Giving away a classic 1972 Stingray Corvette in front of several hundred people, I learned the hard way that it’s possible for two contestants — each holding the key to a different classic car — to start the same damned car.
So sure, contests can have their issues! But they also create appointment listening and increase time spent listening. While collective national contesting can be an effective tool, there’s no substitute for local contests to create memories and bonding with listeners. Plus, if executed correctly, you can tie in sponsors to generate added revenue. Is your contest calendar full yet for 2024? If not, here are fun ideas to get you started.
Laugh Out Loud: Record the distinctive laughs of celebrities, including your own on-air talent. Have listeners guess the name of the laughter. Prize: Tickets to a local comedy club. Grand prize: A trip for two to see a well-known national comedian.
Mystery Riff: Play a short clip of a guitar riff from a popular song and increase the length of it until a listener wins. Start with two seconds — or as little time as possible for sharp ears to catch it — and increase by one second for each try. Prize: Guitar lessons. Grand prize: An autographed guitar from a star in your format.
Light Up the Night … with the radio station’s call letters or logo: Listeners get creative with your brand, put ’em up on their houses or businesses, take a photo, and you post all the entries to your website. The audience then votes on best treatment. Grand Prize: A trip to see a famous sign, like the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.
Cash Cow: Ever heard of green milk? Whenever the cow moos — before, after and during songs or commercials, anyone who texts in has a chance to win cash.
Karaoke Kristmas: Using the voice memo app on their phone, listeners submit 30 seconds of singing a Christmas song of their choice with the music in the background. Play the best ones on-air, put them all on your website. If a listener hears themselves on the radio and calls the station within ten minutes, they win a Christmas tree.
Free Gas Fridays: It never gets old and always attracts a crowd. If you want to create a traffic jam that draws news coverage on a slow news day, pick a specific time and gas station on a Friday. First 50 cars get up to $50 worth of gas. Your maximum spend is $2,500. If your station is embracing sustainability, this one easily changes to “Free Charging Fridays.” Give these charging credits away on-air to be used at the winner’s convenience.
The best part of contesting? In a sea of sameness, unpredictability is a key point of differentiation. Add the fun and you’ve got a winner.
