You have to find your point of difference!

Every station has promotions. From holidays, to tickets to local events, every week every single station is giving away prizes in hope that the prize becomes an extra incentive to engage and listen to the station from TSL to gaining more cume.

But these days, promotions are much more than icy cold cans of coke from the back of the car or giving away $10,000 in cold hard cash. In fact promo managers/integration staff are generally trained to K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) for the listeners, so the easier the better.

And it’s absolutely true, no one wants listeners up in arms that it’s just too hard to get a code word, then listen for a cue to call and donate their first born child almost to win something. On most occasions this is fine and works. But ultimately our goal is for listeners to be engaged with our shows and with our stations, and with so many different ways and platforms to win these days you have to find your point of difference.

Only last week 2GB wrapped up a promotion in which seemed like it could be a little bit too much work for the listener, register online to be part of a photo team and then a week later attend a cocktail party to celebrate their achievements. The promotion was to extend Canon’s partnership of Vivid Sydney- and the 2GB & Canon Vivid Sydney Photo Team was born.

The reasons why this promotion was so successful, is because listeners actually felt like they were part of the station, they got to be part of a special and exclusive team. They won an EXPERIENCE. The camera wasn’t just couriered to their home and off they went- they received training by Canon on how to use their brand new $1000 camera and got to meet the client face to face. They got to be a part of Vivid Sydney and see it in a different light (pun intended!) They all had dinner together to celebrate their new cameras and the training they’d just received. They felt like they were a real part of Vivid Sydney and 2GB. They picked out their favourite photos and then these photos were displayed throughout the week on the 2GB website in which they could share with their friends and family.

Photo: Glenn Albert who was part of the 2GB & Canon Vivid Sydney Photo Team

Then- a week later they were invited to a special cocktail party in their honour  along with 3 friends or family members on the MCA rooftop hosted by Ben Fordham, in which their best photo was printed and displayed as a gallery on the night. The result was quite remarkable- every single winner showed up, every single winner couldn’t believe the two special nights they had.

A couple of the winners got up and shared their stories on why it was so special to be part of that photo team, as well as one winner making a rehearsed written out speech as to why this promotion was so special to her, with her motivation for entering her recent late husband being an avid photographer.

It is no longer just about setting and forgetting- our listeners want more from us, they want to be part of our station they have this inherent trust in our announcers and not every solution or promotion can work in this format, but we asked a lot of our listeners in a short amount of time and the engagement received, the affinity they now have with the brand and the memories of the night will extend far greater than a simple giveaway.

Byline: Sue, one of the winners, motivated to enter the prize by her late husband an avid photographer. Sue had never used a DSLR camera before and said a speech on the night on what it meant to her. 

You can see more photos of 2GB & Canon Vivid Sydney Photo Team here.

About the Author:

Krystal Sanders is a Content Solutions Manager with Macquarie Radio Networks 2GB, 2UE and 2CH in Sydney.

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