Let’s make this simple.

A music radio station has in its most basic form just two components – 1) the music, and 2) everything else. Music is designed to do one thing. Everything else is designed for something else.

That something else is to connect to what’s happening NOW in the listener’s life, something the music isn’t designed to do.

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Chick-Fil-A’s “Every Life Has a Story” communicates the impact of envisioning your customer (listener) as a complete person, with a life and a story, not just someone who represents a transaction.

We’ve heard the stories from our listeners.

“And then a song came on the radio…” connects to the deepest place in a life journey and the comfort from listening to that song at that time on your station.

Matthew West tells me that his relationship with his fans has completely changed since he began writing songs based upon their stories.

“They used to come up to me at concerts and tell me they like my songs. Now they want to tell me their story.”

Matthew West

What if our stations connected RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW to the stories in our listeners’ lives?

Will I be late for work?

What will the medical tests show?

Why doesn't she love me?

I don't feel like a good parent right now.

My friends Gary and Colbi at The Promise in Jacksonville showed us how the morning after the Super Bowl. They shared that many don’t go to work the day after the game (something I didn’t know). But they also made it RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW by sharing that people might see fewer cars on the road on the way to work.

Yes, the music we play can connect to the heart. But it’s in the stuff between the songs that we connect with their stories.