Since this site is called New Radio Strategies I thought it would only be appropriate to discuss strategy.
A very basic concept, strategy, no? And obviously a very important one. So naturally you’d think that every business would have one. Well, you’d be wrong. Over the years I’ve found that in many cases a strategy simply doesn’t exist. The people managing the business may think they have one, but in actuality they don’t – they have more of a strategery.
For those that don’t know the term, it was first used in 2000 by Will Ferrell in a “Saturday Night Live” skit as he was portraying presidential candidate George W. Bush debating fellow candidate Al Gore. It was used to make light of W’s less than spectacular oral skills and his, uh, let’s say, limited knowledge. The term stuck. It stuck for a few reasons – because it was funny, because to many people it kind of summed up the “George Bush Experience,” and perhaps above all because of the way it was delivered. When Ferrell blurted out the word “strategery” he did it through squinted eyes and with a facial expression that spoke volumes – one that said, “Damn, I’m proud of myself for knowing this important word. I don’t know what it means, but I know I’m supposed to know it and I want to show the American people that I know it.”
Very funny, but not really – because that’s exactly how I think some people view an actual strategy. They know they’re supposed to have one, but either don’t know how to create one or don’t take the time to create one. Instead they have a strategery.
Let’s be clear on the difference: A strategy is a specific, articulated plan that is designed to reach your goals. A strategery is a make-believe strategy. It’s vague and usually accompanied by the phrase, “I have it mapped out in my head.”
Uh, not good enough.
If there’s no strategy, how can you design your tactics? If there’s no overriding strategy, ANYTHING theoretically makes sense to do. Whereas, if you have a strategy, you can focus your tactical plan to make sure you’re doing the right things and are focusing your resources (people, money, time, creative energy) on the right things – the things that will have the biggest and most important impact.
So it begs the question – which one does your radio station have – a strategy or a strategery?
Who is the specific target of your radio station?
What is the goal of your radio station? It may not be to get ratings. In a satellite radio environment where there are many music channels, not all channels are designed to be “top-ten” channels. Some of them are there to fill a very specific niche or role. For instance if your channel is designed to be the one that plays the deep album-oriented rock tracks rather than the hits, that channel is never going to be at the top of the list as far as ratings go, but nonetheless may be very important to have in the lineup for the variety aspect. So the goal of that channel will be very different from the top hits station.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that if you are running a radio station, you need to have a well thought out, clearly defined and articulated strategic plan. You need to identify what the 3 most important elements of your radio station are and then analyze whether EVERYTHING you do on your station supports one of those elements. Every tactic you employ on your station should be done to support one of the key elements – whether it is the writing of or the sonic quality of the imaging, the specialty programming you create or buy, the events you create or associate your station with or the things the jocks talk about on the air. If not, then you’re spinning your wheels in the wrong direction – but the good news is if you have a strategic plan you can seen when you’re off track and fix it. If you don’t, then you have a strategery – which really is a strategy to fail.