A few weeks back, a confidential Wal-Mart executive report was leaked to the New York Times. The conclusion of this analysis was that the hallmarks of Wal-Mart – deep discounts, one-stop shopping, and huge variety – are working against the company’s efforts to go more upscale.
As a result, Wal-Mart is not effectively competing with stores like Target or Best Buy when it comes to fashion or consumer electronics. Apparently, when Americans have one of those big, high-risk buying decisions to make, they don’t think of Wal-Mart. And the report digs deeply into the company’s challenge to transform itself from "a chain focused on basic household items sold at low prices into one known for style."
Wal-Mart – style? That’s an oxymoron if there ever was one. Isn’t it like trying to re-image the Corvette as a practical, family, economical car? Or to position McDonald’s as an upscale restaurant focused on cuisine?
Amazingly, Wal-Mart has killer images as a chain store that saves the consumer time, money, and stress. And what’s wrong with that?
We see this phenomenon all the time in radio. If you’re going to be the big, in-your-face personality station that is involved in the community, it’s going to be difficult to compete with a music box format like Jack for the quantity hill. The fact is, every great radio station’s strengths – whether they are personality, music quantity, information, or variety – can be exploited by a competitor in one way or another.
Too often, stations (and obviously, successful chain stores) don’t build on their strengths. Instead, they dilute their brands, try to become something they’re not, and in the process, weaken their foundations.
It’s hard to imagine shopping at Wal-Mart for a high-end HDTV or the latest in fashion. What’s wrong with being the store famous for low prices, no hassle, and variety? Something tells me those values are coveted by many other retailers, who would be more than happy to move in if Wal-Mart decides to walk away from them.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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And many times radio stations dilute their brand simply by creating imagers that say they are everything even when they are not.
Is your radio station really the one with the most variety, longest sets or most music, best personalities in the morning and [format] all day, most/better features, always doing contests…and all this at the same time? You can certainly hear this in many markets.
Focus on what your brand – format – is and find multiple ways to say what you are…but only what you are.