One would not think at first glance that a bakery shop and a Live TV channel have a lot in common. However, at a closer look one finds quite some virtues in running a bakery shop which can be applied to managing a Live TV channel.
Instant Product
The key common characteristic of a bakery shop and a Live TV channel is that both offer an instant product. A product that is making its impression in the moment when its sold to the consumer. A product that must be fresh, convincing and perfect in every moment when a consumer reaches out to it. A bakery shop that sells old, stale bread is as bad as a Live TV station that runs only on its archive.
Best Product- every time
Delivering the best quality product at every moment in its production and delivery process is the key idea here. When a consumer is unsatisfied with the fresh cinnamon bun, he will likely not return to the shop. He will even tell others to avoid that shop. It is this small window of opportunity that a bakery shop has to make an impression – and it is the same when someone tunes into your TV channel. The focus on quality and keeping that level of quality in every single moment is hence of utmost importance for both of these so different enterprises.
Be Competitive
I grew up in a small village and at a time when we still had two different bakery shops producing their own breads, buns, cakes, pretzels etc. So even in such a small village, there was competition. If one baker had maybe better sourdough bread the other had better buns. You had a choice as a consumer and you tasted it when the baker had a bad day. Those bakers who did not compete and deliver good products, where the first that went out of business. But the ones who remained then had to fight the cut-throat competition from the nearby supermarket and discount stores. To acknowledge this competition and to counter it, is crucial for them – and so it is for TV channels.
Innovation – Service – Quality
Hence, for the survival of such smaller bakery shops it was necessary to be innovative and to focus on quality and service. These elements are also applicable to a TV channel. You must always innovate to keep the audience interested. You must also provide high-quality entertainment, information and focus on the needs and interests of your audience. This is the service you do and deliver for your audiences. The best bread does not sell, when the service people in the shop are unmotivated, unfriendly or unpleasant to the clients.
Best Ingredients combined with best know-how
To deliver good, high-quality products, you must only use the best ingredients. That is something that a good bakery shop is also very good at. They source the best ingredients and make it even better by their special recipes and combinations of such basic ingredients. Think then also of your Live TV channel as a refinery of the ingredients. Just live broadcasting of an event is ok, but using all your knowledge, expertise and talent to make it a unique, compelling and sticky experience for your audience is what you have to strive for.
A proud team
For this, you need to have talented employees and teamwork. More though, you need to instil a sense of pride in your work and team. A good bakery shop has very proud employees. True craftsmen always take great pride, devotion and effort into their work. I know – I come from a long line of craftsmen work in my family as well and have learned from early age to deliver excellent quality to your customers. This is what you need to live by with your Live TV channel team as well. Do not do sloppy work, hire the best people and provide an environment to produce the best product.
Careful planning
Finally, a bakery shop needs to plan its resources carefully: do you have enough ingredients, manpower and infrastructure to meet the demand for the Sunday-Morning consumer rush for fresh buns? What do you do with too much of bakery products that are leftovers – can you repurpose them? Careful planning of your resources and a very considerate approach at what consumer’s demand is to be expected is something that a Live TV channel must do as well. What events will come up, how do you prepare for them and ensure the broadcast is delivered in a good performance.
Hence, when you go into the bakery shop the next time, look at it closely and with a fresh eye for quality and what you can learn from it for your own TV channel. And then create that extra icing on the cake, that makes your channel stand out.
