The Power of Your Brand

It is no secret I’ve been a long-time fan of Morning Show Host Rod Ryan on 94.5 The Buzz in Houston. It goes back to the days of competing against him in New Orleans when he was on 106.7 The End and I was on B97. He has always been 100% real, self-deprecating and unknowingly funny both on air, and in person. And let’s face it, he’s come a long way. He is now beloved in the Houston community, could run for Mayor and would probably win, and is the center of hope when it comes to the challenges the city of Houston often faces which, often involving flooding, hurricanes, hunger, poverty etc.

This situation is no different. It was recently discovered that former cast member of the Rod Ryan show, Dinah Powers, was diagnosed with Stage IV uterine cancer, which has aggressively spread to her lungs. Diana left the show last year to pursue her passion to become a counselor to help others. She spent about a month in the hospital after the diagnosis and has now begun out-patient chemotherapy. She needs at least six treatments which cost about 20k a session and insurance will not cover it. Her family and friends and radio family immediately hit the ground running. A GoFundMe page was set up for Dinah. Rod Ryan and The Buzz team put out the word and helped raise $100,000 for Dinah in 22 hours. The fund is currently up to $147,968 with the goal of 150k.

That is how powerful the Rod Ryan Brand is. Not only was he able to help someone in need, but Dinah had her own brand from her time on his show as well. She was a beloved character and always rose to whatever whacky occasion he brought up.

That is the conversation I keep having with talent who are currently out of work. The good news is, you don’t necessarily have to have a radio station as an outlet to build or strengthen your brand. With Social Media, Podcasting, Twitch, TikTok etc., the world is your stage.

It doesn’t matter what your talent is or if you are an A-list celebrity. If you build a strong brand, and it has purpose and meaning and your fans are passionate about it, they will engage. Another great example of a strong brand with purpose is Kevin Griffin, from the band Better Than Ezra. When COVID-19 hit the U.S., Kevin began to do a series of virtual solo acoustic sets called “Alone Again” from his living room. He was one of the first artists to start this. He raised over $130k for COVID-19 relief by himself. I think his first one, which lasted just a little over an hour brought in $30,000 alone. And on Friday, the band released a cover of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” promoting Mental Health, sending a powerful message to their fans about how important it is right now and providing information on all the latest help sights.

It’s not enough to have what you think is a strong brand. These days, if there is no purpose, you will lose engagement and be a flash in the pan. So, for those of you out of work, use the base you have already built to find and act on purpose. For those of you just starting to build a brand, I know it sounds corny, but determine your “mission statement,” strategize, and act on it. It will set you apart from the rest of the world at a time when so many are just throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall to see what will actually stick.