In analyzing hundreds of perceptual studies for clients, it’s clear that two primary characteristics correlate most to ratings success and stations that over-achieve. They deliver audience satisfaction that elicits passion for the music mix and has an entertaining morning show.
Both are important for music stations. The foundation for building a winning morning show is weak without a strong music mix. The show will not gain traction. And without entertaining – truly entertaining –personalities, stations are vulnerable to competitive attacks that siphon the audience.
In this article, I’ll address the core foundational element for driving ratings – music quality: What the audience thinks about a station’s overall music selection.
The song-to-song music mix is more important than playing a lot of music. It’s more important than being perceived as playing fewer commercials. After all, if you’re playing songs nobody cares about, what difference does it make in how many songs are played?
That’s where audience segmentation comes in.
