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remotes - still effective?
- Thread starter freqdev
- Start date
Depends on where and what your goal is.
I don't think car dealer remotes have ever been effective car-sales tools. But car ad-sales revenue tools, highly effective.
Out in the community remotes for community events I still think are the best promotional tools a station can use. There is no substitute for being there and shaking hands and kissing babies. In fact, even more so now where most Clear Channel stations have no local personalities. People don't want to meet an intern or a salesperson. They want to put a face to a voice. You will never see Ryan Seacrest in Columbia, SC broadcasting from St. Patrick's Day. And I am still waiting for the day when Clear Channel pulls out a laptop with Prophet Systems on it and has the laptop on stage introducing bands and doing stage announcements.
I don't think car dealer remotes have ever been effective car-sales tools. But car ad-sales revenue tools, highly effective.
Out in the community remotes for community events I still think are the best promotional tools a station can use. There is no substitute for being there and shaking hands and kissing babies. In fact, even more so now where most Clear Channel stations have no local personalities. People don't want to meet an intern or a salesperson. They want to put a face to a voice. You will never see Ryan Seacrest in Columbia, SC broadcasting from St. Patrick's Day. And I am still waiting for the day when Clear Channel pulls out a laptop with Prophet Systems on it and has the laptop on stage introducing bands and doing stage announcements.
dudefan, you seriously need to use that thought in a larger treatise directed to the industry and public on "Localism." It's funny, has great imagery and is very provocative. Bravo!
Well done, dudefan!!!!
DudeFan said:
From the standpoint of the car dealer, the object of remote is to cause an "event" or "happening" each time the remote is held. Ideally, the remotes are held regularly to create in the listeners' minds the expectation that each time they think about that dealership, they can expect an "event" to be happening when they go there. It used to be that the remotes were coupled with other add on events like dunking booths, face painting, balloon sculptors, free food, sometimes bands or other performers, etc. But, as things, including costs, got watered down(and people got lazy), the only "event" that happened was the jock rolling up in the van and either setting up the Marti or, even worse, doing phone ins from his or her cell phone. So, like Steve said, in recent years, the remote has been relegated to being an added value tool to sell spots.
S
Scooter Lesley
Guest
First, I'd like to thank Freqdev for this topic. I'm sure that Remotes have been discussed before, but it still merrits more discussion. I'm not going to make too big of an addition, as SSummers simply beat me to it, and his post is dead-on. Everyone should read his post first. I will, however, add some to his points, per my experience: When I was at WCKN/later WROQ, we had remotes priced so damn high ($2500) that even the richest car dealerships thought twice about spending that wod on three hours. We really didn't want to service remotes, verses selling more spots.
First, they had to be promoting an "Event". The event was not the station being there, on location.
Secondly, the GSM, and the sales staff were not allowed to package "Free Mini Remotes" to lurd signatures on annual contracts. "Mini Remotes" are more trouble than what they turn, do nothing for the station, while fattening car salesman with free can drinks, and Papa Johns.
If a "Mini Remote" is three :60's, just bonus them three more spots!
First, they had to be promoting an "Event". The event was not the station being there, on location.
Secondly, the GSM, and the sales staff were not allowed to package "Free Mini Remotes" to lurd signatures on annual contracts. "Mini Remotes" are more trouble than what they turn, do nothing for the station, while fattening car salesman with free can drinks, and Papa Johns.
If a "Mini Remote" is three :60's, just bonus them three more spots!
Sorry if I am a bit repetitious. I had a couple other thoughts.
Clients like remotes. Regardless of whether they actually move product, but as a revenue-maker, I think they are still effective for the station.
Having just arrived home from a remote tonight from a non-profit event, a station presence at a community event is the absolute best promotional tool a station has in its arsenal. It says you are involved. It says you care. And you can draw attention to the community event, increase attendance, and hopefully, entertain and inform the 97% of the audience who will never attend. All of this is invaluable and builds a brand that is eventually unassailable.
Having a presence does not mean having the station vehicle there.
Having a presence does not mean plaster the place with roll-a-banner and leave.
Having a presence doesn't mean having an intern hand out totchke.
It does mean having your on-air staff there, speaking as live as possible on air from the location (sometimes we have a 10ms delay, sometimes its 30sec to 2 min), shaking hands, saying hello, listening to both the kudos and concerns about the station, and observing and reporting what is going on.
Unfortunately, drive-by bannerings, jocks holed up in the van doing cell phone breaks, or (and yes, this happens) pre-recording "remote" voice tracks in advance and not even being on site, are pretty much what most stations do these days either from a lack of training, a lack of will, a lack of personnel or a lack of care.
And yes, for non-profits, we do a lot of "freebie" remotes because we benefit as much as the organization does. But my station's mission is a little bit different than that of a commercial advertising vehicle.
Clients like remotes. Regardless of whether they actually move product, but as a revenue-maker, I think they are still effective for the station.
Having just arrived home from a remote tonight from a non-profit event, a station presence at a community event is the absolute best promotional tool a station has in its arsenal. It says you are involved. It says you care. And you can draw attention to the community event, increase attendance, and hopefully, entertain and inform the 97% of the audience who will never attend. All of this is invaluable and builds a brand that is eventually unassailable.
Having a presence does not mean having the station vehicle there.
Having a presence does not mean plaster the place with roll-a-banner and leave.
Having a presence doesn't mean having an intern hand out totchke.
It does mean having your on-air staff there, speaking as live as possible on air from the location (sometimes we have a 10ms delay, sometimes its 30sec to 2 min), shaking hands, saying hello, listening to both the kudos and concerns about the station, and observing and reporting what is going on.
Unfortunately, drive-by bannerings, jocks holed up in the van doing cell phone breaks, or (and yes, this happens) pre-recording "remote" voice tracks in advance and not even being on site, are pretty much what most stations do these days either from a lack of training, a lack of will, a lack of personnel or a lack of care.
And yes, for non-profits, we do a lot of "freebie" remotes because we benefit as much as the organization does. But my station's mission is a little bit different than that of a commercial advertising vehicle.
i started the topic because i wanted to test the waters in other parts of the state. what has been said is true. remotes are an excellent way for sales people to close the deal on orders not really caring if they are successful or not. done a ton of those.
i agree that being part of community events is good with signage etc, but a 2 hour remote with a newspaper ad as copy on a saturday afternoon is brutal to the reputation of the station with the customer. i wish sales people would encourage their clients to make the day of the remote an event. a van and a dj with a few cds and key chains is not going to bring anyone in anymore.
i agree that being part of community events is good with signage etc, but a 2 hour remote with a newspaper ad as copy on a saturday afternoon is brutal to the reputation of the station with the customer. i wish sales people would encourage their clients to make the day of the remote an event. a van and a dj with a few cds and key chains is not going to bring anyone in anymore.
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