The Challenge For more than 65 years, KUOW 94.9 had been a pillar in the Puget Sound media landscape, yet the station had never engaged in a formal brand strategy or identity development. In 2016, under bold new leadership, armed with a new strategic plan, and operating against the backdrop of a fast-changing city, a shifting media landscape, and uncertain national politics, KUOW decided it was time to put a stake in the ground. Over an 18 month immersive engagement, my team and I worked with the station’s leadership to articulate a new brand strategy and identity that mirrored the kind of media company KUOW wanted—and needed—to become to meet the moment.
The Strategy After months of research, which included in-depth interviews with internal stakeholders, audience focus groups, generative brand workshops, and a comprehensive landscape audit—we crafted a brand story around a new essence: Sound. For KUOW, “Sound” is a multi-dimensional promise. It’s a guarantee to deliver sound journalism that upholds truth and sticks to the tenets of journalism as essential to an informed citizenry and functional democracy. Sound is also a nod to the region’s geography—the Puget Sound—and a commitment to reflect the diversity and astounding range of voices in the region. And finally, Sound is an ode to the medium itself: the singular power of audio and the unmistakable character, power, and familiarity of the human voice.
The Success After testing the new brand identity with audiences and rolling out the new brand strategy in a workshop format with KUOW’s full staff and board, the brand went live in the spring of 2017 to great fanfare and immediate success. Within six months of launching the new brand, KUOW saw a 30%+ increase in its monthly digital audience, a 33%+ increase in average monthly unique visitors to kuow.org, and increase of revenue from individual members of over 24%, and a more than 13% increase in average weekly broadcast listeners. Numbers have continued to inch up over the years and KUOW remains a dominant force in the Puget Sound media market.
Kevin W Patnik 