Jim texted me and said he was clocking out and would be at my car in about two minutes. After a long day of client meetings and networking, I refreshed my brain with a few hours of real stories from a lifestyle-diverse mix of Uber clients.
He got in the backseat, and before exiting the hotel parking lot, I asked Jim, “Does it seem unusually quiet in downtown Nashville this week?”
Before he said anything, I quickly answered with non-rhetorical questions. “Is it the cold weather, the end of the playoff season, or the reality of what happened on Inauguration Day?” I like to throw in little lines like the last one to research my audience. You need to know the room if you’re captivated in a car with a stranger for 12 minutes.
Jim, who has been in the Music City hospitality business for nearly 30 years, laughed and said, “No, this is normal. We’ve had a slow week at the hotel.” Recovering from post-holiday activities and expenses affects the slow visitor trend in January. “When does it change?” was my obvious follow-up question. “Everything changes on March 1st,” he said. Springtime is in view, and college Spring Breaks kick in. Then there was this line from Jim. “I don’t know what it is about March, but everyone feels different about life.”
Radio brands live in the perpetual motion world of promotions and marketing. What’s next? What current event or trend can we turn into on-air ear candy? What are we NOT prepared for?
March is upon us, and if we believe hospitality industry sage Jim, your audience feels different about life starting in five weeks.
Radio is excellent at creating, developing, and executing ideas quickly. You may find inspiration from this list to create a quick promotion this year. However, save this one for 2026. Oh, and that means you start working on it in three months.
Here are three categories to share with your team to create ear and eye candy for your brands:
FOOD
- Spring Taste Tours: You know the routine. It’s a taste tour of local restaurants. Food is the universal common denominator. It fits every radio format. Restaurant associations love these promotions, and tickets usually drive audience engagement with your brand. Bonus: With the ease of digital production, onsite interviews with the chef in the kitchen can create captivating social media content.
- Easter Brunch: There’s time to capitalize on this date. Easter Sunday is April 20th this year. Where are we going for Easter lunch? Secure it now. Here’s the idea I want to do: Hire local culinary students to plan and prepare an Easter celebration lunch at the winner’s house. Do it, and don’t let legal stop you from executing this idea. However, have the waivers ready to sign.
- Farm-to-Table: I attended a few of these events in Middle Tennessee last year. It’s the hip, bougie event right now. I’m neither of those; I just know some people who are. Research these groups on social media in your market and create an event specifically for your listeners. These are the types of events your audience remembers for a long time.
CLOTHING:
- Prom Dress Drives: This promotion is in the HOF. It’s format-neutral, and multiple stations in a market can do it and serve the needs of a community looking to provide prom dresses to income-challenged youth.
- Wedding Dress Drives: Same as above. Think about how many wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses are one-and-done.
- Spring Fashion Shows: Digital assets complement our radio brands. Before the digital age, we never considered broadcasting a visual fashion show on the radio. However, we can promote the event using our reach and frequency medium and stream the results via Reels and TikTok videos. Well, maybe not TikTok. Stand by for that one.
PETS:
- Pet Parades: Pet owners will do crazy stuff involving their revered animals. Add a pet category to a 5k race your station is sponsoring. Most races have runners and walkers categories. Create a category to walk your animals and watch the number increase.
- Adoption Events: This is a need in every market. Springtime creates feelings of renewal, and the desire to adopt a stray animal is emotionally stronger at this time of the year.
- Pet Photo Contests: A proven classic. Use your website and social media platforms to create an American Idol or March Madness-type contest to engage and empower the audience.
THE OBVIOUS:
- Easter. Mother’s Day. Earth Day. Sports Clinics. Spring Cleaning. Playlist Adjustments. Yard and Garden. Anything involving “fresh.”
Renew your station at a time when your audience is experiencing renewal. Oh, the end of the ride: Jim sat in my car for two minutes after we reached his destination. He was talking about some recent improvements in his personal life. Start the conversation for your audience, and they will follow your intentions.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Ron Harrell is a columnist for Barrett Media. He founded Harrell Media Group, specializing in radio and audio brand consultation, fractional management, and talent coaching. He has worked in every role on the Programming and Branding side during his career, becoming management and executive-focused in the post-Telecom Act era. Ron has held leadership roles for media groups such as ABC/Citadel, CBS Radio, Chancellor Media, Cumulus Media, Hope Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, and WAY Media.
Interested parties are invited to learn more about his company Harrell Media Group and reach out by email at Ron@HarrellMediaGroup.com.
