The Fair - Where is The Wolf ?

[formerKXRX]

I went to the Puyallup fair again last night. It was my second visit since the fair started. My wife and I went the first night, and last night we took the kids. I had a thought on the drive home, and I thought I would just share it with everyone on here.

While walking around the fair KMPS was everywhere. EVERYWHERE. All the CBS stations had a HUGE booth (one HUGE booth per station) and they were selling backpacks full of stuff for $15.00. On each backpack was the station logo. The KMPS booth was by far the busiest each time we walked by, and I must admit I did buy a KMPS one. As we entered and exited the fair on both days, we walked by the KMPS ‘Big Radio’ where they were giving away stickers, you could talk to an intern and do other ‘KMPS’ type stuff.

Here is my question. Where in the hell is The Wolf? They are the new kids on the block, and they are (very clearly) trying to sway people from KMPS over to 100.7. So…why not just plaster the Puyallup fair with ‘The Wolf’. Now….maybe they are out there. Somewhere. But for me, at the fair for two day, about 8 hours, I did not see ANY sign of The Wolf. This is a great opportunity for a station, especially a brand new station that went from a 3.8 to a 3.7 in one book to brand youself. I am no 'IKnowItAll' but I will bet you that the The Wolf will fall again in the next book. Please, mark my words. They need to get out there and cover the city with The Wolf. Get you ass out there, where the people are and brand your station with all the energy you can. The Wolf should have been out there with a booth, the biggest booth in the world, with stickers, t-shirts for sale, sweatshirts for sale and everything else the mind could think of.

The first night I was there, there was a rodeo going on in the grandstands. Still….no The Wolf. Plenty of KMPS, but no The Wolf. Why? I don’t get it. For the life of me, I can not understand why they would not take the opportunity with all these people in one place to plaster The Wolf everywhere.

I’m lost.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Two things:

1. Did you get a roll-a-banner count? We know WOLF is zero ... but for God sakes, man, HOW MANY KMPS BANNERS WERE ON THE FAIRGROUNDS??

2. I should know this better than I do ... but I think there is sponsorship and negotiations involving radio participation at the fair. It used to be something almost everyone did ... then at some point it started turning a bit more competitive. JUST SPECULATING on this point ... but possible that KMPS may have negotiated an exclusive (paid more to keep Wolf out....??) My understanding is this is a bit like Seafair where it used to be done one way (everyone in town crowded onto the barge & S/Finish line)....then the bucks took over and those broadcast rights went only to highest bidder for radio and TV. As I said...I don't know boo...but I do think KMPS promotion team is good and highly possible Apryl may have done a deal to keep Wolf off the grounds. (Not sure if a station would get in trouble if they put banners in the neighborhood, though .. anywhere that parking is not owned by the fairgrounds..??)

 

[TheVisionary]

Yeah, I thought I remember someone from CBS telling me they got exclusivity. I don't know for sure, but reading this that was my first thought as well.

If all CBS stations, and ONLY CBS stations were represented at the fair, it would seem to indicate that they probably had the exclusive rights.

 

[AQH]

The first night I was there, there was a rodeo going on in the grandstands. Still….no The Wolf. Plenty of KMPS, but no The Wolf. Why? I don’t get it. For the life of me, I can not understand why they would not take the opportunity with all these people in one place to plaster The Wolf everywhere.

Probably couldn't get an internet connection at a desired location, rendering the morning show be lost and unable to post on radio discussion boards.

 

[formerKXRX]

"Yeah, I thought I remember someone from CBS telling me they got exclusivity."

I saw Funky Monkey, KUBE 93 and Q102.9 there. So....CBS wasn't they only ones there.

 

[TheVisionary]

Okay I was wrong. Clear Channel got in too.

 

[yoyo205]

I saw the WOLF there, their booth is in a horrible location though, they are off the main walkway, about 50 feet from the Entertainment Stage (I think it's the Coke stage, where the hypnotist is) But as I said HORRIBLE location, you wouldn't be able to find them unless you were REALLY looking for them. Even Qcountry102.9 had more presence at the fair than the Wolf! Not only with their booth location, which is right inside the Gold gate near KMPS, but I saw those Qcountry plastic bags all over the fair.

Oh the backbacks, CBS, Clear Channel, and Entercom all had a shot at it, and CBS won the buy for those. (the station logos on the back packs). I believe it was all trade in fair advertising.

Another thing, the WOLF isn't really handing anything out at their booth, they don't have any static cling stickers. It's puyallup fair policy that radio stations CANNOT hand out regular bumper stickers (because people will stick them all over the fair grounds) only static clings can be handed out... so someone at the Wolf dropped the ball on that one.

 

[formerKXRX]

"It's puyallup fair policy that radio stations CANNOT hand out regular bumper stickers"

Not trying to be a pain with the corrections, just telling you what I know (most times is nothing..haha). In the backpack that I bought from KMPS was a KMPS bumper sticker. I also know that KZOK, KISS.106.1 and JACK had stations stickers in theirs as well because I looked while standing next to the booths.

Thanks for the information about The Wolf being out there. Like I said....eight hours of walking around, and I did not see them once.

 

[yoyo205]

hmm.. na I bought a KZOK back pack, and no bumper sticker... weird.

I know for a fact no radio station stickers are allowed in the fair, as for the KMPS backback with a bumper sticker, that might be an exception.

Yeah and the Wolf, I had to ask someone if they were on site... didn't see them at first.

 

[Audiopak]

I heard from someone working during the rodeo that Fair personel were not very happy with how THE WOLF's promotions team handled themselves and their listeners during the rodeo.....

Families were paraded through the beer garden to get to the meet and greet (15 minutes late) and one of THE WOLF's promotions reps ended up staying in the beer garden.......um.....for a while....

Seems like a Biiiig missed opportunity for a new station in the market to attract new listeners

 

[talkerdjdude]

There are areas where KMPS is vulnerable, but thanks to competition like the Wolf, KMPS will probably remain the dominant station. Many times the Wolf on air sounds better than KMPS. But the Wolf screws themselves at concerts and live appearances by being weak, disorganized and making a poor impression with country listeners. Typical Entercom all talk but no action kind of station.

 

[ilovebeer]

"It's puyallup fair policy that radio stations CANNOT hand out regular bumper stickers"

Not trying to be a pain with the corrections, just telling you what I know (most times is nothing..haha). In the backpack that I bought from KMPS was a KMPS bumper sticker. I also know that KZOK, KISS.106.1 and JACK had stations stickers in theirs as well because I looked while standing next to the booths.

Thanks for the information about The Wolf being out there. Like I said....eight hours of walking around, and I did not see them once.

You can have stickers at the fair if you are selling them. So CBS with Jack, KISS, KZOK and KMPS are allowed to have stickers in their backpacks if they want to since they are selling the backpacks full of crap (and if you look at the contents, I do mean CRAP). The thought is if someone buys a sticker, they wont want to stick it on something in the fair because they paid for it. In the case of The Wolf, it really does seem like their promotion staff has dropped the ball on all of the big stand-offs against KMPS. The fact is April and her crew have been doing this for a long time and The Wolf is new to the country thing in this market. KMPS knows they can sponsor stages at the fiar, a good amount of country acts, etc. The Wolf needs to play catch up and figure out how they can get in good with Karen LaFlamme and the rest of The Fair marketing staff. If KMPS is smart (which of course they are) they probably have 1st right of refusal for everything and can get everything they want until entercom flips the wolf within the next two years.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

I think it will be interesting to watch the KMPS/WOLF promotion battle from a different perspective. CBS has a veteran marketing/promotions person and Entercom seems to have a revolving door in many promotion positions. (OPINION HERE...) If these companies (Entercom, CC, etc.) really have the perspective that people are interchangable and need to be deported whenever they become too senior (read "too expensive") then it will continue to be a case where the station dumps a ton of $$ into TV and what-not hoping to launch a station, scrimps on the human resources costs so they can look good to the regional management ... and having a lack of experience essentially un-does all the $$ effort spent on the passive things. Not to say a promotion here or there will make or break a station ... but having an experienced team planning your image and marketing strategy WILL be responsible for the win.

I like the sound of the WOLF ... a bit edgier, etc. But as I mentioned before...I thought it was very telling when I went to Martina McBride concert. Both stations out there peppering people with rub-on tatoos ... but KMPS was up next to the pre-event stage, hosted the show (with Stubbs on stage introducing the first act), and had people engaged in "Martini-McBride Olive toss" game while WOLF took to the stage to say "tell us our DJ lineup and we'll give you tickets". To me it was a huge foreshadowing of how, if left unchecked, the promotion and marketing side of that battle will like play out over time.

Bottom line is the management cannot continue to be so dang cheap in every facet of their operation AND expect to unseat the long-term familiar players. Wolf launched with a brilliant TV campaign "Country has moved....", implying that people need to switch frequencies if they want to keep their music. Now I wonder if that was a consulted effort?