(By Paige Nienaber) Being a consultant allows me the chance to have a revisionist look at my work history. Did I smoke pot with the receptionist in the van at the Kings Mountain Christmas parade? Absolutely and unequivocally NO!
Did I accidentally smash up the station vehicle when transporting the Minnesota Strykers danceline back to the cars? Me? Do that? I think not. Did I have my 4th quarter promotional plan to the Sales team by July 1? Heck yeah. That would be the responsible thing to do.
Summit had a market manager at their Omaha cluster who had a 90-day goal for her team. She wanted packages on the streets three months before every Hallmark Holiday or event. If you get Anytime Check Cashing (now with 7 metro locations, coming soon to Hopkins) as the sponsor of your “Skate With Santa” event, it’s probably because you brought it to Sales in mid-November.
One of my favorite Promotion Directors was Kris Cegla at KDWB in the Twin Cities. She segued from that into a job with the Stone Temple Pilots road crew before landing as Marketing Director at the Mall Of America, which is pretty freaking cool. It also allowed her to have some perspective on Radio, and she recognized how anti-active we are. She noted that stations would come to MoA with proposals for Christmas partnerships in October and she’d politely remind them that the Mall had Christmas locked down in April so good luck next year.
So, it’s a lofty goal, but it could really help to ensure you get revenue off the promotions that are on the calendar.
With that said – and sixty days out – here’s a Dumpage of ideas for one of the greatest charitable efforts that I know of: Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Hope Floats – Sponsor a pink balloon for $2 and then they’re all released, as done by Rewind in Sudbury.
Take A Shot At Breast Cancer – Every afternoon in October, Rick Roberts at 93Q in Syracuse goes and takes ten free throws at his driveway basketball hoop. And every day a different client donates $10 for each shot that he makes, to breast cancer research.
Hope Mobile – This is the annual fundraiser at The Wolf in Greensboro where they have people pay to sign their car.
Sack Breast Cancer – One of the stations has a grocery store that wants “something” they can do to be a part of the cause. First, charity bagging is good. To get a different high school football team, in jerseys, at a store on a Saturday, bagging for tips, would be “Help Sack Breast Cancer”. Or spend an evening with food dye and dye bread, fruits and vegetables pink. Do a Pink Food Sale.
Boot Cancer – Radiowave in Windhoek did logoed neon-colored shoe laces. So bright they showed up on radar at the airport. They sold 40,000 pairs at $5 a pop (pause while you do THAT math) and one day everyone was encouraged to wear them.
Black Bra Party – We’ve all done the Little Red Dress and Little Black Dress events. Radiowave? Did a party where women attended wearing their nicest bras. And if they do it again, I’m flying over on my own dime.
B.O.O.B. – Be Our Outstanding Billboard. Very simple. You get a tarp. You get red, pink, blue, green, orange and purple paint. You get a tarp. You get a hotel ballroom, warehouse, or similar facility that is “private” and large. You lay the tarp on the ground. For a dial position amount donation (like $104), women come in, have their chesticles wrapped in cellophane, dip said boobs in paint, and then carefully press them on the tarp. When dried and covered in colorful blobs, it’s turned into outdoor. You’d get MASSIVE amounts of press. And because of the cause, you can probably get the board for free. Done as “Give Our Troops A Hand” by Magic in Colorado Springs in 2002.
Bra Ha Ha – One of the Max Media stations in Norfolk did this. Decorate and submit your bras for an exhibit.
Bald For The Cause – There are a handful of Press Universals that, if you do them, you almost always get covered. At least a few times a year you’ll see some school principal getting his head shaved because all his kids hit their reading goals. Corinna at Jamz in Phoenix raised $50,000 for Breast Cancer Research when she shaved her noggin. Press coverage? All three affiliates. Cat Thomas in Las Vegas does this every year for cancer research and he looks good. If you’re into that.
Little Pink Dress Party – As done by Hot 99.5 in DC as the after-party to their Bra Bit. Also done as “Bosom Ball” by WKRQ. For the record, that Hubbard cluster has ALWAYS done better breast cancer stuff than anyone else. Like…
Pennies From Heaven – Q in Cincy added $6000 to their Bras total with a contest that awarded a noon-time show to the school that donated the most pennies.
bBay – Get signed bras from artists and local celebrities and have them for sale on the station website.
Painting The Town Pink – Go and pour pink dye into all of the fountains overnight.
Mommagrams – Do a mid-day luncheon for women and their moms to come, get scanned, and enjoy a nice meal together.
One Small Squeeze For Mankind – Katie Couric got scoped. You have a lot of the public who are still nervous about or uninformed about the procedure. Have one of the female talent go, get it done, and chronicle it on video.
The Change Bra-gade – KDWB in Minny and KZIA in Cedar Rapids raised thousands and thousands of dollars for tornado relief with The Penny Pickup. Rocket science kinda stuff: they drove a pickup around and people threw in their spare change. This would have personalities and street teamers on corners with bras. Fill the cups. This was done last year as…
Bro’s In Bras – Done by C95 in Saskatoon. They went around to events and places like bars with buckets for people to throw their money in.
Pink History Month – This could be as simple as some pre-recorded or web info on the disease, symptoms, preventative measures, and strides that have been made in combating it.
Pink Your Purse – Done by WIXX in Green Bay. Go to a chain of convenience stores, buy a card with a pink purse on it, sign it, and it goes up on the wall, the ceiling, everywhere. Everyone who bought one, or just entered on-site, was in a drawing for a purse.
Live In Pink – Have the morning person live in a pink body suit until he raises his goal.
Tats For Tata’s – A DJ sold henna tats on his body and then ran in a charity event in Virginia.
Join Paige at Radio Ink‘s 3rd annual Radio Masters Sales Summit, September 10-11 at the Cincinnati Airport Marriott. Walk in with questions and challenges — leave with answers and ideas. REGISTER NOW!
Paige Nienaber insults/consults more than 100 radio stations on Fun ‘N Games (Marketing & Promotions). Find him at CPR Promotions. Read Paige’s Radio Ink archives here.
