US radio can sometimes have a very narrow worldview. We rarely know or follow brands, even just across the border. If you’re doing “The $1000 Minute,” guess what? It’s bathed in Canadian DNA and started with Stu Jeffries at BOOM in Toronto.
The MBC stations in Ontario are ridiculously cool and in one small market, launched with “Kyle the Intern” who lives in and broadcasts from a shed. (You would need to live in Ontario to “get” the shed reference. Trust me. They nailed it.)
From across the pond, “Split Or Steal” is a fantastic methodology that has two listeners trying to screw each other in a greed fest. If you get a lot of guests, go to YouTube and look at Innuendo Bingo: it will change your life.
Paul Kaye brought over a contest from Wales called “The Secret”. It’s simple. The station has a secret, and if you know it, you can win. Here’s a sample from Pittsburgh.
Mikey V at Jammin’ 107.7 in New London (which kind of sounds international) is a passionate follower of KIIS in Sydney, where they’ve done everything from burying cash on the sand at a beach (The Dawn Dig) to their current contest that has a mobile cash cube traveling the market. Guess the total of all the money in the cube and win it.
Morning shows have always demonstrated intense intellectual curiosity and a voracious appetite for what other shows are doing. I think that could be broadened to all of the departments.
And now on with the Dumpage.
“Manicure For The Cure”
From a station that, sadly, must remain nameless: Manicure for the Cure – Get local salons and day spas to donate their time and supplies for a marathon broadcast the 1st weekend in October at a client location. Ladies are encouraged to come to the client and recieve $5 manicures (which evidently is a huge bargain). Every penny will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Hoping that we’ll raise lots of money, get some press, and have one very happy client. Then, 2 weeks later, we do another event called “Pedicure for the Cure”
“Monday Night Football”
NFL Squares For a bar or wing joint. First people in each get a square on the betting board, right before kickoff cards are dealt that assign numbers to the rows. You win based on 1st Q, half, 3rd Q and end-of-game scores. If this is gibberish, let me know and I’ll explain it.
Monday Night Lites Title for any night sponsored by a Lite beer.
The MNFB Cliché Game Listeners come to the event and, as they arrive, pull one of these randomly from a box. They win a prize whenever it’s used.
- It all comes down to which team wants it more.
- There is no I in team
- He has a nose for the football
- He has a motor that won’t quit
- They left it all on the field.
- He’s takin’ that to the bank.
- They’re no longer playing to win; now they’re playing not to lose.
- He’s going to feel that one in the morning.
- He really gives it 110%
- The Quarterback has “happy feet”
- There might be a mismatch on paper, but they don’t play the game on paper.
- He’s fast when he runs.
- He coughed up the ball
- It’s a rough and tumble game.
- It’s only a yard, but it’s a long yard.
- There’s no love lost between these two teams
- If the game goes into overtime, either team could win.
- It ain’t over till it’s over.
- That’s a costly turnover
- He’s a vertical threat
- He really rose to the occasion today
- It’s not over till the Fat Lady sings
- This is some physical football or This is a very physical game
- It’s lights out for them tonight
- This is a must-win game
- He’s a possession receiver
- Act like you’ve been there before
- They’re running the hurry-up offense now
- This team has to take it one game at a time
- They are better than their record indicates
- There seemed to be a miscommunication on that play.
- That throw was right on the money
- They’re dominating the line of scrimmage
- They have to play the full 60 minutes.
- They have to protect the football.
- Their defense bends but it doesn’t break.
- This player is a throwback.
- He’s a big hitter.
- He puts a LOT of mustard on that ball
- The road to the Super Bowl goes through this ( team name) here
- The defense had that play sniffed out
- (insert QB name here) He’s a real gunslinger
- Pressure from the blind side
Photo Mosaic
Thank you to Dave Shakes for finding a vendor for this. You can either have one of your people strolling and shooting pics, or you can have the audience share via hashtag to a slowly emerging mosaic. Here it is in action.
One Second Wonders
“Quick snippet” contesting is great because it plays to the 96% of people who don’t play contests. It sucks them in while stuck in traffic. Jeff at Hot 101.7 in Santa Rosa does it with quick 6 or 7 movie clips.
One Second Wonders would just be a beat from a song. Guess either through social media or calls.
Lotta Latte
‘Tis the season. One of the stations that has a great track record with workplace food deliveries is about to launch with free Pumpkin Spice Lattes for your entire workplace. And they got it sold, so it’s like Double Bonus Coupon Day at the Piggly Wiggly.
The Night Before Thanksgiving
This has traditionally been one of the biggest club nights of the year and one of the stations was looking for a moniker. In the past, they did (brand)giving.
- “Hometown Hangout” because the people who are there are usually kids reconnecting with everyone who split for the school year and college.
- “Safe Place”. Thanksgiving is a dangerous and scary time. Your aunt who likes to pinch your cheeks. Your nephew who has never not gotten sick at the table. Your cousin who has one drink and then wants to pick a fight over religion. We’re offering you a safe place to escape to for a few hours. It could also be the Escape Room.
- Wired in Philly did “Wishbone Wednesday.”
- Wild in SFO did “Flee The Freaks” because at about 5p, minivans full of relatives from Indiana start pulling into the driveway with board games and slide shows of their trips to visit Civil War battlefields.
- Power in Miami set it up so that you registered your phone number and a time to call. So you’re sitting at the table hearing about Aunt Murine’s new hip and WHOOPS… work called and there’s a problem and they need me to come back for a few hours.
Fowl Factor
Dave Allen at WLTI in Syracuse “ain’t quite right,” as they say here in Scandia. Last Thanksgiving, he dressed up as a turkey and lived on the ice at an ice rink to help the Salvation Army raise $$$ to buy turkeys.
What is the next level? Dressing up as a turkey and living in a pen of real turkeys. Having wrangled these lowest of God’s creatures on numerous occasions, this is a true let’s-torture-the-talent bit. And would most certainly garner you press.
“(State) Mommies”
This is a Dave Ryan promotion from KDWB that has been done in various permutations and has always been large. It taps into Single Mothers, who are one of the ultimate hot buttons.
The Concept:
The station acknowledges and recognizes single mothers as being the hardest working and often most unappreciated segment of society. “We want to change that. If you know a (State) Mommy who is working hard and overcoming odds to put the food on the table, keep the kids healthy and schooled, and is basically kicking serious ass when it comes to being a mom, we want to know. It could be a neighbor. Your kid’s teacher. A coworker. A sibling. Tell us about her and why she deserves to have everyone know how great she is.”
Every Friday morning, you call up that week’s recipient of the title and read the email that was submitted about her, to her. This invariably ends with her sobbing. You then bequeath client products to her. When they did this the first time in Minny, they focus-grouped “giftcards” on the women at Clear Channel, and the A#1 choice of where they would LOVE to have a $100 gift card? Target.
Football Bingo
I think that Q-102 in Cincinnati was the first station to do Office Bingo. Print out a daily card from the station, and while you are sitting in your cubicle pounding out TPS reports, mark off boxes when you hear or see stuff around the workplace, like “I’m going out for coffee. Anyone want me to bring them something back?”
Hot in Sudbury did it with hockey. You could do this with the MLB playoffs and definitely football.
Movie Mom Panel
About to start somewhere. The moms on the staff will do a Friday morning feature about that weekend’s films and whether they’re appropriate. I once saw a woman take her two little kids into Bad Santa, apparently thinking it was a Disney flick. They left after about ten minutes.
