PLAYING GAMES OUTSIDE THE STATION Chris Byrnes – ByrnesMedia During a recent station visit, I was invited to watch the station team play in a slo-pitch baseball game. The team was well turned out, but came second to a clearly superior squad. The following morning, I heard the announcer talking about the previous night’s game and the bit went something like this: “So last night our station staff played against the local paper in a game of slo-pitch. All I can say is that we’re leaving lots of room for improvement. But we are consistent and we still have the league record of 14 losses.” Later in the week the newspaper ran a full page feature on that same game, including photos, and some witty commentary. The paper had assigned a reporter and a photographer to cover the story, perhaps in part because they were playing against their media rival and it was the first time the two had done battle at the ball park. The newspaper had the benefit of a full page of copy, but they made the event sound like a lot of fun, which it was, and they did a nice job of showing the human side of some of their staff.
Firstly, I was impressed that the staff of the radio station had banded together and put a team in the league, since in today’s corporate time-starved world, most radio stations either don’t have sufficient staff numbers or simply don’t get involved in after-hours social events. These people were having lots of fun on the field, but on the air they missed a wonderful opportunity to use theatre of the mind to paint a word picture of two media companies slugging it out. It got me thinking about how other radio stations handle this on-air follow-up and how, as a medium, we can humanise both the front line and the behind the scenes staff of the radio station. Here, then, are some suggestions:
THINK VISIBILITY Take the station banners, the station vehicle and play the radio over the mobile PA system before the game. This is all part of creating the right impression at the event. As a radio station you are more likely to have access to promotional resources that other companies don’t have. So make sure you have a plan to be as visible as possible at the event. It is also important to have appropriate logos on the uniforms as this radio station did. I am amazed by the number of station websites I visit to see photos of staff who are not wearing the logo on their clothing.
TAKE PRIZING
USE AUDIO Take a tape recorder to the event and gather audio to use on the next day’s show or for future imaging of the station. It’s also a good way to give the less experienced staff an opportunity to refine their interviewing skills. Chances are, the other team members will be listening over the next few days to see if they hear themselves on the radio.
TAKE PICTURES Snap some digital photos of your staff as well as the opposition in action and post the best photos on your website. That way as your morning show talks about it the following day, they can drive people to your site. Even better, shoot a few minutes of video, edit it and make it available on the web. I notice more and more radio stations posting video to the free You-Tube type sites these days and then putting a link to the video on their station site. This is a great way to get exposure for your station without paying for bandwidth. It’s one thing to get involved in the community, but unless your listeners can see and hear the “fun,” you are denying them the opportunity to see the staff in all their glory.
NAME DROP Get the names of the opposing team and make a note of those that stand out. Mention them on the air the following day, as there will be a good chance that most of the opposing team and their immediate circle of influence will be listening.
EXPLAIN WHO THEY ARE I am often surprised in research I see at how low the name recognition is of radio personalities outside of the morning show, even though some of these people may have been in that market for a number of years. So when it comes to mentioning the staff behind the scenes, most listeners would have no idea who they are or what they do. Be mindful of this as you construct the break. There is no point in saying “Larry was the star of our team and hit a home run,” if most people have no clue who Larry is or what he does at the station. It would be better to say “Larry, who writes most of the creative ads you hear on the radio station, is also handy with the bat and hit our first home run last night.”
What are some of the other benefits of having a staff social team?
GETTING NOTICED When your listeners see or hear that your station is involved in your community, as opposed to merely talking about community events on the air, you are more likely to get noticed. It’s also more likely that those who see your staff will feel better about the station and perhaps pay more attention to it. It demonstrates that your radio station staff not only live in the community, but they are also active in the community. Satellite radio and voice tracking can result in generic content that leaves listeners feeling disenfranchised, and this is a practical way to minimize the problem.
SHOW PREP OPPORTUNITIES Getting your announcers outside their comfort zone and somewhere other than their usual haunts often results in better breaks on the air. Mentioning listeners’ names on the air and talking about things they experienced first hand in your broadcast area is often of more interest to your listeners than doing a bit about what Paris Hilton did.
TEAM SPIRIT Having some “fun” outside the radio station is a great way to build a team. And playing any sort of team sports is a great leveller. All of a sudden that powerful and wise manager may not look so intimidating when they strike out. Perhaps the junior staff member will be the hero of the day and make the play that closes the gap on the scoreboard. Creating opportunities where they can interact with each other outside the normal work environment often results in better communication and perhaps they will find they have more in common with each other as they get to know each other better.
CONCLUSION Winning the game may not be as important as actually getting involved and having some fun outside of normal work hours. In my 30+ years in broadcasting I have personally been involved in all kinds of crazy events and activities - dragon boating, go-kart racing, demolition derby’s, stock car racing, fun runs, boat racing and perhaps the most embarrassing of all was performing, “The Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker Suite on national television. The scene of ten grown men wearing tutus and performing to choreographed music was a sight to behold, I promise you. But it was lots of fun and people noticed our radio station. So make the effort and get your staff involved in a fun activity. It will likely create a better team spirit and your community will appreciate your efforts. |