Last week was a disaster for most of Texas. I live in Flower Mound about 20 miles north and a bit west from the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. FloMo is also referred to as being in North Texas, the Dallas Metroplex and the DFW area.
After 2 to 4 inches of snow fell, which hardly EVER happens, on Valentine’s Day, the temperatures ranged from 0 to 21 degrees for a brutal 3 day stretch. Power was lost at millions of homes, millions of others, including our house, had a near 68 hour stretch of power on and off for 45 minutes at a time. Roads were full of ice and snow, over 400 Walmarts closed for a few days and water pipes were freezing all over the area. After the temps came back up to the 40’s and 50’s last Friday and Saturday, the thaw was on.
Then, the pipes busted for millions more.
It was the perfect storm for a sale. An Ice Storm Sale to be exact.
Radio and sales consultant Chris Lytle once had this idea and I thought it was timely to remember the power of radio and how mother nature can provide all the creativity we need to move the needle. It was 1975 and Lytle was a sales rep at WISM AM 1480 in Madison, Wisconsin. He had met the owner, Len ‘Crazy TV Lenny’ Mattioli while selling him radio, hit it off and took over all the advertising. An ice storm hit Madison, a metro population about of about 575,000 in 1975, for 3 days and knocked the power out to huge areas and caused all other kinds of chaos. Lytle didn’t know what to do at first until the store manager reminded him that “retail never closes”!
He didn’t quit. He turned to the most medium he knew best: RADIO. The American TV Ice Storm was born.
Lytle knew he could change copy immediately on his pre booked radio schedule. So, he wrote the commercial, had it produced and was on the air immediately at the beginning of the storm.
Now listen up, American Tv is open but there are no lights, no power and no heat.
How can you sell stereo equipment, tv’s and appliances without power?
If you’re willing to buy a tv you can’t watch, a stereo you can’t listen to, or a washer and dryer you cant even see, American is willing to deal! What you do is bring a flashlight, bring a candle, dress warmly but SHOP NOW!
Customers hit the sales floor and used flashlights to decide which speakers they would buy. It was a scene out of a bad 1970’s movie.
This special pricing ends soon! As soon as the light heat and power go back on. So, take advantage of it! Americans Ice Storm Sale, the sale not even Crazy TV Lenny planned.
The store had the single biggest day in history.
And Crazy TV Lenny? He was in Tokyo the whole time.
Lytle has told that story all over the world as a consultant. The power of broadcast was on display. So, the next time Mother Nature provides you an opportunity, go ahead and be creative, timely and stand out.
Remember the Ice Storm Sale of 1975!
Jeff Caves is a sales columnist for BSM working in radio and digital sales for Cumulus Media in Dallas, Texas and Boise, Idaho. He is credited with helping launch, build, and develop Sports Radio The Ticket in Boise, into the market’s top sports radio station. During his 26 year stay at KTIK, Caves hosted drive time, programmed the station, and excelled as a top seller. You can reach him by email at jeffcaves54@gmail.com or find him on LinkedIn.
