Death Of "The Program Director"

It is time to stop mourning the death of the Program Director and celebrate the birth of the Brand Manager.  The days when programming one radio station was a full-time job are gone.  If you are still using the title Program Director, you might want to consider making the move to this more accurate title.   A growing number of radio companies are now calling their PD’s Brand Managers.  It more accurately reflects how the job has evolved.  

When Lay people asked what I did for a living, I used to say “I am responsible for everything you hear coming out of the speakers on your radio; music, commercials and personalities.   A few years ago, I had to start adding the website, stream, Facebook, twitter, e-mail club, text club, HD stations, NTR programs and events.  The station call letters now represent a brand that is used for content distribution on multiple formats across a growing number of platforms.  

There are many, many definitions for a Brand Manager but I like the one found in the Brand Management Study guide:  “Brand management includes developing a promise, making that promise and maintaining it. It means defining the brand, positioning the brand, and delivering the brand. Brand management is nothing but an art of creating and sustaining the brand. Branding makes customers committed to your business. A strong brand differentiates your products from the competitors. It gives a quality image to your business.  Brand management includes managing the tangible and intangible characteristics of brand.  In the case of service brands, the tangibles include the customers’ experience. The intangibles include emotional connections with the product / service.”

As you embrace your new role, one of the key responsibilities will be to develop a brand book for your team.  It will insure a consistent set of core values and standards for the use of your call letters throughout these platforms.   It is critical that you continue to meet your customer’s expectations.  Here is just one of many excellent sites that can help you develop this resource:

http://brandmakernews.com/top-stories/7209/why-your-business-needs-a-brand-book.html

   

It is tough not to long for “the good ol’ days” but remember there are five key stages to mourning; denial, anger, emotional despair & sadness, reorganization and then LETTING GO AND MOVING ON!!!