Summer is prime time for radio stations to get off their butts and into the community. Listeners want more than a playlist. We know this as fact from the most recent Techsurvey. They want experiences, prizes, and reasons to stay loyal when streaming services are begging for their attention. While I’m not about to reinvent the wheel with these, it’s never too late to make something cool happen!
Here are six summer promotions that don’t totally suck.
The Ice Cream Truck
Forget the prize van with a station logo slapped on it. A fully branded ice cream truck is a crowd magnet that does your marketing for you. Did you know you can lease these in some cities? Park it at beaches, parks, Little League fields, and community events. Hand out free ice cream and station swag.
Make it interactive — give hints on-air to tell listeners where the truck will be in an hour. Social content practically creates itself. Nothing says “we’re part of this community” like showing up on a hot day with something cold and free.
My only warning, from personal experience, is to be wary not to step on the turf of other ice cream trucks. They’re territorial and they will unplug your trucks freezer at night as a form of ice cream warfare.
Summer Beach House/Lake House/Shore House (You Get The Idea)
Buster from Q102 in Philadelphia recently told me about their Beach House down the shore. The station took over a house at the Jersey Shore and as their listeners headed to the beach every weekend, so did the jocks, broadcasting live all summer long.
Mix 104.1 Boston does an annual Beach House on Cape Cod where a listener wins a week-long stay culminating with a private performance from an artist in the backyard. I have been. It’s epic.
Sponsors love these because it weaves them in the fabric of the local culture. Plus, it makes for killer content on social. The lesson? Give your audience a destination, not just a promotion.
Summer Concert Takeovers
Big summer concerts already have your listeners in one place. Show up. Set up a branded footprint outside the venue — but make it interesting. Kevin Callahan wrote a whole piece on this last week, but I have a few additions that have worked for me over the years.
At HOT 97, we hired Street Team members that were aspiring DJs who would spin at our remotes. Clients loved it because it felt like a real party. We partnered with Live Nation and had the Street Team mixers set up just inside gates at amphitheater shows all summer.
I would also always try and see if our jocks could welcome the crowd on-stage or even do a DJ set on the main stage before the openers. It was a great way to “own” the concert. Jocks can’t make it? These “Phat Heads” were a hit in their place.
Stations that show up at concerts aren’t just promoters — they become part of the memory. That emotional connection with listeners where they are making their summer memories is worth it’s weight in gold.
The Beach Dig
Bury prizes in the sand. Yes, really. Work with a local beach sponsor and stash gift cards, concert tickets, and station gear at marked zones. Listeners win their spot in the beach dig by listening all summer long.
It sounds simple because it is. Seeing 100 listeners digging for prizes with station branded shovels is never not fun. The world is on fire and your listeners want fun. Plus, sponsors love it, you can drive tune-in, and it will absolutely generate wild video content for social. People love a treasure hunt. Lean into that instinct.
The Station Convertible
Partner with a car dealer. Get a sharp convertible for the summer. Brand it well. Drive it everywhere all summer — station events, concerts, beaches, parades. Here’s the twist: put a QR code on it. Scan the code, enter for a chance to win the lease on that car for next summer.
Every red light becomes a marketing moment. Every parking lot is an impression. Listeners start spotting it and tagging you on social media. The car becomes a moving billboard that rewards engagement and builds real anticipation.
Cooler Summer
High end coolers are still a hot commodity. Pack a Yeti with things like concert tickets, sponsor gift cards, theme park passes, BBQ supplies, the works. Give away the whole thing. Not just the cooler. Everything inside it.
Theater of the mind it! In Providence, Top 40 station 92 PRO-FM has some listeners actually convinced they have “92 Christmas trees in the studio” for you to choose a present from. Do the same thing with Yeti coolers. Let the callers choose which number cooler they want and switch up the prizes per cooler.
That high value prize package, creative imaging, and a bit of fun had by the jocks on-air will drive engagement. Sponsors will be into it because their products get featured. Run it as a weekly morning show giveaway on Fridays as the crew is talking about weekend plans. Boom — you’ve got a summer-long appointment tune-in moment.
Summer is short. Make it loud. These six promotions share one thing in common — they get your brand out of the speaker and into real life. That’s where loyalty is built.
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Bethany Kent is a Music Radio Editor for Barrett Media. She spent nearly 20 years bringing radio to life on stages, across the airwaves, and through unforgettable listener experiences. Her career spans local markets including Providence, Philadelphia, and New York City, most recently serving as National Director of Music Initiatives for Audacy. From producing major live events like HOT 97’s Summer Jam to leading strategic national marketing initiatives, she has built a career at the intersection of music, media, and culture. She can be reached at bethany@barrettmedia.com.
