We are now on part four on the topic of reinvention in a six part series that started several weeks ago. Now is a good time to think of reinventing yourself, company, or station. The media landscape is changing at a rapid pace. We have TV, Radio, Online, and even Social Media competing for their respective shares of the advertising pie. Meanwhile, we are shifting into a ‘hypermobile society.’ Consumers are expecting to access content anywhere at anytime with various mobile devices. Technologies and infrastructures are trying to keep up with increasing demand. It’s no wonder that broadcast stations and groups have to take a hard look at where they are reinvent themselves.
This week we’re focusing on the third part of the 5-step reinvention process, which is Reposition. As a reminder, there are five steps in the process:
• Reflect
• Re-Assess
• Reposition
• Revitalize
• Regenerate
For this phase, you’ll need to get out your sheets from the previous two phases in the Reinvention Process: Reflect & Re-Assess. This is one of the favorite phases because it’s a dream phase. Within this phase we take the information that we’ve harvested about ourselves and our company and decide how to use that to maximum benefit.
Since this is definitely a brainstorming phase, have a good stock of brainstorming aids with you. This can include different kinds and colors of sticky notes and markers. It’s always a good idea to have at least easel size sticky notes or butcher block paper for mapping out ideas. It’s amazing how different something appears when you write it BIG. The synapses in the brain just fire differently when seeing ideas in a more visual vs. written form.
Get out a piece of paper and write at the top Passions. Think about what you or your company is really passionate about. It can take some time to get the juices flowing on this one. In light of that, go back and review the previous two phases. Look at the times when you/your group was on top of the world. This is revealing of what creates excitement and joy. Couple those with the accomplishments and skills to start getting ideas on what are the passions. Write down any ideas that come to mind. Next, go back and review core value and belief systems. These can be very revealing on where passions lie within the company.
Some other questions that bring passions to the surface are: What makes you get up in the morning? How are you of service to the world and your community? What drives you? What do you and your company love doing? What could you do all day every day because you love doing it and it’s effortless? Write down all of the ideas that come forth- no matter how mundane or outlandish as they are all keys to your reinvention.
What you should find is that completion of this step elevates attitudes and gets the heart rate pumping with excitement. It’s a great door opener for the next phase, which is revitalize. We will cover that phase in the next part in the reinvention process series.
–Lauren L. Darr is President of LOI International, a strategic, visioning marketing firm specializing in the broadcast industry. She has more than twenty years marketing experience with over 15 of those devoted to broadcast. Lauren has been named as a “Woman to Watch” and as one of the “Women Who RULE” in sales and marketing by the Alliance for Women in Media (formerly AWRT). Lauren has a passion for technology that changes our world. She is the author of the anthology book, “The Official LOI International Media Outlook Book” that was a best seller at the NAB Show (www.mediaoutlookbook.com). In the book, she interviews over twenty experts from all facets of media. You can reach Lauren at [email protected] or visit the website at www.loi-international.com.
