When a client advertises on the radio, they’re not just buying ads. They’re buying influence. And in most situations, they expect to drive foot traffic to their store. Most programmers focus on the inconvenience. Why would a listener drive across town to fill out an entry form for a contest or promotion when they can enter online? That’s a fair question, and you’re right. But getting angry, fighting with the sales department, and burying the idea because you don’t like it won’t help. The better question is: “What can you do creatively to make a listener WANT to drive across town?” That is a programming challenge, and as you know, programming is more of a sales-driven function than ever. Programmers who add WOW to sales promotions ensure their future.
A few years ago, Magic 92.5 and Z90 in San Diego launched a Sweet 16 birthday promotion. The winner got a dream birthday party or Quinceañera. But there was a problem. One of the sponsors was a car dealer who was giving away a new car as a prize. As a condition of sponsorship, they demanded a traffic-building trigger.
The original idea was to offer an “extra chance to win” by registering at the dealership, but that was doomed from the start. An extra entry was not enough motivation, and requiring sign-up at a car dealer to win a party from a radio station made no sense.
The turnaround happened when programming reframed the ask. Instead of “drive to the dealer for one more slip in the box,” they created exclusivity, leverage, urgency, and clarity. They did not change the prize or primary method of entry (online). They changed the psychology in a creative way, solving a problem and engaging their audience.
How To Add WOW To A Sales Promotion
Program Director RDub (Randy Williams) came up with this genius solution:
- You don’t get just one extra entry. You get ten. Now it’s worthwhile.
- But the bonus was only available for three days. They created urgency. Get the boost, but hurry. It’s exclusive.
- They didn’t promote it on the air. The offer went out only to email recipients. It didn’t change or complicate the on-air messaging.
More than 1,000 people responded by going to that dealership in a three-day period. That is programming genius. In a budget-obsessed, revenue-thirsty industry, this programming solution turbocharged the promotion for active listeners and blew away the advertiser. That’s power.
Here’s a photo of the stacks of entries spread out on their conference room table.
The Modern Application
Today, this principle is even more powerful because we have better tools.
You are sitting on larger email databases, social followings, push notifications, geo-targeted ads, personality endorsement power, and content platforms. If a client wants traffic, you can engineer it with the right offer, creativity, and great execution.
Here is how programming can embrace sales promotions creatively and actually serve both the audience and the advertiser.
Turn a Transaction Into an Event
Driving to a mall to drop a form in a box is boring. Driving to the food court at the mall for a Buy One, Get One sandwich offer during the “Bonus Entry Power Hour,” hosted by an afternoon personality, with music, giveaways, and instant qualifiers, feels different.
Create a window, not a passive drop box. Limited windows create energy. Energy creates movement. Make it an event!
Personalities Are A Conversion Engine
If you are serious about ROI for advertisers, personality endorsement is not optional. It is the differentiator. This is where most stations underperform.
Personalities must be more than liner-card readers. If a client promotion is delivered in generic promo copy, listeners treat it as generic. When a personality says:
“Meet me Friday from 5 to 6 to play the live edition of $1,000 Minute and I’ll personally hand you ten bonus entries.”
Now it becomes relational. Listeners show up for people more than prizes. they participate for events that sound (and are) fun.
