Radio World’s “Guest Commentaries” section provides a platform for industry thought leaders and other readers to share their perspective on radio news, technological trends and more. If you’d like to contribute a commentary, or reply to an already published piece, send a submission to [email protected].
For many, Christmas is an oasis. It’s an escape from this wild world around us. With that in mind, could this be an opportunity to completely change your format for a short while? Even if you’re not playing all Christmas music (you should be), you’ll be a brighter, emotionally-available Christmas station.
Imaging and branding are the most efficient ways to own the season.
Imaging
Your production and liners are voiced in a warmer tone. Even if you haven’t changed the message, perception is everything. Ask the voice-over talent to sound warmer, like hot chocolate, and not like Red Bull.
Use elements such as sleigh bells, toy sounds and children opening gifts on Christmas Day. For holiday signature sounders, I would create a two-second audio logo that says “Christmas” and use it across everything. Get rid of everything that does not address the holiday mood you’ve made. Pause on everything not holiday-related until January.
Have your voice talent develop holiday “shout-outs” to local communities and schools. Create talent liners with different, specific “shout-outs.” Include such areas as local food banks, theatre productions, movies, station promotions, etc.
This isn’t another excuse to brag about how in touch you are with the holidays. You need to show your qualities and benefits. No shouting. Your station or podcast needs to connect emotionally. This is not a ratings strategy but a brand strategy. Focus on everything positive about your community, and please, keep everything sounding local.
Include your Audience
If you have no major promotion and nothing to introduce in the new year, it’s a great time to thank your audience for making great things happen during 2025. Play snippets of listeners’ favorite holiday memories. Take the highlights and place them in a promo. See to it that the promo sounds fresh — not a highlight reel.
Place the mic in front of your audience and let them tell your story. Testimonials are potent ways to showcase your brand. Accumulate stories, favorite memories and traditions encapsulating your station’s voicemail and the talkback feature in your app. Include everything on your website. Make it easy to find and playback.
Include audio from any celebrity interviews, holiday shoutouts from community leaders and audience-submitted Christmas wishes. I favor implementing jingle beds or imaging beds as the material to drop moments into promos. Believability expresses the story and comes across as genuine.
Special Programming
This is a great time to promote the end-of-year programming changes and new features. You might have a new music-intensive feature focused on increasing at-work listening.
If your morning show has a new sweetener coming, begin promoting it right away after Christmas, building excitement and anticipation for the new year. Pre-record speciality shows that sound live! You can go ahead and record a New Year’s Eve party in the middle of December, playing it back on New Year’s Eve. Include everything a party requires: people, food, drinks and party favors. Get a local business to sponsor the goodies.
You can also go ahead and produce this for a Christmas Eve staff party, if you like. Include people opening gifts. Get the same sponsor for both events.
After Christmas Listening
Never expect the gains in your ratings and sales to continue after the new year. Almost all of your new listeners will be gone unless you have a plan to keep them after the holiday. They’ll start scrolling like mad. What’s your plan to stop the scrolling? Listeners must include you in their daily routine.
This is the ideal opportunity to launch a major promotion that builds excitement. Include frequent teases and let listeners know precisely when this promotion begins. Create a reason for your audience, an opportunity to include your station or podcast in their lives. What’s in it for them?
Sound Advantage offers a free 20-minute initial consultation — no obligation required. We’ll discuss your issues and get you started on a new opportunity to increase your brand awareness in your market. We’ll make sure to give your station or podcast the Sound Advantage it needs.
