CPR Promotional Check-Up - Sep 25, 2014

Rethinking "Cash"

We're the industry that has so dumbed down and chlorinated "giving stuff to people" that only a fringe segment will participate.

Cash buys winner promos. That's the true value of contesting.

And we're in the communications business. So instead of winning a $3000 gas gift card (seriously? gift card?), Newcap in Edmonton said "Win gas for a year!". Phones exploded. Which ignited the gas and dozens perished.

So, somewhere, a Country station is taking $600 and presenting it as "school lunches for your kid for the entire school year". Phones WILL explode and children will die.

Giving New Meaning To The Term "Flyaway"

One of the UK stations has a unique prize: two seats on a private jet to Berlin to see an artist I've frankly never heard of, but I'm assured is big.

As exciting as it would be to put this in the VIP Club for an auction or do Text The Code To Win, they seem to sense that they could get some buzz and press off it.

And this is a huge station that became huge on stupid buzz bits while all of their competitor's have become mired in digital social networking contesting.

Here's what the plan is. 96 people will win the artist CD on the air. Along with 98 sheets of plain white paper and a pen.

On a Saturday, they'll ring the third deck at a mall. A big open box (with airplane wings and a tale on it for asthetics) will be placed in the center court. On cue, whistle blows and people start writing their names on the sheets of paper, folding and throwing. First one in the box wins the flyaway.

Cost? Paper and pens and a box.

Zactly.

A Trip With A Hook

Live in Ottawa and The Beat in Vancouver have both done there-and-back-with-no-hotel-room flyaways to Vegas. Trip contests pretty much ALL sound the same. You need something to make yours stand out. Power in Honolulu once borrowed the methodology and sent people to the MTV VMA afterparty at The Palms in Vegas. Fly in, drink and party straight for 24 hours and fly back. THAT has a vibe.