In 2020, 702 turned 40. For a South African broadcasting brand to have such longevity is no small feat. For 40 years 702 has been leading the talk radio space in the country, and although many things changed in the industry and the country since the ’80s, 702’s passion to be the voice for the voiceless remained. It was the perfect time to take stock, to reinvigorate itself, and to reach a wider audience with its particular brand of credible, influential opinions and information.
The station decided to engage in an in-depth survey with over 4 000 listeners. Come good or bad, the survey asked station audiences for their (sometimes brutal) opinion about the station offering and how it could improve.
Some clear trends emerged from the survey: Listeners wanted presenters to be more accessible, they wanted to engage in lighter conversations in addition to the usual, more critical analyses, and they rated ‘community’ as critically important. But most notably – listeners wanted 702 to hold the people and organisation in power, to account.
As a result, 702 launched a repositioned brand in October 2020 – essentially a commitment to its audiences to deliver the information and entertainment content they need from their favourite talk radio station. The repositioning included a refreshed brand promise, presenter line-up and logo. The ethos of community and being a voice for the voiceless was formalised into a rallying call for active citizenry; the station’s new pay-off line to “Walk the Talk” was born.
‘Walk the talk’
One year later, and it is worth reflecting on the journey against the backdrop of the recent BRC RAMS AMPLIFY results. 702 now has more than 770 000 listeners, a noticeable difference from the previous figures of just over 400 000 listeners.
The new numbers also reflect a new methodology. The shift from face-to-face to telephonic interviews and a listener panel have definitely influenced the outcome. We are now on a solid footing going forward when it comes to tracking listenership accurately; and it shows listeners are responding well to our positioning to Walk The Talk.
In-depth research into the 702 audience showed that the station and its presenters are perceived as being highly influential and respected. As such, the new positioning statement was backed by a refreshed line-up, including industry stalwarts John Perlman, Mandy Wiener and newcomer Clement Manyathela.
The latest RAMS figures show that the new line-up is performing well and that listeners are getting the type of content they want from us. And it’s not just the BRC figures that speak to this point – John Perlman was recently awarded ‘Afternoon Drive Presenter of the Year’ at the 2021 SA Radio Awards.
Content offer
Results from ongoing, internal, rolling surveys show that as before, business content rates high in terms of interest and usefulness. In addition, listeners now feel that 702 presenters are in touch with what’s happening in Gauteng, and that community issues and positive viewpoints are well represented on the station.
The pandemic in particular focused our attention on the fact that listeners sometimes feel 702 is hard work to listen to. Our listeners want more light and shade – more positive and inspirational stories together with news and politics.
Our listeners are people with varied interests, which we now touch on more often. Speaking truth to power; holding authority accountable … it’s such a gratifying experience. Best believe there is much more to come from this station going forward.
Mzoxolo Jojwana is 702 station manager.
