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Sponsorship and promotion (S&P) is at the heart of many commercial radio stations' output and contributes strongly to programme content, mainly through listener phone-ins, on-air competitions and other interactive segments. It is important, however, to distinguish between paid-for promotions, which are negotiated in much the same way as commercial airtime, and PR-style strategies, which live or die on their relevance, timeliness and creativity.
Paid-for promotions offer opportunities for guaranteed brand exposure and are costed much like commercials, with agreed impacts, frequency and namechecks, but form part of the actual programming, like breakfast show competitions and themed promotions. The trade-off is a less overt, controlled promotional message, although a strong association with the station itself and being 'part of the show' can reap dividends in brand awareness and allegiance. It's important too to provide a proper brief, a workable promotion mechanic and helpful input for the presenters, which is exactly what we do.
PR-style promotions rely on ideas and themes that appeal to programme producers and presenters, even on non-commercial stations. Here there is no airtime cost, just a PR fee, although there is no absolute guarantee of coverage, other than the ingenuity and appeal of the proposition. Creative listener competitions, often with brand prizes, studio appearances and down-the-line interviews, using noted experts or celebrities, all figure here and we have the experience and imagination to construct suitable strategies for your consumer-facing promotions.
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