Welcome to the Promo Meeting.
In this new, once-a-week feature, we will highlight stations with ideas that, well, let’s be honest, you can steal or adapt for your station. When I was programming, a friend I considered to be a great programmer told me, “If you steal a promotion from me, you have stolen twice.”
If you have something unique that you would like to share or have highlighted, I would love to hear from you—email jeff@barrettmedia.com
A timely idea is “Reverse Porch Pirates.” A station drops presents on listeners’ doorsteps while dressed up like the burglars in the Home Alone movie. Use your database to select homes in your hot zips and surprise them. Be sure to get a video for social media.
An easy and perhaps overplayed theme is the “12 Days Of Christmas.” I recently heard from stations that had given it a new spin. Every Christmas, there are must-have toys and games. They have the hot ones and are doing the “12 Plays Of Christmas.”
97.7 WQDR Raleigh is hosting “Hope for The Holidays.” Working with the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, the station is fulfilling the Christmas wishes of over 1,000 needy children. Donations of a new toy and cash are accepted. Here is the webpage set up.
At Christmas time, the need for blood donations spikes, largely due to the number of elective surgeries in January. How about hosting a “Bleed For Aldean” blood donation drive for Country stations? Give away Aldean merchandise and send one person to an Aldean show or a visit to one of his bars in Nashville, Gatlinburg, or Las Vegas.
This one is from the brilliant and slightly twisted mind of Paige Nienaber at CPR Promotions. “Tree For All” is a simple way to dress up Christmas tree giveaways. Work with a local supermarket or a tree lot that will likely trade for mentions.
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Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
