CPR Promotional Check-Up - Jul 8, 2020

Popsicle Pop-Ups

This is something that Power 94.7 in Redding has been doing, safely and distanced, this summer. They get frozen treats, they go to places like parks and over the course of an hour give them away. Yes: it’s possible to overthink marketing.

Karen-FM

One of the things that Power in Miami and Wired in Philly were exceptional at was knowing when they needed “something”. Radio station’s energy levels are like EKG’s and most are flatlined. Power and Wired’s EKGs looked like someone who’d just done a pipeful of crack. Just fast and spikey. You had to listen because you might miss something. That’s a pretty lofty bar to set.

I always thought that “Paige” was a bad name. Not anymore. If your name is “Karen” you’re in the 7th circle of Hell right now.

So what if you rebranded as “Karen-FM” for a day. Lots of imaging from Karens who are proud as Hell to be Karen. Do “Karen History Month” vignettes. “On this date in 1971, ‘Superstar’ by Karen Carpenter hit #6 on the Billboard charts…” The only way to win would be if your name is Karen, and obviously we’re assuming that NO ONE would lie just to win some crap. In a perfect would some dudes names “Karen” would win.

Why? Why not? And because we can.

Virgins & Firsts

Mix in Boise had an AMAZING talent named Kate McGwire who created a campaign called “Kate University”. It even had its own crest. Once a month she would go out and do something that she’d never done before, like skeet shooting or playing poker or bungie jumping or going to see male strippers, with a dozen of her listeners who had also never done that.

She is one of those jocks who you REALLY want the audience hanging out with. She’s that nice.

It was done as “Theme Park Virgins” at the CHR here: a bunch of people who had somehow gone through life without ever going to an amusement park, joined the morning show for a free day at the local one.

It’s surprising the stuff that people have never done. The Sales Asst at KSFM in Sacramento had never sat on Santa’s lap at a mall because of something religious with her parents. It became a morning show bit the next day and over 30 adults FINALLY got their lapdance with the Big Guy.

Cassiday Cappelo, when she was in Charlotte, had never eaten at Burger King. So she did and treated a dozen listeners who had also never enjoyed BK.

What else? Swimming. Going to a baseball game. Singing Karaoke. Flying on a plane. Seeing an R rated movie (I know an adult who never has). Having a library card. Donating blood. Being on social media.

Voting. Getting waxed. There’s a ton too choose from and really, it’s just an excuse to hang with the audience.