Why our branding is unique

From: The desk of the Partners of Coffee on the Rock Radio

The other day a marketing student who has great potential to be a wonderful success in her industry asked me a good a question: "How do we market our show hosts?"

Being a digital enterprise I could've answered a million ways. I could've said that we use social media, or that its for each host to decide how they want to be branded. I could also have gone into a long complicated sh-peel with marketing jargon and long terminology of how we do it.
Instead I said to her:
"We brand and market the show and its content. Not the voice or the show host who is delivering it."

I am sure you must be thinkng: "WHAT?", that perhaps this is utter madness, and to this student's credit she thought so too, although she was way to polite to express it but it was written all over her face. I'm sure due to what she is studying show must've immediately summed this up as business suicide. In today's society she probably has a point.

Until recently the full impact of my answer to her did not really sink in with me. Today I finished reading a book that gave an introduction to the world of fame and the consequences that come with that path. That's when my answer to her hit me like a ton of bricks.

I now remember her comment to me after I gave her that answer:
"But Why? It's the show hosts that make the show. They are what its all about. They are the show."
She opened my eyes today, although the conversation took place weeks ago, she helped me see the difference between this world and the Kingdom World.

This world focuses only on the here and now, where the value lies in making you believe that the imperfect is perfect and thus encourages you to blindly follow it. We follow these human characters "celebs" to such a point that one will copy every fashion trend, figure of speech they use, mistake they make, every blunder they encounter and even every atrocity that they will commit. that eventually you start to do the same regardless. We have created a world of human idols that we worship blindly.

I was reminded through this book I read about the very heart of what the Coffee on the Rock Radio was built on:
"We are the messengers, NOT the message."

We build our shows and brand the shows not hosts because we are not the message. The show is merely the messenger. Our message is to show the Love of Christ and that God has a plan for each of us. (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

The Kingdom way is higher than mere human way. The skills and content we share is of a priceless value because it will be the greatest treasure you ever will receive. It's more than skills, it's knowledge that will bring your talents to the greatest potential ever because it's fueled and fitted with a power to great, you will never be able to fathom it.

So we will stick to our original agenda and will not make human idols by branding our show hosts instead of our shows.

Credits:
I would like to thank the author of the book that inspired this deep insight: Karen Kingsbury who wrote the book Fame.
I would also like to thank TobyMac who's song "Steal my show" that gave me the path of thought in compiling this messge.

New Domain means a new Era in Branding

Exciting times are happening at the Radio station. We have got a brand new domain, you can now tune into your favourite shows through visiting: www.coffeeontherockradio.co.za

With that being said we thought we could use the opportunity of announcing the new domain name to shed some light on some branding tips that you might not realize are your biggest weapon as a business owner.

A business is great, it sells a service or a product and it serves the community. However its not all there is. As we advance into the future and technology becomes an integrated part of the heart of any business. Branding is the key that can unlock huge amounts of potential that draws the eyes of a customer to your business. The success in business is not just getting the sale, its the ability to remain in the minds of potential prospects so that when the time comes and they need what you offer you are the first to think about it.

Lets look at an example of good branding. Everyone in SA has heard the advert jingle on radio "When your drain is being naughty call Triple 4 40 40..." Can you guess which company this is from?

It's from Roto-Rooter the plumbing experts. Now you don't need a plumber everyday of your life, but I remember that advert from when I was a child, so now when I face a plumbing problem they are the ones I think of calling first.

As a brand they made a lasting impression, but not only that they stated clearly what they do. If you have a naughty drain they were the ones to call.  Simple and sweet is what makes a lasting impression.

Thus we have changed our domain from Coffeeontherocks to Coffeeontherockradio. This states exactly what it is - a radio station.

What are you doing that makes a lasting impression on the public that will last a lifetime?

Stikeez Marketing Genius? Or Marketing Flop?

#Stikeez Craze has hit the scene with a bang. Receiving mixed feedback, comments and commentary all round. On Social media it predominately seems to be called Satanic or Evil. Some would call these comments as Stikeez haters or Stikeez jealousy.

Then you get those that are addicted to the craze and are constantly trawling the social media scene for Stikeez swop meets.

Regardless of your opinion on the #Stikeez phenomenon you have to admit this is a fantastic marketing campaign set up by Pick n Pay.

This Campaign has probably driven the most publicity to the store than they have seen in decades and also probably increased turnover and profits in the business 10 fold.


Marketing is there for 2 things, getting your brand in the forefront of people's minds, making sure that your name is constantly the topic of conversation and is always the first thing people think of when they need your products or services.
The second thing is to boost revenue income and sales in your business.

At the end of the day, whether you agree or disagree on the campaign. Whether you are a #Stikeez lover or hater, you still have to admit that this campaign has done its job.

For more information on Stikeez here is a link: http://www.pnpstikeez.co.za/en/home/

Wednesday Coffee Cup Popper

As we rise and shine and greet a new Wednesday morning. Let's Check into our morning dose of coffee to see who is popping up to say "Hi".

"Do not resist change, it's a door to new opportunities."

Be sure to give them a call, they offer amazing services and are far more reliable than the local post office. Make sure your parcels this Easter get to where they need to be on time. 

Introducing our latest Coffee Cup Poppers

We all work hard in the day, be it at school, work or in the home.

At times when we take a break we sometimes just wish for something different to just POP into our lives even just for a fleeting moment. Something different, something sweet, something that just takes the mind off stress and troubles. Well we have just got the answer - our Brand New Coffee Cup Poppers.

So watch out because our steaming hot cups of audacious coffee is bound to bring you something new each day.

Varsity Blues

2015 is fast approaching, and with it, the prospect of beginning new life chapters, fulfilling New Year’s resolutions (although, admittedly, my track record with resolutions has been less than glowing), and setting out on new ventures.

The most significant new venture for many high school graduates is the prospect of beginning tertiary studies at university. This is viewed as a very exciting time, when meaningful strides are made towards qualifying for a career and becoming the person you want to become. However, at the same time, the thought of committing the 3 or 4 years of hard graft towards attaining that initial degree may seem daunting. It is the first true test of adulthood, and how you manage this time, balancing the demands of study and social life, is an important life skill.

So, how do you navigate this university life successfully? It’s as simple as ABC:

• Attend

You need to set, as priority, the goal of attending all lectures. They are the cornerstone on which your knowledge and understanding is based. While many students are nervous about asking questions during lectures, if you are not understanding work covered in lectures, make an appointment to consult with a lecturer or tutor. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – this is the perfect forum to do so as it is less intimidating that asking in a lecture hall full of 250+ other students. Lecturers and tutors are available to provide guidance, provided that you respect the nature of their roles – if you make an appointment, be on time, respect their position and rank, and come to the consultation fully prepared with questions. Most lecturers and tutors will be reluctant to assist students who do not attend the lecture (they will not consult with you to reteach the work). Showing these courtesies will ensure that lecturers will be more willing to help, not only in your undergraduate studies, but will remember you and endorse you should you wish to pursue postgraduate studies.

• Balance

In setting your working hours as falling between Monday and Friday, and devoting that time to learning, what you will find is that you open up your non-working hours, the weekends, to stress-free relaxation. Working over weekends should be discouraged. It is usually a sign that your time is not being managed effectively, and you are not using the time reserved during the week for your studies, including working on, and completing, assignments and studying for tests. If you aim to get this work done between Monday and Friday, the weekends are free to rest and enjoy time with friends and family.

• Commit

Dedicate yourself to your new profession – you are a professional student. This means establishing a routine of strict working hours as you would in any job. Planning is essential, so my advice is to keep a diary or have a wall calendar that shows lecture times, assignment deadlines, test dates, consultation dates etc. In addition to setting specific hours that you dedicate to being a student, also commit to working through textbooks, recommended reading and prescribed reading lists. This means that you will need to develop the discipline of reading as widely as possible. There are no shortcuts here. Being a university student means that you are responsible for work input and work output. Read plenty and read often.

Now that you have a better idea of what is required of you in your tertiary studies, all that is left is to wish you all the best in your studies. Attending university is a life-changing experience, and a wonderful adventure awaits you. As Benjamin Disraeli once said: “A University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning.” May it be that for you.

Author:

Mary-Anne Potter

Introducing Coffee on the Rock Radio

Coffee on the Rock has been servicing the youth community of South Africa and the globe for the past 4 years.  Coffee on the Rock has been a consistent entity in providing, gathering and distributing resources to the youth in the name of the Lord.

Coffee on the Rock has lead the charge in being enhancing missionaries or rebelutionaries. An “enhancer missionary” is focused on always showing how much a soul is worth.

As a rebelutionary, we do whatever we must to meet the needs of the people. We strive to source resources of every element such as monetary and non-monetary aspects. These resources are then provided to many youth and young in heart that need it. We are all about taking care and doing something to help with needs of any kind.

With all the work on ground level we realised that we are only breaking the surface of reaching the youth and giving them the much needed education, skills and help that they need. We were only reaching local communities that we were working in or had a satellite base near. So we then decided to earnestly start getting COTR Radio off the ground.

Now a youth radio station has always been a dream of Coffee on the Rock since we started working and operating in 2010. Yet as they all say, In the Lord’s time will things happen.

Which is exactly what did happen, we started testing the online radio station in August. All tests were successful, we did not want at anytime our radio station to go down due to unstable servers and such. I think our IT department gained a few extra grey clumps of hair during the testing phases.

DJ and Radio presenters are few, but growing as the word of the Radio spreads, the beauty of this is most DJ’s and Radio presenters supply their shows on air in the PJ’s – awesome right.

We were so nervous the day we hosted a preview party to a few selected listeners. Secretly we were hoping for an instant liking and success to it and praying against an absolute dislike and instant hate. Needless to say it was not all smooth sailing. On the day of the preview party everything was late. Some DJ’s did not have enough music uploaded on to the systems in time. Some radio presenters were delayed by traffic and to make it all worse our software and some of our systems were not talking to our server properly. Talk about technology gremlins.

So after about 2 hours of the team running around and pulling hair out and threatening to jump in front of buses we finally heard the melody of our first chosen song streaming live over the internet as Coffee on the Rock Radio started. We were so happy, no words could describe the joyful chaos that erupted in our Home Office.

All that was left was to receive the feedback from the listeners we invited to preview which came filtering in within 4 hours after we started and it was all positive and exciting. EVERYONE loved it. There were a few suggestions for minor changes which we made and so we all turned our attention to the 8^th of September 2014 when we aired live to the public.

On the morning of the 8^th September 2014 we went live without a hitch and we have been live 24 hours each day since then with a growing listenership. We are currently sitting with over 50 listeners.  Each day has been dedicated to a specific purpose and all programmes are centred around that day’s purpose. Each week is a theme that is carried through each day.

Our music selection is predominately aimed at youth but our many young at heart listeners find the music perfect to their tastes as well.

The Radio station is classed and defined as being a Youth Interaction and Educational radio station. We offer educational, fun and entertaining material with some uplifting music from both local and international talent. We are the station that brings you all the news of youth in Action Changing the World.

If you would love to join the team or get involved or even just want to treat your ears to some great listening then tune into COTR Radio. You can find the link to tune in at www.coffeeontherocks.co.za

Our radio station is kept alive through the wonderful Brand In Action creators and giants. To find out what exactly is a Brand in Action creator and giant and how they keep our station going please go to Coffee on the Rock Brand in Action.