Point to Point’s "Blitz-at-work" call program is one of the most reliable marketing tools available and it works across virtually every radio format.
According to Point to Point’s President, Tim Bronsil, the focus of each Blitz-at-work campaign is a simple one. “Reach the person at the time of decision when they are ready to select their listen-all-day-at-work radio station” said Bronsil.
Efficiency is Key
Data from tens of millions of completed calls made over the past decade drives "the targeted methods we use to eliminate a lot of the waste,” Bronsil said. Adding a specific example, Bronsil continued, “An Adult-Contemporary (AC) radio station would be focused on dentist offices, doctors offices, chiropractors offices, etc. Where possibly a Country radio station would be focused on paint stores, dry cleaners, etc.”
By contacting the right types of businesses we have a greater opportunity for success to get that radio switched.
A Human connection is vital
“We want to have that human connection right out of the gate. The first thing they hear is a live person talking to them about the radio station,” stressed Bronsil.
In the first 15 seconds of every call, we want to answer:
Who are we?
What’s in it for them? (most times – cash is king here)
What do we have to do to get it?
Many clients are executing contests that have multiple appointments in a day. And, in the conversation we are always driving the listener to that next time to win. But, our most important task it to get them tuning in for that next appointment to create that behavior immediately.
We want to make the barrier of entry to sample the radio station as easy as possible. “You hear this Kenny Chesney song, be the 25th caller, win $500. Very simple,” adds Bronsil.
Two Primary Objectives Behind Every Blitz Campaign
Foot traffic – How do we influence as many people as possible? We look at the residential zip codes that matter to our clients and we know those people are going to go into the dry cleaners, the deli, all of these different retail organizations. We want to get the radio station on in order to influence those people who live within the zip codes and frequent those businesses.
TSL targeting -- Locating the high value meters (PPMs) of those people who are turning on the radio in the morning at their desk and are keeping it on until they leave at 4:30 in the afternoon.
The Blitz is not just about who to call, it also is about WHEN to call.
Our calls take place between 10am and 3pm. Between 8:30 and 10am, people tend to not want to talk to us. They’re getting their day started, opening meetings, dealing with customers right out of the gate. So, we give them that space. We don’t want to be an annoyance.
We end the calls by 3 o’clock because we know a number of them are going to depart between 4:15-5 o’clock.
Bronsil explained, “We can influence behavior as much as possible, earlier in the day, in those high PUMM level hours (2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 4 o’clock) when we see a lot of quarter-hours coming out of the marketplace. Hopefully, we have had a conversation with the listener before that kicks in.”
Which days you make calls also matters. “We don’t place a lot of calls on Mondays because it’s similar to the 8:30-10 o’clock start of every day. On Fridays, people are about to take off for the weekend – we advise not placing a lot of calls there," said Bronsil
Which campaigns are best suited for a Blitz-at-work campaign?
Bronsil explains, “We would not recommend this for an average concert ticket giveaway. The Blitz-at-work is best used with “A-level” promotions – cash, trips, experiences that are hard to buy, etc.”
Regionalizing -- Customizing the blitz calls to make them sound local.
We contract with multiple call centers around the country to make certain the person placing the call to Rochester, NY has the regional dialect of Rochester. And, the same applies for calls made to Birmingham, AL. And, we don’t want to mix those two. Those regional call centers allow us to match what the audience is expecting to hear from their local radio station.
Our philosophy of using smaller, regional call centers provides access to a higher quality call center agent. A better representative of your radio station on the phone translates into a more effective campaign.
We’re not ashamed to admit that our blitz campaigns have the potential to be a little more expensive for all the reasons outlined here. They are also worth it.