I’ve designated this SPW, or Shameless Plug Week. (“National Head Cheese Week” is already taken.) First, I’m going to be doing a session on September 16 at the Final Conclave Learning Event in Minneapolis, and I’ll cover the 25 Greatest Radio Promotions Of All Time.
After 50 years, they’re going to hang it up, which is really a sad moment for all of us. Registration is a bargain considering the fun and knowledge that you’ll receive. Check it out.
And did you know that there’s an amazing resource called The Encyclopedia Of Radio Promotions?
Literally a thousand easily converted to revs and ratings ideas, broken down by themes and Hallmark Holidays. Email me at [email protected] if you’re interested and want to learn more.
And now on with the Dumpage:
Know The Show
This has always been a home run with listeners matching stories to members of the morning cast, ie: who got fired from McDonalds for dropping their gum in the fryer.
You can do it as a social feature with visuals. Match the team to:
- First pet
- Parent
- First job site
- First car
- First place they were ever kissed (not on their body, though, that has potential)
- First album, cassette or CD
- First concert (using a ticket stub)
- Last person they dated
- Best friend in grade school
Match The Deed-Doer To The Deed-Done Location
One of the stations has a ’74 Chevy Nova to give away (Long story). What if you posted the photos of the on-air team and photos of cars, drive-ins, dugouts, and campgrounds. Match the DJ to the venue where they lost their virginity and win. (Ford Matador: the ugliest car ever made) Basically “Do You Know The Show?” but with a visual element.
Your Next Event Game
Generally speaking, some of the best on-site stuff starts in college dorms. I heard about beer pong a year before Radio stumbled on it from an intern at ‘PXY in Rochester. Spikeball has moved out of the dorms and into backyards and beaches. I would have tried to get a better volley on video, but this was a clothing-optional joint and, believe it or not, the Naked People don’t like people with cameras. Seriously.
Win A Dog!
When Hot 89.9 in Ottawa first debuted “Win A Baby!”, that was how it was presented: you could win a baby. And as they’d hoped, it blew up; they got all sorts of Mad Press™, and then they finished the reveal and announced that you would be winning about $17,000 in in-vitro services.
We’re going into August. The Dog Days Of Summer. From the late great Mix 99.5 in Wilmington is doing “Win A Dog”. Here is the imaging:
Voice Guy -This Summer, Mix 99.5 wants to give the prize you’ve always dreamed of. Sleek. Built for speed. Four on the floor, it comes in a choice of colors, and it moves!
Listener – COOL! I want to win a car!
Voice Guy – Car? Who said anything about a car? A dog!! Yes, it’s the Mix 99.5 Dog Days Of Summer
Insert contest details.
Finish with a quick legal read: “This is Lawrence Mahanney, legal counsel to Mix 99.5. No. We’re not giving you a dog. That would be stupid and unethical. We’re giving you store credit at the Humane Society for you to pick out your own dog. Please. No more calls. There are not going to be any transfers of living, breathing items between the radio station and contest winners. I need a drink.
Greatest Of All Turkeys
Stations in the US have discovered that giving away turkeys the third week of November is way, way bigger than a $1000 national contest. If you haven’t dipped your toe in that pool, go ahead. Grocery store chains operate on a different promotional calendar than we do and are locking down their holiday affiliations now. So, give them a call.
Handwriting Analysis
One of the characters I play when a station does The Fugitive is a handwriting expert who helps glean actionable clues from a handwritten note that the Fuge dropped when they broke into the morning person’s house. It’s always been a home run. I spike in a couple of things that people can actually use in the hunt. In Seattle, it was that the Fuge worked in law enforcement.
I’ve seen a few stations that have had an actual one on the drive time show. They’re a ball. Listeners will send in a sample they stole from their boss or their questionable boyfriend or mother-in-law. It’s a trip. If you can get your hands on one (pun intentional), do it.
Stub ‘N Grub
One of the Classic Hits stations has a restaurant that has free food. The client told them that two other stations returned with digital entries as their promotion.
The idea that the restaurant LOVED was “Stub ‘N Grub.” Every day they’ll lob out a past concert from the market. Send in a pic of your ticket stub (and bring it in when you come to get your prize) from, say, John Mellencamp with Scandal at the Memorial Coliseum in 1982 and win.
School Lunches
I’ve thrown out examples of stations that are branding their group contests.
If you haven’t given away cash for parents to pay for school lunches, you haven’t experienced the true phone-al meltdown that ensues.
The Community Cruiser
I want to say that it was CBS/Pittsburgh that debuted the Community Cruiser. For lack of a better term, it was a dealer-supplied truck that was used as an “in” to all of the community events in that market.
What does just about every charity thing need? Wheels. To haul. To collect. To pick up straggling walkers.
The idea is simple. The dealer and the station team up to help people who help the community. Go to the site, check on availability, and fill out a form explaining what you have going on. The station would send out the driver (street teamer) for several hours to lend a hand and some wheels.
Basic, simple, community marketing.
It’s The Onion
If you’re going to do a contest that awards $41,000 to a winner, it would be sad not to have a payoff video that revealed what the secret sound was.
Photoshop Friday
This guy has 1.3 million followers on Facebook alone, so he must be doing something right. People send him pics, and he messes with them.
Obviously it would be fun to have him do the airstaff bio pics, or something topical like a close call in last night’s baseball game. Even better would be to find someone close to the station who could do this and, every Friday, fix a few listeners’ photos.
What’s Ted’s Tat?
When creating ticket contests, one place to start is to look at the artist and see if there are any elements to play with. Morgan Wallen? Throwing chairs. Post Malone? Ink. So every day, Ted at 93Q in Syracuse posted a photo of a temporary tattoo that he’d shopped on himself. Call and ID the tat, like a star or a panda bear, and win a copy of Post Malone’s new album on vinyl, and qualify for the tickets.
Swag Alert
BJ & Jamie at Alice in Denver are doing reusable grocery bags. Great swag is something that won’t end up in a drawer and will get used. These would most definitely qualify.
Presets
Z-90 in San Diego used to spot people with station stickers on their cars, give them $90 and an additional $10 for each preset that was set to the station.
Live in Portland had people text photos of their station presets for Sabrina Carpenter tickets. Hot in DC did something similar for Gaga.
