Indie 88 LeBron James Secrets
This week’s accolades go to Raina and Matt, Indie 88, Toronto. Their Raptors just got done playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBC playoffs. Not content to just talk about the game or play TV audio as most shows would (and should), they decided to add something different to the conversation in a produced thing call “LeBron James ‘Secrets'” where they revealed silly secrets about the Cavaliers star player. What makes your breaks memorable and sticky is not just the topic, it’s what you do with it that grabs notice and a deeper attention from those listening. Their series of “Secrets” (several below) highlight their fun sense of humor, are very topical, very local, short, and gives us one more thing on the show (even though short-lived) that our competitors never thought to do.
One more Mother’s Day break that is flawlessly executed. The Cruz Show, Power 106, Los Angeles is right up on Mother’s Day and wrote letters to their moms. These have just the right tone and attitude to create humor. What is perfect about this break is how it’s designed. The very first thing you hear after the song are two cast member’s letters. That the show immediately got into content (before any station business) talked to the widest swath of listeners who want to be entertained. They transition from this to Cruz expounding on his letter, with more detail about something he shared with his father as a kid (you will be shocked) with the cast showing its chemistry as they quiz him for all the details. Station business (what you can win, coming up!) is placed at the end, where the audience is most receptive to the message because they were entertained with a great story, delivered in a fun way.
What’s it like when you tell your five-year old son to “man up” and take control of Mother’s Day? That’s what Sean Henry, host of Sean and Michelle, B103, Rockford, IL, did with his son, Declan. Seems like Sean wanted to teach his kid how to start making big decisions about what he’d get his mom for the holiday. So, he charged Declan with coming up with one new thing to get his mother each day during the week. This break is strategic because it’s very real, plays off a current topic, is highly personal, and I leave getting a true sense of Sean as a father. There is not a mom in the audience who isn’t stopping and listening to this break loving how this relationship is playing out on the air.