Is it a Benchmark or is it a Feature?

Personalities and programmers use the term “benchmark” frequently, but it is often misunderstood.  More often than not, it’s used to identify a daily or weekly feature that’s performed and promoted at specific times, like Hollywood Gossip or a “song of the day”.  Those are not benchmarks.  They’re feature.

The literal definition of a benchmark is a standard by which something is evaluated or measured.  Our use of the term in radio is to help the audience get to know us for something, a standard of recognition and hopefully, affection.  Yes, features can be benchmarks and benchmarks can be features (Letterman’s Top 10 list), but benchmarks are so much more.

Features are what you do.  Benchmarks are how you’re known such as David Letterman’s chuckle, Conan’s hair and Stephen Colbert’s opening lines of his show (“Tonight…”).  Ditchy and Salty, the Real Radio Breakfast Show in Manchester, England offers cash prizes in Vietnamese Dong (currency).  Their benchmark isn’t the contest but their catch-phrase “That’s a lot of Dong” that they repeat every time they mention the prize.

When constructing a new show, creating features that fit are fairly easy, and they are useful.  They add structure that helps define boundaries to follow, but listeners don’t remember features without benchmarks.  How are you building benchmark layers into your show?