"Bartering" Your Services for Radio Advertising Time?

[Carl]

Have any of you heard of this? You donate so many hundreds of dollars worth of carwash tokens, automatic wash coupons or prepaid washcards to the local radio station and in return, they "sell" your services at heavily discounted prices during a very popular radio show which many tune in to to get great bargains at area businesses. What you "get" is exposure of your business' name when your services are mentioned as available for the low price which the radio station sells them for and sometimes the radio DJ will hype up your carwash w/ their personal testimonial and the callers "ditto" the love for your business and call up and snatch up your services for such bargain prices which thereby line the radio station's pockets w/ "ad revenue" of which you've not spent a dime, yet you have "given away" your services as a trade-off for what I've mentioned above?

My question is, have any of you taken part in such mode of advertising? The only reason I hesitate is because something feels strange having so many new customers come in using your washcard, tokens or coupons which didn't earn you one dime of revenue since you "gave them away" for such radio exposure. I'm wrestling between the pros and cons of doing this versus just paying outright for radio advertising. Do you like the sounds of this "bartering" system of advertising or would you caution someone to think twice before "giving your stuff away" like this?

Thanks! - Carl

 

[soapy]

I do something similar with a local radio station. During drive times in the morning during the week they have a gender war contest. 2 people of opposite sex call in and answer questions that generally the opposite sex would Know. The winner after about 4 questions gets a free carwash token for a $8 wash. My name is mentioned at least twice during the contest and during the day promoting the contest. I supply the wash and get my name mentioned. It works out very well for me with little cost.
I also sponsor a contest for our local triple A baseball team. Each home game a car is picked out of the parking lot for the dirtiest car in the parking lot to come and get their free wash courtesy of Soapy's. The fans really have a great time with it and the winner gets a lot of ribbing from the folks around them. ALl I provide is the free $8 token for the wash.

 

[jprb]

Our local radio station does a "Birthday Club" every morning. They announce birthdays every morning. A name is drawn each week and the winner gets several prizes: a haircut, a meal at a local restaurant, and TWO FREE WASHES at our car wash!! They announce the birthday club several times daily, including clips from the syndicated show host. It costs me only the COST of 104 washes a year, and I get lots of advertising from it. Don't forget that you are buying advertising, not giving away washes. In my situation, it's some of the best advertising for the money I've found.

Most radio stations do call-in contests with a free prize. I'd offer free washes to any station that would mention your name. You get your name out to all of the listeners and may get a new customer from every winner. I chose to give two washes to each winner in order to try to make it a habit for them to come to my wash.

Also, I printed a nice "congratulation" letter which describes the free washes and shows our four locations. I seal the two tokens in an envelope with the letter to be given to the winner.

JPRB

 

[wisheewashee]

I've been in radio business for over 27 years so I do know what you are talking about. You are dealing with a kind of "radio classified' program. It will nothing but help you get your name out and that is a good thing. If you can find stations that will give away washes that is also a good thing because most think the prize is too "chincy" anyway. Most stations want to give out a prize with at least a $20 value. Couple of bucks in chemicals is nothing compared to the hundreds or even thousands of people who will hear your car wash name

 

[Carl]

Your Posts Helped Me Realize This Is "No Deal" for Me

Thanks for all the replies to this "barter for radio advertising" topic! The radio station wanted me to be their 'title sponsor' if I'd simply give them 171, $7/each, VIP Coupons ($1,200 value). My business would be mentioned all day long from 8 am - 5 pm on their "Shopping Show" and I would be interviewed in studio for 15 mins at the beginning of the show and 15 mins at the end of the show (about my carwash / dog wash). My biz would receive numerous name mentions during the full show as well as live commercials. I would receive 48 commercials to be used on either of their two stations outside of the Shopping Show to address the rest of the station?s audience.

Reading all of your posts, I like your expenditure of "a few carwashes here and there" rather than this "barter system" of getting radio advertising, but it was an interesting proposal even though I have to turn it down! - Carl

 

[rph9168]

What are you currently doing for marketing and promotions? I don't know the size of your market but if they are willing to prepare the commercial(s) and do all the other activities you mentioned that would be a good deal. When we used to do a deal similar we had to pay to prepare the commercials and give them some money up front in addition to the free washes. It worked well for us from an exposure standpoint and brought in new business.

I would guess that the coupons would be used for on air giveaways which would give you additional exposure. Unless you are satisfied with your volume, promotions and marketing thus far this is something you might want to take a serious look at.

 

[RykoPro]

My wife was in television a few years back and this "bartering" is common. It is actually called "trade outs". You would definitely want a contract if you did decide to do something like this. One of the reasons she is not in the business anymore is their "comp time" way of handling overtime. You are promised paid time off at a later date but you are so busy the time off never rolls around and you are continuously acquiring comp time.