THE REMOTE Chris Byrnes I visited our local video store recently, and noticed a few doors away the beer store had finally opened. What caught my eye, in the huge parking lot of the shopping mall, were two giant inflatable beer cans and a sleek black beer truck. I had to take a look since they might stock my favourite New Zealand beer. Sadly there was no Stienlager. As I got closer, I noticed a radio station broadcasting from the event. There were two guys, in baggy pants and black T-shirts standing behind broadcast equipment, looking way too cool for the room, and a radio station was playing through speakers. A station van, with lights flashing, was blocking the footpath forcing shoppers to risk walking on the busy road. So I walked around looking like a prospective purchaser of beer, and observed what happen.
In the store the staff gave away free bottle openers and beach towels, and there was a BBQ stand outside next to the radio station, but it was not obvious if they were giving away or selling food. The cool guys stood around talking to each other, but never interacting with the customers. Two beer reps were also standing about chatting with each other, and from time to time, would hand out giveaways from the back of a PT Cruiser. After fifteen minutes, I left the event somewhat under whelmed, and I wondered how many others did the same?
It got me thinking what they could they have done differently? So here are some tips that may ensure your next remote is an event and people will go away feeling good about the client’s product, and your radio station.
The Promotional Brief Sheet: Design one that is simple to fill out, and insist one be filled out, for every event the station is involved with. This sheet is then distributed, and signed off by all the people who need to be involved in approving an event. From this sheet develop a plan of action, delegate responsibilities and make sure everyone knows their deadlines.
The Goal of the Remote: The objective of the remote needs to be clearly written out, and agreed to by all involved, especially the client. This way you’ll know when you’re successful in the eyes of the client, and/or suppliers. Don’t let the radio station fail at an event because the objective is unrealistic. If the client normally sells 20 cars a month, and the objective is to move 50 cars during a three hour remote, you will have a disappointed client, perhaps lose future business, and not get paid. If this is the case, go back to the client, and agree on attainable goals, or walk away from the sale.
The Menu of Opportunities: Negotiate deals with local entertainers and put together a list of options for clients to pick from. Get a clown, a face painter, a petting zoo, and local cover bands, so if the client wants a spectacular event, they only need to call your radio station and you can make it happen. The client pays the additional fees and your remote looks better.
The Look of Your Event: Your remote set-up must reflect the image of your radio station, and be attractive to your target audience. Have strong station signage at events. Have a sandwich board with the station logo, photo of the talent and their name in clear view. Not everyone knows what your personalities look like.
The Pre-Remote Visit: This is perhaps the most important tip I will offer in this article. Insist the sales rep, the promotion manager, and the air talent visit the client’s location a few days before the event. You’ll be amazed how many little problems can be solved during this visit. Finding the best place to hang banners, where the power and phones are, and discuss with the client what his expectations are, and what will happen on the day. It’s also wish to reconfirm with the client the objectives of the event. This shows the client that your radio station cares about his business, and wants the event to be successful.
Extra Staff: This depends on the event, but if it calls for additional station staff then make sure they are dressed in station apparel and look great. But here’s where most stations fall down. Make sure they know what their role is, and exactly what is expected of them. The main reason staff won’t volunteer to work at a remote, is they don’t know what to do at the event, and stand around looking embarrassed to be there. Budget a few dollars into the price of the remote and buy give-aways. Have a prize wheel, or a signup sheet to win instant prizes. Brief the staff and have a schedule of events and activities that will take place during the event, so there is a reason for them to be involved.
The Reports: How often have you seen a remote start at 10am, with the first live cut-in scheduled in the: 40 break and nothing happens until after 11am? By this time the client is nervous and convinced that radio does not work. Instead have the talent pre-record a cut-in that plays at 9:40am and has a real hook to motivate people to drive to that location. When I was on the air, I would voice a cut in saying "I’m just leaving the station parking lot for Joe's Car Yard, and I’ve got $100 cash if you can beat me there". Most times I would already be in the parking lot at Joe’s, but from time to time I would give the money away. Joe of course was very impressed when 50 people showed up five minutes before the remote started. In short plan the cut-ins, in such a way as they work for both the format of the radio station, and the client.
What Happens On Air: Here’s a suggestion. Record a standard bumper with a 60 second music bed on the end. This eliminates the needless chatter between the talent on the air, and the talent at the remote. The music bed keeps the talent to time. When the music is done, so are they. Be sure to review the cut-ins with the talent from time to time, to ensure they are effectively selling the benefits of each remote. Sometimes they miss the importance of crafting a script with compelling reasons why listeners should immediately drive to that client’s location.
Give Them Something To Take Away: Print up bumper stickers, hand out your radio station newsletter, give-away coffee mugs, fridge magnets or mouse pads with your radio station logo on them. But please, don’t miss the opportunity to have potential listeners of your station, leave the event without taking your station with them.
Capture the Event On Film: Snap some pictures, and for big events shoot video. After the event is over, present the client with a photo album, and a cassette of the cut-ins. This creates a lasting positive image on your client, and the photo album will have a long shelf life in his office, or place of prominence. Also snap a photo with the client and your air talent in front of your logo or station vehicle, and present it to the client blown up and in a frame. It will drive your competition’s sales executives wild every time they visit that client, because chances are, your client will hang it on the wall in his office.
Client Feedback Form: At the end of the remote, the Promotions Manager hands the client a confidential survey to be filled out and mail to the General Manager or President of the radio station. Include the stamped addressed envelope. This survey rates the overall event, the staff, and the equipment. It also asks "Did the remote meet, or exceed your objective for the event?" Also ask what they didn’t like, and what they thought could have been improved. If there was a problem, you’ll hear about it, and can go back to the client and fix things. I’ve won a lot of business from talking with clients unhappy with the competing radio stations events, because the talent was late, the Promotions Manager was smoking, or the station van was dirty. It’s "The putting right that counts", and should a problem arise in the mind of the client, you have the opportunity to fix it quickly, and have a loyal client for life. The worst that can happen is that the station repeats the event at no cost to the client. One of the questions on your form should be "Are you planning another event within the next three months?" If the answer is yes, your sales department can lock it up while the client is still feeling great about the last event, and before your competition get wind of the planned event. When you get a glowing report back, ask the client to write you a testimonial and add it to your sales success profile.
The Post Analysis: After each event, gather all involved and do a 10-minute debrief. Note what worked well, what could have been better, and anything you would do differently next time. This way you are building a better mousetrap with each event.
Conclusion: The remote is one of the things radio can do so much better than TV or newspapers. We can do it more often and, at an affordable price. But we all need to work hard to keep this advantage. |