Radio has consistently sucked at being able to acknowledge the stuff that happens on the weekends and holidays. So fair warning: when Taylor Swift gets married over the Fourth of July weekend, it’s going to be seismic, and radio shouldn’t miss it.
Now, when I say acknowledge, I mean use the word “Taylor” somehow, somewhere. Maybe it looks like some imaging, a feature, a web graphic, or a social media post. You don’t need to invest months of energy to throw a wedding that will coincide with her big day.
Taylor’s wedding has a CIA-ish level of secrecy going into this, so I’d at least have some imaging and social media posts prepped, and if possible, a jock who can do some live, in-the-moment breaks as the big day unfolds.
I’ve been lobbing stuff at my clients since August and there is some cool stuff on the horizon. Cumulus’ 107.3 The Vibe (KMJK) in Kansas City hosted a “Bridal Era Party” last month. Cumulus’ 93.3 The Q (KKOB) in Albuquerque had a package on the street a few months ago, and it’s culminating in a Swiftie Bridal Bash at the mall.
If your station doesn’t play her, then market yourselves as a Taylor-Free Zone. Other than a cave in Tora Bora, you’re probably the only place listeners can go to escape the story.
And now, on with the Dumpage…
Fourth of July
Change up your station’s website for the Fourth. Maybe Photoshop the jock’s profile photos, so they have bloodied, bandaged hands. Or have them holding sparklers, or both. Or having rockets crisscross the screen, exploding, with the appropriate SFX and the “oooh’s” and “ahhh’s” from the crowd.
Erin Buchwald suggested doing your logo at night in sparklers, getting it on video, and making it the scheduled start page for the Fourth. The cost? A few boxes of sparklers.
One station is hosting Outdoor Pool Party Check-ins for the holiday weekend. You don’t need a street team. You take calls and let the listeners paint a picture of their holiday weekend.
Red, Woof, and Blue
I clearly have dogs on the brain this week, which is probably an improvement.
Social media has done all of the research for us. What do people do in the last week of August? They post photos of their kids at the bus stop. What do people do on Super Bowl Sunday? They post photos of their food. On national holidays, people will post photos of their pets, who they’ve adorned with patriotic garb and colors.
At the very least, it’s a hashtag thing for the upcoming holidays. Post, “tag, share, and maybe win some client swag.” Or “wag.”
Summer Vacay
It’s the time when staff and management will take their vacations. You could do what 98PXY (WPXY) in Rochester did when the GM took off and themed a week of ticket contests based on breaking into his office and stealing back tickets he’d stolen for himself.
“Do People Really Win On The Radio?”
Let’s face it, only about 4% of our audience participates in our contests. So, if a station bumped that number to 6%, the change would be astronomical. But since many of our contests are the equivalent of wallpaper, it’s going to stay that way until you really do something to engage your audience.
One problem is the possibility that there are skeptical people who don’t believe that stations or brands give stuff away. The concept of marketing is lost on them. I’ve heard that from people ever since I got into Radio.
“Do you really give away a car a month all summer, or is it fake?” Their reasoning being, if they had a car, they wouldn’t give it away.
What if, just for fun, you did a behind-the-scenes of a giveaway at your station with your talent? Or do what QYK did in Tampa and get one your winners to share a brief tutorial on how they won.
Concert Pics
An upstate New York station hosted a big music festival over the weekend. One of the things they did well was to go out and provide tailgating coverage on social media. That’s where the fun started.
Cheerleader Car Wash
‘Tis the season for cheerleaders to go out to gas stations and vacant lots and fundraise for the coming school year. What if you corralled every squad in town, went to a mall, and hosted “The World’s Largest Carwash” for whatever cool local charity needs funding? I’d personally do it for the school district because they’re getting slammed by nationwide budget cuts.
The key with these events is that you don’t set a price. Do it for a “donation,” and people will often give several times more than you would have charged. The charity angle is great because it appeals to both kids and adults. The visual is great if you’re thinking about news coverage. Who doesn’t want a clean car?
Teacher of the Month
If everyone is doing something, don’t do it. A lot of stations do teacher salutes, which is cool, but if it’s an idea that’s already been taken in the market, consider what WiLD 94.1 (WLLD) in Tampa did: Reverse Appling.
Instead of giving a teacher an apple, he or she gave a student a metaphorical apple and recognized them for whatever reason. Plus, it allows you to get a teacher in the spotlight. And maybe you can acknowledge whatever Apple product is due to trend.
The Second Chance Concert Series
About to debut on a station. This taps into the vibe that, at one point or another, most of us have missed a great concert for various reasons. I missed The Police because I had to work the State Fair. I missed Journey because of prom. I missed Jimmy Buffett because my date bailed.
With many of these artists out for the thousandth time on the road, listeners can call into a station and say why they missed them for the first time around, and then they finally secure tickets to catch the show.
Fill the Fridge
Growing up in Minnesota, I’d had post-storm power outages, but never lasting longer than 12 or 18 hours. And a month after I got to Charlotte, there was a hurricane, and we were without power for six days. And all of our food spoiled. So, the ice giveaway is great. Helping people save their expensive groceries is a great price.
Hot 89.9 (CIHT) in Ottawa did something stellar, and quickly after storms knocked out power for days, they filled people’s fridges. Specifically, they gave out gift cards to a grocery store, but the community response was fantastic.
