Michael O'Malley's Lessons from Barnum

Sell the feelings not the facts;

That is, how listeners will feel after listening, participating in or attending an event or winning a contest.

A contemporary example of Barnum’s hippo hype is a state lottery where the focus is on how you’ll feel with your winnings, not the specifics of how you’ll collect.

Add components into promotions that arrest attention, surprise and amuse, cause talk. Add street elements to contests. Make promos sizzle and change them often. Consider what additional prizes could be added to escalate the impact.

If you’re giving away a truck full of items for the home, put banners on a big, rented U-Haul moving truck and drive around town and to all one-hour registration stops. Dress an off-air person up as a mover and have him show up at all stops. Have him cut the contest trigger, asking “Where do you want me to deliver all this stuff?

Similarly, for cash giveaways or secret serial numbers, dress up a staffer in a black suit and sunglasses and have him handcuffed to a large valise.

Habitually create events and treat them like they really are events – something special, something larger than life/completely out of the ordinary, something never done this way before, something that promises fun. One of the great radio examples of the past 40 years is “The Last Contest,” an amazing collection of prize offerings presented in true dramatic fashion.

Reach Michael at Mike@radioconsult.com