Station WRGB-TV in Albany (Schenectady), N.Y., may not be able to carry a tune, but it had an idea for driving up new business that was music to the ears of Vice President and General Manager Tom Long. Jingles, those fleet and nimble snatches of melodies with promotional messages built in, are alive and well, thanks to companies like Axcess Broadcast Services and advertisers who like the idea of customers retaining their brand image in song.
Axcess, one of the world's oldest and largest creators of music-based high-call advertising campaigns, was brought on board by General Sales Manager Matt Sames. "Axcess tailors the branding statement to fit the company's needs and matches it with the style and lyrics," he said. "They blend professional top-shelf music with a solid marketing position. The feedback from clients has been overwhelmingly positive—clients take the campaigns and extend the theme to everything they do."
WRGB's approach to selling this unique service was aggressive and provided the station with unforeseen revenue—$1 million in new and/or direct business. Billings like this are seldom if ever seen, not even with low rates and special deals.
"This really saved our bacon in 2001," said Long. "It was one of the reasons we outperformed the market so strongly in the third quarter."
Stories of Success Listing | Table of Contents | 2001 Annual Report | Freedom Communications, Inc.