I was e-mailed this promotional idea from the RAB daily e-letter… 

This promo, called “Cutting Your Green Fees,” runs in two phases. The first, month-long promo involved a fertilizer product who, as a sponsor, received on-air mentions as well as in-store signage. Listeners who purchased $25 worth of the products from the farm supply store, (you could use any local Lawn & Garden Store), received a free bucket of golf balls from a local driving range. A $50 purchase earned a free round of golf at a local golf course. The second month-long promo involved an in-store registration for a free lawn mower courtesy of a power equipment vendor. The twist here was that the winner of the lawn mower had his/her lawn mowed by the station’s sports director/on-air personality. The drawing was broadcast live from the participating retail
er, who enjoyed record-breaking sales during these promotions.

photo credit: Shayan (USA)

I was recently asked the question… “Creative… what does it mean… to you… to your clients?”

It’s funny how my viewpoint on Creative continues to grow and change. Creative to me means everything from the conceptual work to the production aspect and eventually the final output. The act of being creative for a purpose. To the majority of clients and salespeople, “creative” means “anything to fill the airtime”. The word is used as a general catch-all noun to refer to the audio product.

It’s so much more than that.

To me, it means that I do indead “Create”. It’s not a boiler-plate… it’s not banged out… it is indeed something that time and effort went into. Creative is done with the purpose of providing something that is both entertaining and enticing to the listener; ego-satisfying (and contract renewing) to the person paying the invoice; and professionally acceptable by the person doing the “creating”.

“And make it really good…”

Here to Help!

Justin Kaiser
Creative Identity Group Marketing

The Big Game is just around the corner and many of our clients will be promoting sales and events based on the excitement of football. One of our associates, Tommie Lee, sent a reminder about what we can and cannot talk about when it comes to the No Fun League…

You CANNOT say or print the following: Super Bowl, Super Sunday, the Super Bowl logo, NFL, NFC, AFC, National Football League, National Football Conference, American Football Conference, or the actual team names or nicknames (such as Patriots or Pats) in reference to the game.

You MAY say or print the following: The Big Game in Miami, The Professional Football Championship Game in Miami (boy, doesn’t THAT just roll off the tongue…), the date of the game February 4th 2007, the names of the cities of the competing teams (Indianapolis vs. Chicago…but not Bears vs. Colts), and you CAN make fun of the fact that you cannot say the phrase Super Bowl by bleeping it out.

Creative Identity Group is located on the border of Illinois and Indiana and here is one of the promotional ideas that another of our associates came up with for a local radio sation…

The Saturday Morning Sports Show will take to the streets for a border battle. On Saturday Feb. 3 (day before Super Bowl) they are going to set up a tent right on the Illinois-Indiana state line duct-taped right down the middle, one side BEARS, other side COLTS. They hope to give away goodie bags, and maybe an extra little something to motorists with license plates containing an X, L, I, 4, or 1 on the plate(this being Super Bowl XLI or 41). They will also have all of their sports play-by-play personalities on-hand meeting and greeting the listeners. It should make for great publicity!

Here to Help!

Justin Kaiser
Creative Identity Group Marketing

THE 96 DAYS OF SUMMER

If you haven’t already begun planning for your summer umbrella promotion, some good alternatives to the “XXX Days of Summer” include “The Summer of ‘98 Celebration” (if your station is “98″) or “The Good Time Summer Celebration.” Both work the same as the “XXX Days” promotion.

VW BEETLE GIVEAWAY

If you got a bug, you know this is the hot promotion of the Spring. If you didnt, theres still time to cash in on the buzz this summer. Stations are doing “Listen for The Beatles to win a Beetle” or “Listen for a Beatle Twin Spin” to win. Cash in on this promotion before the public realizes what an impractical car this is! This car is guaranteed to draw a crowd at a remote.

BIRTHDAY WHEEL

Station rolls in the Wheel at 7:10 each week day morning and spins it and announces a birthday. Caller XX whose birthday matches the one announced wins $500. Station then promotes other times throughout the day the wheel will be spun.

FREE MONEY TELEPHONE GAME

This promotion is copyrighted by McClain Enterprises out of Nashville. Each weekday morning at 7:10 a.m., station announces two number. If those two numbers match two numbers in your phone number . . . home, work, cell number . . . you win $500. Station then promotes other times during the day the game will be played.

LUCKY BUCKS

Station circulates dollar bills in the market with its frequency at the end of the serial numbers (1003 if you’re Oldies 100.3). Each morning at 7:10, station announces a serial number. If the listener has that bill, they win $10,000. A consolation prize could be given worth $100 or other prizes. Station then promotes other times the game will be played.

BEAT THE BUZZER

Station promotes when theyll play the game and start the CASH CLOCK. The clock ticks in designated increments of money ($50, $100, $150, etc.). The listener has to stop the clock before the BUZZER sounds. When the listener shouts STOP, that will be the cash amount they win. Station then plays the remaining ticks to see how much money they could have won.

MYSTERY JUKEBOX

This one seems to never go away because it works! Guess the song that will be played in the Mystery Jukebox. The song will be one of the songs played in the last hour! Keep track of the songs . . . win the cash!

MOTHER’S DAY/MAY 10

Got your copy of “IOU” by Jimmy Dean? “Mom-a-lees” . . . “dumb things your mom always told you to do” like “change your underwear in case you’re in an accident” . . . is always a good phone topic. Do a deal with a local phone carrier and give away free phone calls to mom. Have your promotion staff take carnations to the local restaurants to give to mothers. Put a card with a sequential number attached to the flower. The message should say “Happy Mother’s Day from Oldies 99. Listen for your special number tomorrow morning to win $99.”

TOP TEN LISTS

The next section includes four Billboard Top Ten Lists for the month of May. Each list is as it appeared in Billboard magazine, and other major hits are included that appeared lower on the chart to be used as bonus songs in the count down, or as replacement for songs in the Top Ten you do not have or use. If you replace a song, you wouldn’t want to reference Billboard but call it the WXXX Top Ten From This Week . . . etc.

Top Ten List for the lst week of May, 1966 (ending May 7, 1966):

1. Monday, Monday - The Mamas & Papas
2. Good Lovin’ - The Young Rascals
3. Sloop John B - The Beach Boys
4. (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration - The Righteous Brothers
5. Kicks - Paul Revere & The Raiders
6. Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers
7. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - Bob Dylan
8. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Cher
9. Leaning On The Lamp Post - Herman’s Hermits
10. Gloria - The Shadows Of Knight
Extras: I Am A Rock - Simon & Garfunkel, When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge, Paint It, Black - The Rolling Stones

Top Ten List for the 2nd week of May, 1968 (ending May 18, 1968):

1. Tighten Up - Archie Bell & The Drells
2. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel
3. Honey - Bobby Goldsboro
4. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - Hugo Montenegro
5. A Beautiful Morning - The Rascals
6. Cowboys To Girls - The Intruders
7. Love Is All Around - The Troggs
8. The Unicorn - The Irish Rovers
9. Young Girl - The Union Gap
10. Do You Know The Way to San Jose - Dionne Warwick
Extras: Think - Aretha Franklin, Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, The Horse - Cliff Nobles & Co.

Top Ten List for the 3rd week of May, 1970 (ending May 23, 1970):

1. American Woman/No Sugar Tonight - The Guess Who
2. Vehicle - The Ides of March
3. Turn Back The Hands Of Time - Tyrone Davis
4. Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Stevens
5. Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel
6. Let It Be - The Beatles
7. Love On A Two-Way Street - The Moments
8. Up Around The Bend/Run Through The Jungle - Creedence Clearwater Revival
9. ABC - The Jackson 5
10. Reflections of My Life - The Marmalade
Extras: Mississippi Queen - Mountain, The Long And Winding Road/For You Blue - The Beatles, The Wonder of You/Mama Liked The Roses - Elvis Presley

Top Ten List for the 4th week of May, 1967 (ending May 27, 1967):

1. Groovin’ - The Young Rascals
2. Respect - Aretha Franklin
3. I Got Rhythm - The Happenings
4. Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) - Engelbert Humperdinck
5. The Happening - The Supremes
6. Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
7. Him Or Me - What’s It Gonna Be? - Paul Revere & The Raiders
8. Creeque Alley - The Mamas & The Papas
9. Somethin’ Stupid - Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra
10. Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon - Neil Diamond
Extras: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli, Windy - The Association, Sunday Will Never Be The Same - Spanky & Our Gang

Ham It Up

Here’s a promotion that can be used prior to Thanksgiving or Christmas. Find a local grocery store or meat market that will donate turkeys (for Thanksgiving) or ham (for Christmas). Each day, give away one turkey or ham to a listener who gives the correct answer to a trivia question related to either Thanksgiving or Christmas. For each turkey or ham you give to a listener, donate one to a local food bank in the listener’s name.

Thanksgiving Feast

Just prior to Thanksgiving, send your jocks out to local schools during lunch to eat with the kids and sample their Thanksgiving meals. Then, select the school with the tastiest Thanksgiving feast and award them with lunch from a local pizza or hamburger restaurant.

Food Bank Contributions

Team up with a local grocery store during the holiday season to arrange a live broadcast from their location. Encourage listeners to come down and shop, and pick up some extra items to donate to the local food bank. Have containers for the food at your remote…give away station paraphernalia and put shoppers on the air to make the event fun for everyone.

Dinner On The Mayflower

Sponsor a “Thanksgiving on the Mayflower” dinner during the holiday season. Have listeners register for this contest at a local grocery store (you can even place the sign-ups with a food collection container encouraging donations, and give the contents to a local food bank). Announce the winner during morning drive the week before Thanksgiving…the grand prize is an elegant Thanksgiving dinner for their family or friends, served by candlelight, on a Mayflower moving van.

Holiday Visibility

The year-end holidays creates good cheer and positive feelings. Connect your station with that holiday spirit by being a visible part of your community’s holiday events. Co-sponsor tree lightings, arrivals of Santa and holiday fund raisers. It’s a great time to contact event organizers and offer to help out by publicizing and being part of their holiday fun! Warning: beware of clutter from November through the middle of December; limit on-air commitments and strive to get visibility at the events.

Home For The Holidays

As the year-end holidays near, get together with a travel agency or airline and put together a “Home For the Holidays” package. Fly a college student home or send a family to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Have them write or fax your station, in 50 words or less, why they or a loved one should win the trip.