SOCIAL - 7 Steps To A Social Partnership

1-25-2012

Radio has always done partnerships very well.  The idea of teaming up with a client to make a promotion happen is nothing alien to us at all.  We?ve always understood that providing a client with involvement that takes them above and beyond a standard spot schedule creates a premium marketing vehicle for them, and usually serves to deepen and strengthen the relationship between that client and the radio station.

One of the reasons I get back from the many stations I talk to as to why they aren?t getting their social efforts into ?high-gear? is lack of resources and lack of commitment internally.  That?s a little alarming.  When you see the trending massive shift of resources to digital and social, it makes you wonder what radio managers think they know that the leading brand marketers in the world don?t.

Regardless, that leaves you the station marketing & promotions manager with a problem.  How do I execute my creative and effective social campaigns when my station won?t put any gas in my engine?  The answer is in our longtime friend?partnerships.

Behold an example of a successful social promotion partnership.  General Mills? Multi Grain Cheerios and Meredith Corp.?s Fitness magazine teamed up on a 4-week online weight-loss program.  The content was recipes and menus from the magazine?s experts, a workout plan from a noted health and fitness author, and custom videos by Meredith following 3 women?s attempts to reach their weight loss and fitness goals.

Everybody brings something to the table.  To get the free program, access codes were put in specially marked box of Multi Grain Cheerios.  There are links to discounted subscriptions to Fitness magazine.  Meredith promoted the package on their ?The Better Show,? which reaches nearly 80% of US TV households.  And, of course, everyone brings their social audiences to bear.  Fitness has 75,000+ Twitter followers and 260,000+ Facebook fans.  Multi Grain Cheerios has 1,700 Twitter followers and is represented on the Cheerios Facebook Page with close to 600,000 fans.

So here?s what you should do if you get a brilliant idea for a station social campaign:

1. Congratulate yourself for even thinking of a brilliant social idea. 

2. Assess what you need to execute it that you don?t currently have. 

3. Assess who in your market can bring what you need to the table.  They don?t

    necessarily have to be existing station clients.  In fact, it?s a great way to potentially

    begin new relationships. 

4. Make sure you can show them the value proposition of their participation.  Think a

    LOT about what?s in it for them.

5. Be prepared to bring everything that makes your station valuable to the table (you want

    to be a partner, not a charity case). 

6. Execute. 

7. Follow up at the end of the campaign to share metrics indicating success and to keep

    the relationship-building going.

Mike Stiles is a writer/producer with the social marketing tech platform, Vitrue, and head of Sketchworks comedy theatre. Check out his monologue blog, The Stiles Files.

Find him on Facebook or on Twitter @mikestiles

Links

General Mills : http://www.generalmills.com

Fitness Magazine: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com

Cheerios Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Cheerios

Vitrue: www.vitrue.com

Sketchworks: www.sketchworkscomedy.com

Stiles Files: www.mikestiles.com/stilesfiles

Stiles Facebook: www.facebook.com/mike.stiles

Stiles Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikestiles

(1/26/2012 6:56:00 AM)
Great article, Mike. There are so many managers who don't understand the opportunity social media has to offer in regards to the promotions arena.

Hoping this article will give hope to desperate Promotions directors everywhere.

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