In Response to Your Comments on the 2DAY FM Brand Name Change.

Contributor

Thanks for all of your comments regarding the 2DAY FM’s name change article.

One of the great things about Radio Today, is that it provides an open forum for you, its readers to be involved and become part of the conversation and debate articles and issues about the radio industry

In response to Steve, (6:49am 11 Dec 2014) you raise a valid point but its worth noting a couple of things.

Judith Lucy started at 2DAY FM in 2004. Wendy Harmer finished in 2003.

Kyle & Jackie starting in January 2005.

I had resigned and left Austereo in August 2003 when Judith Lucy was appointed and her show started. It was always going to be difficult for her to do well, given the following Wendy had enjoyed. The audience just thinks by comparison “she is not as good as Wendy’s show”, plain and simple.

So really she became a ‘sacrificial lamb’, but not intentionally. Judith, a brilliant talented comedian, just wasn’t right for breakfast.

Aside from all that the 2DAY brand argument is different this time around.

I agree a radio brand can be re invented and reinvigorated. There are great examples in the past, SAFM, B105, Nova Melbourne and the best two Austereo examples I recall are Triple M Melbourne re-launching with Eddie McGuire & Mick Molloy recently and Triple M in Sydney with Andrew Denton.+

These are all very high profile, very powerful ‘personalities’. SCA this time around don’t have a breakfast team potent and high profile enough in Dan & Maz, whilst they are good, they are not an Eddie, Andrew or Mick.

If Hamish & Andy had signed for 2DAY breakfast, they probably would have been powerful enough to continue with the same 2DAY brand name.

Although even then a name change probably would have been beneficial.

2DAY in the mid 2000’s when it re launched with Kyle & Jackie O and Breakfast with the Stars is another example. It of course did very well.

This time though for 2015 SCA will need every weapon available at its disposal to reverse the fortunes of 2DAY. The company needs 2DAY FM rating strongly as quickly as possible and it needs the subsequent lift in revenue fast.

New breakfast, new strategy and target demo, new positioning, new imaging, new drive show and a new brand name. The ‘All New 2DAY FM‘, just isn’t going to cut it this time.

The landscape is much more competitive now with KIIS and Nova and other high profile successful shows in the market like Amanda & Jonesy.

This current situation is different and it is unique. The key talent who absolutely dominated 2DAY’s perceptions with listeners, Kyle & Jackie O, didn’t just leave, they are of course still in the market, but on a competitor’s station.

Also 2DAY in the Wendy Harmer breakfast days maintained other strong perceptions including the all-important strong music images.

It is fair to say that Wendy’s show was on the wane after its highly successful decade long run, when it ended. It had a brilliant run, but wasn’t as potent or powerful as it once had been. The best combination of talent on that show, Wendy with Peter Moon having disbanded some time before.

Whereas Kyle & Jackie O made the move, whilst at the top of their game.

They have never sounded better on KIIS. So the situation is different.

The other very unfortunate factor that can’t be discounted is 2DAY FM will always be tarnished with and will be seen as the prank call station where a nurse died. It’s most unfortunate and tragic but that’s now a big part of the stations history.

I consider it a last resort to change a radio stations brand name, in this case it is the way forward given the research and evidence available. I think adding to that the opportunity for SCA to now create a truly national sales/advertiser brand, Hit, the timing is right and they should seize upon this opportunity to make change for both the listeners and advertiser’s benefit.

DMG made the brand name change from Vega to Smooth and have never looked back.

The fact is that here is a chance for renewal, a new era, which would give the company, its programmers, its staff, the entire network and 104.1 a new fresh start, giving it much needed momentum, confidence and ownership of a new direction, strategy, sound and brand that is free of all the baggage of the past.

Not making the change will be a ‘gift’, ‘a free kick‘, to 2DAY’s competitors.

It’s time for the end of an era and the start of a new one.

I wish SCA all the best in their endeavors with 104.1!

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. 

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