The Christmas Music Tidal Wave is days away for radio. So far, two different columns on Christmas Music for Adult Music Brands and best practices for the holiday season have appeared on Barrett Media.
First, we profiled WHEN to launch your Christmas Music Playlist with veteran, successful Adult Contemporary programmers. The second, we called on expert panelists for their take on Christmas Music Playlist Curation.
The Christmas Music ratings onslaught affects all formats, not simply music brands. A cume vacuum is felt across the entire market and the Holiday Book suppresses everyone on the radio dial.
You’re a programmer reading this and you have a big Adult Contemporary station across town who has already built their seasonal holiday programming. They’re ready to launch their holiday ballistic missile as early as November 1st. There is little you can do.
Or is there?
We coach stations that flip to all Christmas Music sometime in November while other clients opt not to flip the all Christmas switch. Every format should be open to staying relevant through the holiday season. Done correctly, your non-Christmas brands can stay connected to the Christmas seasons and you just might make a few bucks along the way.
Christmas stations are traditionally sold out late in the 4th quarter of the year. You, traditionally are not.
First, a few programming tactics for your consideration to kick-start your holiday counter-programming:
- Tighten Your List: When the Christmas cume gets burned on Christmas Music, they will be seeking a place to hear other familiar music. As they come to your brand, insure it’s a hit you’re airing. Super-tight like Mike Joseph’s Hot Hits format from the 1970’s. No more than 75 songs. Especially on weekends where cume is higher and Time Spent Listening is not.
Yes, we are serious and your counter-programming against All-Christmas should be too. Holidays are not a time to break new music. Record companies slow or stop new releases until January. There are only about 30 Christmas Hits with various versions in a well-curated Christmas Music List.
If your crosstown Christmas Music competitor has a loose list or the local programming team wants to introduce new Christmas music, take advantage of this poor tactic. Unfamiliar Christmas Music product will scatter their huge cume. Use it to your favor by only airing monster hits of your format during the season.
- Christmas Ice Blocks: Several of our brands ask about dropping in a Christmas title or two during the hour in an effort to remain connected to the season. If your decision is to sprinkle in the occasional Christmas Music title, having Christmas music to appear without proper packaging is jolting to your audience. Airing Christmas Blocks (name them Ice Blocks) where you play three HUGE Christmas songs in music blocks at specific promoted times through the day is a smart play.
Add seasonal holiday imaging in the front, middle and end of the blocks. Sell opening and closing sponsors for the Blocks. Sponsors love this feature. Ice Blocks put their product on an ‘audio island’ free from the typical stop set.
- Commercial Free Sundays: Sunday afternoons is the time when most people break out the Christmas decorations. During this time, listeners will be searching for an accompanying music outlet. Most will reach for The Christmas Station in their market who will be also airing long commercial breaks. During this time run a tight Christmas list, commercial free. Your audience will appreciate the break from the spots while enjoying the afternoon with their family.
Promote throughout the week that Sundays during the holidays are commercial free. Without running actual spots, have each hour “brought to you uninterrupted by (sponsor)”.
Whatever your Christmas decision, dress up your imaging with Christmas sounds inside your music sweeps. Like a store that doesn’t sell all Christmas decorations, retailers do not ignore the season. Make your non-Christmas Music product sound like the season with holiday sounds. The listener is still in the Christmas mood even if they don’t want all Christmas Music.
In August we published a piece on all-things 4th quarter for adult formats to include the beginning of fall through Christmas Day. Consider adding the following promotional opportunities to your Christmas promotional arsenal.
- Free Batteries: This may SEEM like a simple prize. Consider handing out free batteries at all of your on-location events through the holidays. Amazon sell their branded batteries for super-cheap. Batteries for the holidays are often an after-thought. People will stop at your events JUST for free batteries. Batteries are often an oversight on Christmas morning.
- Christmas Coloring Contest: Develop and post a custom themed .PDF of a kids and adult coloring picture with a Christmas scene. Include your logo. As one of the by-products during the Covid epidemic, adult coloring books sold like crazy. People rediscovered the joy of coloring while isolated. Hold a contest for kids – and adults for the best coloring page with sponsor-supplied prizes. Place printed sheets at sponsor locations and give away a small box of colored pencils to each participant.
- Chamber Partnership Day: Work with your local Chamber of Commerce to host an all-day event to highlight local small businesses. Do this OUTSIDE of Small Business Saturday which is November 29th. It’s a great way to reinforce LOCAL for your clients. Create a dedicated web page showcasing participating local businesses and their special Chamber Partnership Day offers. Produce :60 spots that feature several businesses together at a discounted rate. This is an affordable avenue for small businesses who often cannot support a full schedule to get on the air. Keep in mind that Cyber Monday follows right after on December 1st.
Add the following to your list of seasonal promotional tools to keep your programming relevant:
- Free golf cart service to and from shopping areas
- Free wrapping parties at your local church
- Phone calls from Santa
- Christmas Pet Photo Contest
- Toy Reviews from local retailers
As the competition is surging through the season, creating atmospherics for your non-Christmas Music brand is critical to attaching you to the season.
It’s Christmas. Wrap your brand in it.
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Kevin Robinson is a passionate award-winning programmer, consultant and coach – with multi-formats success all over the country. He has advised numerous companies including Audacy (formerly Entercom Communications), Beasley Broadcast Group, Westwood One, Midwest Communications, Townsquare Media, Midwest Family Broadcasting Group, EG Media Group, Federated Media, Kensington Media, mediaBrew Communications, Starved Rock Media, and more. He specializes in strategic radio cluster alignment, building lean-forward tactics and talent coaching – legacy and entry-level – personalities.
Known largely as a trusted talent coach, Kevin is the only personality mentor who’s coached three different morning shows on three different brands in the same major market to the #1 position. His efforts have been recognized by The World Wide Radio Summit, Radio & Records, NAB’s Marconi, and he has coached CMA, ACM and Marconi Award-winning talent. He is also in The Zionsville High School Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 inaugural class. Kevin is an Indiana native – living near Zionsville with his wife of 39 years, Monica and can be reached at kevin@robinsonmedia.fm.
