There’s an old saying when it comes to marketing a sports radio station “fish where the fish are“. For sports stations there’s a distinct advantage compared to other formats when it comes to trying to attract new people to sample the product. You simply promote your brand at stadiums, on television during game broadcasts, on popular websites and social platforms that are sports focused and on trains or buses that are going to be visibly seen around the locations where sports fans travel. I’m sure there are many other examples I could provide but you get the point.
So if placement is so simple then why doesn’t the marketing always work? Well the answer is different for each situation. Sometimes the creative just isn’t good enough. Other times it can be that the campaign wasn’t long enough or didn’t have any call to action behind it. The other reason that I believe is equally as critical is whether the message you’ve built your campaign around is in line with what your brand stands for.
Last year, my former station decided to do some marketing to try and further grow the brand. In the video sample below you’ll see that it’s pretty straight forward. We could’ve gone with a funnier spot or did something more outside the box and shocking that may have created a stir in the marketplace, but instead we took a simpler approach and focused on showcasing our people and what they were best known for.
That may not always feel as cool to those involved in the creative process, but when you’re battling for people’s attention I believe the most important thing you can do is provide something that gets them to take notice and can be executed on your airwaves.
In the video above the station focused on 4 personalities and the traits that made each of them unique. Passion defines what Damon Bruce brings to the airwaves. Insight is what Ric Bucher has provided during his 25+ years of covering professional sports. Access is what Greg Papa has more of than anyone in the San Francisco market and Game is a play on Aubrey Huff’s 13 year career in the Major Leagues and the swagger that he brought to the former morning show.
The station also wanted to illustrate that the crew have fun and enjoy being around one another because when it comes down to it, listeners want to feel like they’re attending a party with their friends on the radio. The reason I thought the spot worked was because it was a fair representation of who the talent were as individuals, and what the brand stood for, which made it easier to live up to audience expectations.
In looking at some other marketing examples, I noticed some different tactics which I also believe work effectively. Case in point this TV ad from Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. In this piece the radio station is trying to generate buzz for their switch to the FM dial and the use of different team graphics and the positioning of words such as “Insights and Opinions, Insider Access and the Biggest Games” all reflect what the station is able to provide once the listener checks out the product. Very short and sweet and absolutely effective.
The one thing I caution folks to avoid when marketing their brands is creating a position that isn’t a reflection of what they actually deliver. For example, you can tell the general public your station offers the most controversial personality on the planet, and they will stop by to see what the buzz is about, but if they turn on the radio station, and find Bob Costas hosting the show instead of Howard Stern, you’re going to piss a lot of people off because you’ve provided false advertising.
Risk taking is fun, and being creative keeps us all sane and invested in the concepts we create, but sometimes simplicity and showcasing your best assets in a way which is consistent with what you do and who you are is more important. It’s also more effective.
No better example of doing it the wrong way comes to mind more than the defunct football league, the XFL. It was the year 2000 when this league was created by WWE’s Vince McMahon and the marketing suggested that the league would be edgier, harder hitting, sexually graphic and much more extreme than the NFL.
The first game featured on NBC drew a huge 9.5 TV rating so one could say that the marketing didn’t do what it was supposed to, which was to get people to tune in and discover what the league was about. Except there was one major problem – the entire country showed up and came away with the same opinion – it was really bad football and not an accurate portrayal of what they were promised in the promos.
As a result, ratings dropped 60% from the first week to the second week. They then dropped another 40% the week after. A few weeks later, the league would become responsible for generating the lowest rating for a prime time program on a major network in television history.
Due to being rejected by the audience, the league folded after 1 season. The lesson learned was that you can lead a horse to water but if the water is dirty they’re not going to drink it. Here’s a sample of one of those XFL promos.
To summarize, here are my 3 key takeaways. Start with these simple rules and you’ll be on the right track to doing some smart and effective marketing to help your brand.
- Don’t Promise Something You Can’t Deliver On
- Keep Your Marketing Message Consistent With What You Stand For
- Fish Where The Fish Are – Focus On Standing Out In The Right Places
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
