WDBO gets to the ‘point’ in verbal branding tweak

Our WDBO listeners are very passionate about our radio station and often feel a sense of ownership with us - “WDBO is MY radio station,” they’ll say.

And even when we make very minor changes in our on-air presentation, people are quick to notice.

In the last week, a great number of listeners have asked if we added the word “point” to the way we say News 96.5 WDBO.

The short answer is: Yes. We have.

But the big question is not ‘have we,’ but ‘WHY have we?’

With the rise of so-called smart speakers (Amazon’s Echo, Google’s Home, Apple’s Siri, etc.) radio stations around the world have had to consider making minor changes to the spoken brand (nothing changes with our visual logo) to assure that the smart speakers adequately return the desired product.

As an example, last year I had a conversation with Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade. I had noticed that Brian’s radio show had changed names from “Kilmeade & Friends” to “The Brian Kilmeade Show.”

I asked Brian why they made the change.

“We found that people who’d say ‘Kilmeade and Friends’ to their smart speakers were taken to a story about ‘Killing my friends.”

Well. That’s bad.

So it’s Amazon’s fault that Brian changed the name of his show.

And it’s Amazon’s fault that we’re had to put a point between the six and the five.