Amel Suljevic and Petter Hallén from P3 DIN GATA took the audience through the reasons their station has become so successful in the past two years since changing formats.
The station was relaunched in 2020 to become a Hip Hop station, and a big part of their success lies in that they hired hosts with a love and knowledge of the genre that would broaden the appeal, making P3 DIN GATA the station Where Hip Hop Lives.
Petter Hallén says that rap is now the most pop style of music in Sweden and those that follow that category has now expanded so that the younger listeners are either listening to, or at the very least aware of this genre of music.
Back in to mid 2010’s it was mainly young immigrant rappers in Sweden who were performing and promoting rap to a small audience, but this scene has now expanded onto mainstream music, and P3’s entry into Hip Hop means their audience is now highly engaged.
Their presenters use 3 main points to keep that engagement strong
- Do not try to figure out “youth focused content”
- Be really good at what you do
- Be who you are
He says a young audience can spot a fraud quickly, so it is important to be real, and this usually means being true to oneself.
Petter’s success, despite his age of around 40, is based around his knowledge of Hip Hop. He shares the same cultural references as his audience without trying to sound like a 17 year old.
The station talent’s approach to its audience also means that artists want to be a part of the station.
P3 also doesn’t necessarily report on news unless it is music/artist linked, so, for example, the recent riots in Sweden weren’t reported on the station.