Brian Wright “Fun Summer Promotion Ideas”
Free Key Summer – Listen each day for the song (or sounder) to win a key that could start your brand new pair of 100 mile per gallon scooters. All listeners who qualify join you at the Grand Prize event which can be held before a big concert, at a mall, etc.
Backstage BBQ – work with the local concert venue and the record labels to secure a backstage BBQ before a big concert this summer. Listeners can win their way in by listening to the station. The Backstage BBQ features free food and drinks along with a special appearance by the artist.
Lake Patrol – work with a local marina and have them loan you a boat and/or jet skis every weekend to cruise the lake passing out free samples from clients and station prizes.
1 for the Show, 2 for the Front Row – Use this promotion when promoting big concerts coming to town. Encourage listeners to listen for songs by the concert artist all weekend to call-in and win. When one song is played by the artist, listeners call-in to win a pair of tickets to the show. When two songs are played by the artist, back-to-back, listeners call-in to win front row tickets.
Backstage Passes – create custom station backstage passes to hand out at each concert coming to your market this summer. The pass is good for the real backstage pass if a listener is spotted wearing it during the show. You can also number them and encourage listening with a second chance to win on the day or Monday after the show. Call several random numbers that are good for tickets to another big summer concert.
Getaway Triple Play – It’s a three song music montage that best reflects your station. Play snippets of each song in promos, identify the song title and artist. When the three songs are played in that same order/back-to-back, which can happen anytime throughout the day/week, the right caller wins a vacation getaway.
Pick Your Seat – Listeners can win a free vacation by guessing the pre-selected assigned seat number on the airline, bus or train they will be traveling on. Award runner-up prizes for incorrect guesses and let each person know if their guess was “too high” or “too low” until someone picks the correct seat and wins the Grand Prize trip.
First Customer of the Season – Make this the grand prize daily ticket winners to a theme/amusement park, ski slope, water park, etc. The Grand Prize winner will be the official first customer of the season and get to “cut the ribbon” on opening day and be the first to try a new or popular ride or display. Also use this idea for the opening of a new retail store, or any facility where a “first customer” experience can be created.
First To Ride – Local/Regional amusement parks open in the spring which gives you a great opportunity to award free tickets to your listeners to be one of the first to ride the roller coasters (thrill rides) or simply experience the park. You can also have special t-shirts printed that say “First to Ride with 101 WADG” to give each winner. Also, take along a personality and have them ride the most popular coaster for (frequency) minutes and have the winners try and guess how many times they go around for additional prizes. This is also a great promotion for ski slopes, water parks, and beaches.
Block Party – Giveaway a “Block Party” to a neighborhood and/or listener to celebrate summer and the warm weather. Have a band/DJ playing music, food, drinks, prizes, etc. Another fun twist is to take a popular artist to the party or winner’s house to perform. To win, write, e-mail or register at a client location…or send a video of your neighborhood or house to be considered for the prize. You can also have neighborhoods vote with the most entries winning the party.
Grill Off – Qualify listeners to meet at a designated location on for your “Grill Off.” To win, each participant must put together a gas grill only using a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. The first person to fire up the grill, cook a hamburger and eat it wins. The winner receives a new gas grill along with a gift certificate for a free year of meat (or groceries)…or a new freezer filled with meat.
Barbeque Relay – Pre-qualified listeners/consumers join you at a local grocery store to participate in your “Barbeque Relay.” Each participant will be given a specific shopping list and a shopping cart. When you say “go”, they have to rush through the store and collect all the items on the list in the fastest time. The person who registers the fastest time wins all the items in the shopping cart and a new gas grill.
Beached – Have several listeners compete to win a big prize by doing the following: drive them to a beach town (they can’t know where they’re going) and drop them off with no money and only the clothes they are wearing. The object is to make it through the weekend by completing a series of challenges like: find a place to sleep (not on the beach or public area), hook up for 1 night, drink for free, etc. Person who completes all the challenges without cheating wins.
Cut Above The Rest – Challenge listeners to mow the most creative version of your logo into their lawn and/or a designated area. All entries should be e-mailed, mailed or delivered to a client location – each entry should include a picture of the lawn creation. The mow judged best wins a riding lawn mower, landscaping for a year, etc
Brian is a 30 year radio veteran who has successfully served many companies over the years as Program Director, Operations Manger and VP of programming. After many years of success working for individual radio stations and clusters, Brian Joined one of the most trusted consulting firms in the country, Audience Development Group. For the last 15 years Wright has enjoyed building alliances with scores of stations in the US & Canada helping them grow in ratings and revenue. Contact Brian at brian@audiencedevelopmentgroup.com
