. But somebody believed in them, thought they felt right and took a chance.
And that’s really what great branding often requires. A little instinct. A little imagination. And sometimes, a little courage.
Radio needed that then.
And I’d argue it still does today. That’s really the point.
Sometimes we get so hung up on finding a name that immediately explains everything that we forget to ask the more important questions: Is it memorable? Does it sound good? Can we have some fun with it?
Here’s another way I look at it. Naming a station is a lot like naming a child. Parents choose names for all kinds of reasons. Maybe they just like the sound of it. Maybe it’s a family name. Maybe it just feels right.
When we named our kids Michael, Robyn and Corey, we had no idea who they would grow up to be. But a funny thing happened. Michael became a Michael. Robyn became a Robyn. And Corey definitely became a Corey. They grew into their names.
Why can’t radio stations do the same?
Pick a name you like. One you believe you can work with. Say it out loud. Put it in a jingle. Hear it coming out of a song. Try it in a promo. Picture it on your app, your website and a billboard. And ask yourself the big question: Can we build a personality around this name?
If the answer is yes, you may have found your name. Of course, do the basics. Check for conflicts, trademarks and digital availability. Make sure it works. But don’t hand the decision over to a research grid.
Because safe names usually win those. Safe and, well, a little vanilla. Instead, find a name with possibilities. Then give it meaning through your music, personalities, imaging and promotions.
Build something great around it.
And before long, just like Michael, Robyn and Corey...
Your radio station may just grow into its name.