PPM has done a wonderful job of showing us what drives people away. But it doesn’t show us what brings them in. As a Promo Guy I like PPM because we can do something loud and noisy like a stunt and BING watch the meters pop.
This of course elicits a “Duh”. If you do something that everyone is talking about, of course people will tune in. Just like if you talk too long about nothing, people will go away. We didn’t need 1980’s-style drug dealer pager dealies to tell us that.
But even with the tightening of what goes on the air, it’s still easy to find inexplicable promotions and they’re usually client-driven. We are truly the Crack Whore of All Media. Even though we know it’ll suck and be a turn out, if they’ll give us money, we’ll take it.
Here are some criteria that you should use as a litmus test when deciding what to do and how to adjust a promotional request. If even one these applies, you should probably be alright.
- “And Then’s” This is my term for hoops. If there is more than one “and then”, you’re in trouble. There was a “processed meat” promotion a few Superbowls that went a little like this: Go to the Sunday paper and find their coupon and then go to the station website and register your name and then listen for the morning show to call your name and then answer questions based on the coupon. Too many “and then’s”.
- “Quality Time” Is it something like a ski bus or a pajama party with the morning show that allows the listeners some one-on-one time with the air staff? You can never discount quality time. It creates fans and you can’t beat a station with fans.
- “Topical” This could be high gas prices or Mothers Day or a political campaign or Amanda Bynes shaving her hair off. Topical = Relevance.
- “Entertainment” Can it relate to a concert or an artist or a movie or TV show or even a sporting event?
- “It Evokes Emotion” Great radio stations evoke emotion. It could be 106.1 Kiss-FM in Dallas hastily organizing a welcome home rally at the airport following the Rangers winning the pennant. A candlelight vigil for the victims of Newtown. KDWB becoming K-JABS for a local student paralyzed in a hockey game. Emotion = Engagement.
- “It’s A Mall Idea” This is a toughie. But can you in your mind imagine returning to the market a decade from now and having random people you approach in a shopping mall recall it? Great stations do Mall Ideas.
- “Tease” There’s an element of a tease to it. Few stations ever tease anything anymore and we tell them everything up front, so there’s really no reason for people to listen when you debut the thing. We’re so desperate to be loved we remove any shred of romance or mystery from the leadup. “All this weekend, Kiss will be giving away the green…” What the Hell does that mean? I’ll have to listen to find out. “Complete The Sentence” is a great tease. “On Monday morning, 95.7 Jamz will be going away…” to Jamaica and we want you to come with.
Print this out and the next time you’re tasked with giving away a washer and dryer from Bob’s Anytime Appliance & Bait Shop, add one of these criteria and you should be good or at least better.
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