What’s the hold up with the 2DAY FM brand name change?

This week the station that was easily the highest revenue earner in Australia, 2DAYFM, AND is now probably one of the lowest Sydney FM revenue earners, shifted to its new format, music and production. And it sounds pretty good so far.

But no brand name change.

No change to Hit 104.1 as expected.

We know the new line-up is coming next year and it’s a strong offering, heading in the right direction.

But no brand name change.

You can only think that the experienced Programmers, Researchers and Management at SCA would know it’s time to make the change.

So where’s the hold up in taking the station to the next level?

I have a long history with 2DAYFM. I have been on-air at 2DAY, its Music Director, Program Director, Group Program Director and its CEO.

2DAYFM (or Hit) having some level of success makes the landscape more competitive and that’s a good thing, not only SCA but for the entire radio industry.

For a long time now, about a decade, the 2DAY brand name has meant Kyle and Jackie O. And that’s all it meant because that show and its marketing was so powerful.

Of course they are no longer on the station, having moved to Kiis 106.5.

What else does the 2DAY brand now mean? It unfortunately means the death of a nurse after the very tragic prank call incident. And this was reinforced again in the weekend press unfortunately.

It’s a brand that’s been punished in the mainstream and industry press.

And to listeners it doesn’t mean much else. Just a mish mash of old, confused perceptual images.

It’s a brand that is dead and buried. It is no more. So where is the hold up in making the change?

I’m surprised SCA haven’t made the change already.

Changing to Hit, as SCA have done in Adelaide would be something new, exciting, and different in the Sydney market. Listeners are attracted to something that’s new and exciting. They always have been.

As well as strategically right and perceptually right, it would give the entire SCA company momentum and hope.

It’s also an opportunity to have a consistent national brand name for clients and agencies,

A national ‘Hit’ network, Hit 104.1, Hit 105, Hit 92.9, Hit 101.9 Fox FM (they could use a hybrid for awhile) focusing on a truly national brand for advertisers is something that Nova has done and sells so well, as did Austereo with the Today network.

Generally a decision such as this would be a recommendation by the programmers, backed up by the appropriate research and signed off by the CEO.

Every expert programmer, marketer and researcher I’ve spoken with agrees it’s time for a brand name change at 2DAY. As they’ve said, ‘it’s a no brainer’

To a large majority of listeners the brand name is the frequency ‘104.1’ anyway. That’s all they remember. And that remains with the change.

ARN have shown courage and rebranded in Sydney and have reaped the rewards, and I expect will do well with the rebranding in Melbourne with Kiis, as did Nova Entertainment, then DMG, when they recognised they had got Vega wrong. They changed to the Smooth brand and format, which has been a great success.

Hit is the perfect new brand name, given the CHR/Top 40 battle against Nova in the capital city markets.

The Programmers at SCA would know that the start of summer is the ideal time to launch the new brand, with no survey result for 4 months, until March.

What’s the hold up with the 2DAY FM brand name change?

Hit is a winner for both listeners and clients!

Brad March is a Director of Radio Today, is a former CEO and Group Program Director of Austereo and has been named Media Executive of the Year. He’s Managing Director of Marchmedia and Director of Pacific Retail Management.