Andrew Jackson Interview 8-12-16
Andrew Jackson
Director Of Marketing
WKNZ
Milford, DE
Career Capsule: Andrew Jackson was born in Seaford, Delaware – but has lived in West Virginia, Wyoming, and Washington states! Eventually he returned to his roots in 2005. When he moved back to Seaford, he met his wife Jessica, and started their family with the arrival of daughter Amelia, and most recently son Leo.
In the past he’s worked for a farmer, a grocery store, a fast food chain, a college, a vacation rental company, a video rental store, a direct mail company, a hotel-casino, and even owned a web design and marketing firm. In the end – all the jobs and experiences helped him to excel at his current position as Director of Marketing for 88.7 The Bridge.
As Director of Marketing for 88.7 The Bridge it is Andrew’s responsibility to ensure cohesive branding across multiple channels. Currently, the station reaches Listeners through direct mail campaigns, billboard signs, branded apparel, and promotional materials – like bumper stickers, pens, pamphlets, and other creative items. They are constantly expanding the ministries reach in the digital realm! Everything from social media, email marketing, and text messages – to website management, digital video, and exploration of new technologies. Andrew says, “It is a ton of fun to be able to use my talents and passions to serve God – and my community – in this unique way!”
- Andrew, tell us what’s new at WKNZ, and with you etc… ?
88.7 The Bridge was honored as the ‘Best Radio Station for Music, Downstate’ at the Best of Delaware Party on July 21, 2016. Readers of Delaware Today Magazine voted for the station to receive the award through write in ballots.
On July 26, 88.7 The Bridge welcomed for King & Country, Sidewalk Prophets, and Jordan Feliz to the Delaware State Fair. This was the third Christian Concert night done in collaboration with the fair, and each event has connected the community of believers more than the last. This year approximately 5,000 people were in attendance.
During the Delaware State Fair we broadcast live and welcomed Listeners to the Free Entertainment Tent with a variety of promotional materials they could take away. There was a specific time for ‘Prayer At The Fair’ in which local pastors, station staff, lead singer of Sidewalk Prophets David Frey, and our listeners prayed together. In addition to all that – we covered a Delaware State Police cruiser with post-it notes filled out by Listeners who wrote messages of encouragement and love. By the end of the concert people were still asking to write a note and place it on the vehicle!
Coming up in September we are hosting the 2016 Family Reunion! Tickets are sold by the car load. Food truck vendors circle a grass field. Inflatables and games are setup. And listeners gather for fellowship and a concert – this year with Citizen Way!
On the heels of that – we are excited to kick off our first Hands & Feet Project on October 1 with a full day of service projects for Volunteers in two communities.
2. What are the 3 main ingredients to make a promotion successful?
Planning – Execution – Follow Up!
We start months in advance looking over our calendar, artist and partner calendars, and the calendar of the community at large. We envision the experience we want the Listener to have when Planning a promotion.
To the best of our ability, every member of the team Executes the promotion plan as it was outlined. We sometimes make changes on the fly – but in most every case a plan is detailed in advance. Each staff member is aware of the part they play – and each one brings their best effort forward. During the promotion it is beautiful to watch the plan and strategy fall into place!
Follow Up with Listeners who were touched, organizations involved, artists participating, winners, sponsors, volunteers, and even our own team is key. We look at overall feedback, good and bad moments, what worked, what didn’t – and we make a note for the next promotion. And we THANK THE LISTENER or supporter afterward. On-air and online for making the whole experience possible.
3. What is the best promotion advice you’ve been given? The worst?
“Don’t blame the weather!” – When I worked in vacation rentals our two major seasons were national park tourism in the Summer, and skiing in the Winter. We would attend tradeshows, purchase radio ads, utilize print, and digital advertising. We tracked everything! When we reviewed the success or failure of a particular promotion my boss always said you should not ‘blame the weather’ for the success or failure of a campaign. (* too much heat, dry season, too much rain, not enough snow, too cold/sub-zero) She was saying to look deeper at the data, press in further to look at the demographic, psychographic, design, and offer elements of the promotion – rather than just cop out and say the weather ruined your results. Or for that matter – gave you a big win. The advice is solid – dig deeper into your results and think through what worked, and what didn’t.
4. Regarding your career, what are you most proud of?
The thing that turned me on to marketing is still the thing that excites me the most about the profession. It is fun to introduce someone to a new product or service, and convincing or persuading them to give it a try. The big excitement for me is when they love the experience, and value the recommendation so much that they become a lifelong fan of the product or service! The same applies to people hearing the Word of God on-air, looking deeper into their faith, and making a decision to follow Christ. The dividends are incredible! Winning the Christian Music Broadcasters 2014 ‘Small Market Station of the Year’ was huge. That would have to be one of my proudest accomplishments thus far. As a measure of how well we’ve introduced people to Christian music, and the Word of God – and they applied it to their lives – that award recognized those efforts. It was exciting to get that call!
5. What is the one thing YOU must have to do your job every day?
COFFEE!! And a strong dose of encouragement. As a promoter, I am asked to boost our listener’s excitement surrounding appeals, contests, events, and service projects. But when my tank gets low – where do I go? Who encourages the encouragers? Surprisingly – I don’t have to look far. Our Listeners constantly write letters and emails letting our staff know how much the work we do makes a difference in their lives on a daily basis. So I grab my coffee, and read through a few encouraging letters from listeners to start my day!
6. In your opinion what makes the ideal station promotion?
Team Work! There are so many aspects to a successfully executed promotion. On-air talent must coordinate with online and print promotions. Business partnerships have to be secured for giveaways, or underwriting. Office staff have to know all the details so they can be helpful when answering questions. And Donor development builds relationships started with anyone we meet for the first time through the promotion. None of our promotions could be done without each member of this team.
7. Regarding social networking and promotion, what have you had the most success with?
Our single most effective content series has been the Daily Word of Hope. Over time the campaign has changed several times to serve our Listeners better – but the core has been the same. Each day on-air we focus on one verse of scripture. Online we post that verse with an inspiration image. And here was the key! The time of day we posted the verse and image on social media made all the difference. By scheduling that content in the very early morning, it is often the first thing people see, or check when they wake. That also means it is the first thing they like, comment on, or share – often before they even get out of bed.
8. How do you measure the success of a great promotion?
There are three metrics we always focus on – across the board. Time Spent Listening, Data Collection, and Donations. Each of these areas is evaluated when we discuss a promotion – because each plays a role in how the promotion is executed. Now, every promotion may not accomplish all three areas simultaneously. But, everything – from the design, execution, and follow up of the promotion – takes into consideration how these key areas will be impacted and increased.