Today’s journey through the JacoBLOG-osphere is a mere six-year trip back in time to 2017 . The station? WDRV. The market? Chicago. And an on-air contest where the prize is a pair of concert tickets. A lot has changed since this post published – at the Drive, in radio, and in our world.
But the main thrust of today’s throwback story hasn’t changed. Many radio people still sneer at “contest pigs,” the derisive name used to describe people who wake up every day with the laser-focused goal of winning stuff from local radio stations.
Ironically, a story broke out of San Diego a few weeks back. A pair of twin brothers with a knack for winning correct caller contests divulged their secrets for snagging one prize after another – from stations like KGB and KCBQ.
The saga of Eliot and Neil Stein was covered in The San Diego Times Union by reporter Diane Bell, and it reads a bit like an old episode of “Mission Impossible.”
While the Stein boys – now 70 years-old – perfected their tricks of the trade. All these years later, the adrenalin rush that comes with hearing “YOU’RE MY 9th CALLER” hasn’t changed a bit.
Radio’s ability to generate emotional surges is still there, all these decades later, whether you’re a couple of slick teens in Coronado in the 1970s or a modern-day Chicagoland housewife just trying to make ends meet.
Enjoy the ride, and remember you’ll have to show a legal ID to claim those tickets. – FJ
June 2017
Sometimes we get so close to our jobs of serving radio audiences that we lose touch with what they’re actually thinking.
Oh, sure – we know their music preferences or the types of topics they enjoy hearing the morning show talk about. We know from the ratings services how many there are and when they’re listening.
But the power of emotions on their listening behavior and perceptions often
escapes us. That’s especially true when it comes to contests.
It’s true the vast majority of listeners don’t participate in station giveaways. Or we refer to that small percentage of regular players as “contest pigs” – people who make it part of their life’s mission to win prizes from many stations in the market.
For the rest of the audience, there are lots of reasons why people don’t compete to win radio contests. They’re too busy, they don’t they think they can win, or they’re just not oriented to try to win a prize.
Sometimes, it’s the prize itself that’s the problem. Stations wrestle with
the concept of the one winner/one big prize (trips, cars, etc.) or the chance for many people to win lots of smaller prizes (concert tickets, movie passes, etc.). And there’s no certainly no “one size fits all” solution.
But it’s also true that when you work in radio, one of the perks is the privilege to attend shows, events, and concerts without having to pay. We’re used to being comped, sitting in VIP sections, and getting all sorts of freebies.
And so the net effect of working in radio for years is that it is easy to lose of sight what these prizes actually mean to real people. I would venture to say many radio pros don’t have a clue what concert tickets cost anymore. An evening out for two to see even a B-level band is expensive – not to mention the extra costs of parking, food, and beverage prices. And maybe a babysitter.
So the short video below from WDRV/Chicago says it all. A “correct caller” contest hosted by then-afternoon driver, Steve Seaver, for a pair of tickets generated this very real moment caught on video by the winner’s kid. (It is NSFW.)
It’s not a new car. It’s not a trip to Hawaii. It’s not $1,000 cash.
It’s a pair of great concert tickets.
If there was ever any question about radio’s ability to elevate moods, make people feel good, validate them, and maybe even change their lives, it is answered in this 1 minute video clip.
When stations throw away giveaways, treat them as just another element on the clock that needs to be executed on time, mail them in, or simply take them for granted, we lose that opportunity to make an indelible, lasting impression. It’s not the size or price of what we’re giving away that matters – it’s the way it’s presented, it’s the way we make listeners feel, and it’s the powerful effect it can have on a larger audience.
And when we talk about listeners as “contest pigs,” we minimize the larger opportunity radio has to connect emotionally with the audience as few other media outlets can.
It is notable that Pandora dumped its concert ticket company, Ticketfly, late last week, losing well more than $100 million after just a year of purchasing the online ticketing specialist. Clearly, Pandora was unsuccessful at integrating the concert/events experience with the passion its fans have for music. For broadcast radio, the connection with the concert business is a traditional one. Both businesses have the remarkable ability to promote and market one another.
Prizes as mundane as a pair of concert tickets may not seem like a lot, especially compared with larger expenditures like outdoor advertising or direct mail. But to an average fan in Crystal Lake, Homewood, or Des Plaines, they just may be the thrill of a lifetime.
It’s a reminder to all of us about the value of entertainment – and the impact our stations have.
Thanks to former WDRV programmer, Rob Cressman.
And by the way, six years later, Guns n’ Roses will play Wrigley Field this coming August. You might still be able to buy tickets for the show….
…or you might try to win a pair from a Chicago radio station.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Thanks for the reminder, Fred. Radio is one of the rare enterprises that shows little love for heavy users. Truth be known they are our frequent flyers and deserve respect. Imagine being turned away by a gate agent telling you “You already flew with us this month. You’re flying too much. Go away.”
OK, David, so WHO invented “the 30 day rule” anyway? Always great to hear from you.
And just 2 weeks ago I attended Radio Days/Toronto which featured a panel called “No More Caller 9! Out with the Old for 2023 and beyond.” No one talks about the 8 previous callers who rudely get hung up on. Why are we doing it like it’s 1980 when there are so many better ways to engage EVERYONE and not just the winners?
What goes around comes around, right Ron/ Good to see you in TO.
One of the small items in radio -but big on the hearts and minds of listeners is the chance to win an “experience” that the listener can’t or won’t spend their hard earned money. Concert tickets are (duh) a great gift. Think back to the days of Jack McCoy’s “The Last Contest” on KCBQ -and subsequently the “Incredible Prize Catalog”.
These promotions provided the chance to win amazing items like a new Maserati. A 40 day African Safari. I caught hell in 1984 when we gave away an AIRPLANE! It was one of those prize choices. Have a $500 Amazon Gift Card? Offer up Sun Block for the next 10 years. Next time around offer up “new bicycle tires for you and your entire cycling group”. Using some imagination (better than mine) can really enhance what might otherwise be a lifeless giveaway. “Ear Buds for you and 99 of your closest friends.” Too often you hear “a $100 Outback Steakhouse Gift Card” or “a gift certificate to (business).” A little imagination can go a long way to connect with your listener.
While you’re considering accepting a prize, consider the value vs. what the providing business gets. A $100 giveaway item should get 5:1 promotional value. That includes a tease, the contest intro (and we hope the contest itself is more than just a “text to win”), the actual contest (there’s a (prize) for you if you can (complete the contest). Then when you congratulate the winner- offer up the next time this item will be up for grabs.
It all seems very elementary but a little creativity can go a long way in getting the listener’s attention and eventually affection for your station’s brand and with the proliferation of “text to win” boredom, it does very little to bring radio up to the level it needs to compete.
On the subject of heavy users. . .CELEBRATE them, don’t hide them. Someone calls and asks “Why does Suzy Sweepstakes win all the time”? Tell the complainer . .”Suzy is listening 24/7. We don’t know when she sleeps”. Solicit an endorsement the next time Suzy wins. If you station is putting t-shirts on the back of Suzy’s entire family, what have you got to lose? Radio NEEDS more people like that.
As one of those “Suzies” back in the day, who was told stations DID get complaints about how often I was winning, I couldn’t agree more. Bring back some excitement and creativity. I’ve said it here before but if you do a good, engaging contest, I’ll be happy just listening whether I win or not! I’ll be happier if I WIN…but I’ll be happy to listen and pull for my fellow-listeners regardless. (And I never once felt slighted or unappreciated to hear, “You’re caller number six, hang up and try again.” I was thrilled just to get THROUGH! It was all part of the excitement.)
This is a really additive, helpful comment, Dave. Thanks for taking the time.