I think there’s a misconception that Back-to-School is just a kids’ thing. Let me set the record straight: it’s most definitely an adult thing. We’re the people getting the kids ready to go back, after all.
Going out to high school sporting events is not just a CHR teen promotion, as I learned during my formative years. Dan Seeman dispatched me in the station vehicle to idyllic Hutchinson, MN, a community out on the far fringes of the surveyed area. I pulled in and was greeted by some elderly volunteers who were in charge of parking and admission.
They marveled that a Twin City station had come all the way out to their hometown and reflected how, “Steve Cannon from ‘CCO came to one of our games… What was it… in 1973?”
We’re fishing for meters and diaries, and tend to overfish certain parts of the lake when it might be easier to land one or two by going out to a place like Hutchinson. And with smaller towns, these are truly community events and it’s just not a lot of kids: it’s everyone.
Hands down the best high school sports campaign is done by WIXX in Green Bay where they go out to games and meets and take over the concession stand, sell hot dogs and popcorn, and make a donation to the school.
And now, on with the Dumpage.
Back To School
- Lucky at Kiss in Boise once created a song for ALL afternoon jocks that welcomes the return of Back To School and the diminishing call-in requests for Justin Bieber.
- It’s very popular at Christmas to have people submit photos of their kids crying on Santa’s lap. Me? I’d post photos of crying, mournful kids on the first day of school.
- One of the stations has concert tickets and were looking for a BTS angle. My suggestion? Have people trade the midday jock their lunches for the tickets. And they really DO need to bring a PB&J or Lunchables when they come to get the tickets.
Back To School Imaging
One of the supposedly mature stations that doesn’t feel that they could get away with references to vodka and eating paste in their imaging asked for some more “family-friendly” copy. I reached deep down and got in touch with my sensitive side. Let’s see how this works:
- What…what’s that noise…wait…it’s…quiet. Ah…Back To School. Celebrate loudly with (station)
- I’ll trade my bologna sandwich for a great (whatever you call your music). (station). If you like our lunchbox, you’ll love our music
- Football practice, play practice, soccer practice, band practice… Practice makes a perfect Back To School. (station).
- Spa, hair, friends, books, sleep…when you are catching up, catch up with US. (station)
- Sitting in your kids’ room, wondering what they’re doing at college… We promise not to play anything TOO sad. (station)
- (SFX: snip, slap, baby crying) Life is full of cutting cords (“I’ll see you guys at Thanksgiving” while woman sobs). We promise to stay around for awhile. (station)
Just A Sec
Boom in Toronto took “Name That Tune” and PPM’ed it down to just one second.
Spree For Me
Pay Your Bills reminds me a little of “Second Chance Prom” which was an amazing event that eventually got diluted down to be a club night with drink specials. Bills was this tremendous post-holidays contest that became an umbrella for cash contesting that 96% of listeners ignore. With that said, there have been stations that have really had fun with it.
When I was at a station last year one of the PDs commented that “bills” has kind of a bad connotation. Why not, instead of focusing on the negative, zero in on it being about paying for “me time”? Stuff that you can indulge in and treat yourself to.
Best Car Spots EVER
But Paige, how do they create brand awareness and drive traffic… stop over-thinking it. Ask anyone in Minneapolis who Bob Lurtsema endorsed 35 years ago and they will automatically and without wavering, reply “TCF.” It wasn’t that he endorsed them; it was how. Go read Marshall McLuhan after viewing this compilation.
BrasX7000
That was how many Magic Broadcasting collected last year for their breast cancer campaign in October. The string-the-bras-across-(body of water) bit is slowly inching its way, cup-by-cup, to being a stereotype event. A station-to-remain-nameless is going to collect them and instead of looping and stretching, are going to cover a local landmark in them. Just as good and DIFFERENT.
Selling Your Toy Drive
Chet Buchanan at KLUC in Las Vegas does biggest toy drive in Radio anywhere.
Every year, they add some elements. A couple of years ago it was clients donating trees that they’d decorated and people could buy them for a couple of hundred dollars.
They’ve also:
- Sold a sponsorship of the bike board.
- As well as the money donation board.
- Daily food sponsors of breakfast and dinner.
- A heating lounge for cold mornings.
- Chet’s tent and other living accessories.
- Sponsoring staff gear.
- Streaming.
- Photobooth with all of the pics downloadable and shareable through an app.
- A photowall for taking pics with some of the MANY celebs who come by.
- The “first toys on truck” moment was sponsored.
An Annual Reminder
We don’t want clients bringing their new food item to the station for the talent to eat on the air. If they want sampling, great. Bring it to a workplace as part of a campaign to get out and into the offices and have them eat it. And during your obligatory call-in from The Office Invasion, have Debbie from HR talk about how great the new Wendy’s vegan salmon burger is.
Movies
Movies are the entertainment Universal and Radio has always done a great job of partnering with screenings and finding other ways to acknowledge hot films. Like myTalk in the Twin Cities does with a Cat Film Fest after a St. Paul Saints game.
Halloween is coming up. Maybe do a Scary Movie Bracket.
Virgin Radio in Vancouver did an annual Fake Film Fest and REALLY tapped into something. Maybe it’s because of the film industry in that market but they got great entries.
So what if you did an AI Film Fest? Kind of like Write A Song Wednesday, you give the audience ten random elements to incorporate:
- A used car
- A gym teacher
- An exchange student from Brazil
- Food poisoning
- A mysterious knock at the door
- A friendly Golden Retriever named “Buddy”
- A lost pair of World Series tickets
- Being late for school
- A neighbor who keeps all their shades drawn
- A rock next to a tree that doesn’t belong there
They could add their own twists and direction and all of the entries would be posted and voted on.
