Turkeys Don't Fly

Good ones soar but turkeys don't fly.  That was the hard lesson learned by Les Nessman of WKRP in Cincinnati concerning radio promotions.  The medium of choice when it comes to great promotions has historically been radio.  I thought I'd take a brief look at some past campaigns as well as ways in which to better target an initiative.

I have always marveled at some on-air announcers facility with numbers.

Imagine my astonishment as I sat in the booth witnessing the jock answer calls with..  You’re the 239th caller... you're the 537th caller... congratulations you're the 1007th caller!  Who needs a computer for computations?  This is RADIO.



Of course numbers have long played a major role in promotions, especially those digits that correspond to the dial position in question.  Whether it's a dollar amount or the 999 greatest songs of all time, it's important to reinforce that dial position in the listener's mind in case a diary finds its way into their hands.  Preferably, listeners should be so conditioned that jotting down the number in question is an involuntary response.  It doesn't hurt if they always answer the phone with a passionate "I love Hot75.3" Grandma won't mind.

In the age of added value, there is an ever increasing demand for sales promotions.  This makes sense, since it is an area in which the medium excels.

If they're properly handled, station and sales promotions can meld.  Just imagine a world without conflict; the programme director giving knowing winks and a slap on the back to the sales manager (N.B.: beware of sexual harassment).

There is no reason why a well targeted promotion can't satisfy both the listener and the advertiser while maintaining the basic integrity of the programme.

A first step in designing a promotion should be an analysis of the station's listenership profile.  Too often we rush out in search of the big idea without thinking it through.  The BBM qualitative data is a great place to start.  Should we really have a ski team for a station with the majority of listeners over 55?

Closely examine the recreational habits, purchasing patterns and attitudinal traits of your core listenership.  Give them what they want and need, not what you think is a neat idea.

There have been a number of memorable promotions over the years.  The most successful are those that generate talk in the market.  One example is the Mystery Money Man put on by CKLW-FM in Windsor.  A man dressed in a white tuxedo pulled up in his limousine to various locations including grocery stores, bars, and a soup kitchen.  Without ever identifying himself, he would shout "We all need more" and hand out $100 bills.  This mystery man generated extensive coverage from all media, including competitive radio stations.  When the man finally sent out a note offering to reveal himself at a given place and time, he was greeted by a crowd of thousands who were told he was promoting MORE94.  The total bill for the promotion was a mere $18,000.

There have been a few spectacular house giveaways.  The first I know of, at CHED, generated 250,000 entries in a market of 650,000.  Just last year, one at Z95.3 in Vancouver threw B.C. Tel into a frenzy.

Others like the $58,000 Goal at CKY can generate great news stories.  Three times in 4 years, CKY paid out $58,000 for a goal scored into a small slot from the opposing blue line.  While Lloyds of London was not amused, shows like David Letterman were, and they aired the clip.  Here's a tip: photograph and videotape events and send them to the media for slow news days.  Don't wait for them to come and cover it.

Other talk generators were Mike Cooper's record sit on a Ferris wheel for CHUM and Neil Hedley's month long sit on a billboard as part of 105.3 Kool-FM's Poster Boy campaign to benefit the United Way.  There have been a number of great Christmas promotions (e.g. CISS-FM's Toy Mountain) which serve a good cause and deliver positive image association.

66CFR (a gold base station) had a tremendous success when it rented out the Saddledome, brought in the Beach Boys, and gave away all the tickets.  They won the hearts of existing and potential listeners.  This promotion was talked about in Calgary for years after the concert.

An important consideration when developing an idea is whether you are targeting your existing core listenership in order to improve hours tuned or looking to expand your base with a cume generator.  A number of promotions targeting in-office tuning have very successfully generated huge hours tuned numbers.  Set the dial and leave it.  Take a look at CHFI-FM's success with this approach.

Controversy (i.e. Howard Stern) is a great way to generate press, talk and cume.  The goal is holding the audience after Howard signs off.  Also, how do you continue to generate a furor book after book?

One of the top promotions of all time wasn't flashy, but was consistently effective.  Rawlco's Mugs & Kisses has been potent in market after market across the country.  In one morning, CISS-FM gave out 25,000 mugs to people getting off the Go Train.  The mugs continue to serve as ongoing billboards in thousands of offices across the country.

When it comes to prize giveaways, it's important to keep in mind that only about 6% of listeners participate.  Your contest should be entertaining listening for the other 94%.

Turkeys don't fly.  If you do the research and make sure you're feeding your listeners something geared to their tastes, your promotion will take wing.