I’m fixin’ to do some fuzzy math so hang on.

It recently dawned on me that I see more bumper stickers for churches than I do for radio stations. And where I live would hardly be considered the Bible belt.

There was a season when the most likely product category for bumper stickers was RADIO STATIONS. Not only the sticker itself, but the promotion of the sticker, the cash and prizes given to those with a radio station sticker.

I’ve worked for radio stations that had promotions staff dedicated to driving around and offering cash to drivers with their bumper sticker and calling in to share the story on the air. It was a real thing.

Let me take a left turn.

The purpose of this Frost Advisory is NOT to convince you to have bumper stickers for your station. That would be too easy.

No, the purpose of this Frost Advisory is to caution you about the risk of being invisible in your marketplace.

Bumper stickers are easy. They can be everywhere. They are virtually free. People in a tribe look for opportunities to share who they are. It’s called “Self-actualization” in Brand Value Pyramid terms.

“People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.”

Simon Sinek

My experience is that we tend to prioritize things that happen INSIDE the radio station more than those that happen OUTSIDE the station.

LITMUS test: check your hallways to see how you value industry awards over experiences that impact your listeners.