Each Memorial Day weekend, ROCK 101 throws the City of Manchester’s largest outdoor celebration known as Sky Show. Taking place along the Merrimack River, Sky Show grew from an evening fireworks display fifteen years ago to an all-day festival featuring not only fireworks, but live music, vendors, and entertainment for the whole family. Best of all, the entire day is FREE.

Within the last three years alone, Sky Show has featured live music from recent national chart-toppers—Shinedown and Crossfade—and hit-makers of years past—Skid Row and Slaughter. The event featured action sports demos from the Red Bull TNT Freestyle Motocross team, and appearances from New England Patriots players. Children enjoyed amusement rides and games, while parents could feel comfortable by registering their kids with the free Child Indenti-Kit program. The entire day is capped off by New Hampshire’s largest outdoor fireworks display, set to a 25-minute soundtrack produced by the station.

In the Fall, The Morning Buzz gives one listener the chance to win the vehicle of their dreams. Targeted at a working-class, male audience, the Buzz Lumpa Truck is a loaded, custom pickup—with aftermarket wheels and tires, plenty of chrome, a complete tool chest in the bed, and gas for a year.

“Lumpa” is an affectionate term coined by the show to describe the working individual. If you do an everyday job, and you have a boss, you’re a Lumpa. Lumpas work hard, and deserve to be rewarded… and that’s where this program comes in.

In 2006, the concept was taken a step further by allowing listeners to choose, out of four possible vehicles, which they’d like to win with the Buzz Lumpa Lot. Kicking off each year on Labor Day—or Lumpa Day—weekend, listeners begin qualifying on-air and on-site at client locations. 6 weeks later, the final giveaway takes place at the vehicle sponsor’s dealership.

Annually, The Morning Buzz along with their network radio affiliates combine efforts to feed New Hampshire’s needy through the holiday season and into the following calendar year. Over two straight days, The Lend-A-Helping-Can Radio Auction hits the air, giving listeners the chance to bid on unique items and experiences rarely found anywhere else.

The concept originated from a parking lot radio broadcast—with nothing more than a trailer and mobile studio—collecting canned food and donations. With the reach of the show, and the potential to generate more dollars, the project grew into what it is today—a vast assortment of affordable items, presented over a 27-hour period, in an entertainment-based morning show format. It really is as fun to listen to as it is to participate!

In years past, items have ranged from autographed guitars and fly-aways to exclusive locales, to custom heating systems and chances to spend the day with celebrities. Almost all items are donated by radio station clients and business partners. In November of 2006, with everyone’s help, the Lend-A-Helping-Can Radio Auction generated a record $70,000 to benefit eleven state shelters, food banks, and other assistance agencies.

As ROCK 101 looked toward the future, we began to place a greater emphasis on growing our presence within the online world. Culminating on July 24th, 2006, we re-tooled and re-launched our e-mail club as Lumpa Nation.

Lumpa Nation wasn’t just an e-mail club—we aimed for an overall experience. See your favorite bands perform without leaving your desktop… Stream CDs before they hit shelves… Download this morning’s Buzz… Purchase tickets to shows before they go on-sale, or at a discounted price… And when we do send e-mails, each e-mail that is sent allowed for an exclusive chance to win a special client-generated prize—the reward.

Comparing the 30-day period prior to the re-launch to the entire month of November 2006, we saw steady improvements in overall traffic and visitors. Active e-mail subscribers were up 21%, and made up 30% of the station’s total listening audience (12+ cume). Daily unique visitors were up 12%, while daily returning visitors were up 15.4%. 58% of all users returned on a daily basis, with page view and visit traffic up close to 14%.

For the past four years, ROCK 101 has been Northern New England’s home for NASCAR. As the region’s only FM racing outlet, the station has been able to successfully generate large audiences on Sundays (traditionally, the weakest day), and create specialized revenue sources through spots, sponsorships and other non-traditional means. This season-long campaign is key to the program’s execution.

On-Air Component: Go faster.
The phrase “go faster” is motivational by nature, lifestyle-driven (especially in New England), and easily meshes well with the NASCAR product. The phrase is used to seamlessly integrate station content with racing. Produced station imaging and promos carry the “go faster” theme throughout the weekend, and air talent take time to relay race previews, results, standings, and any other pertinent info. There is also a raised sense of “urgency” as the Chase for the Nextel Cup begins during the season’s final ten weeks. To goal is to get our listeners to feel as passionate about racing on ROCK 101 as they do music.

As the official Motor Racing Network affiliate of NHIS, a weekend-long on-air broadcast takes place live from the infield, kicking off Friday with Greg and the Morning Buzz—talking to top Cup drivers and crews. A second, highly-visible, on-site point is set up prior to the start of each day’s race near the main entrance to the grandstand. This area attracts thousands as they walk in with our branded and sponsored race guides.

Additional Marketing
To boost awareness outside of the current listener base, we employed some simple marketing strategies including the promotion of NASCAR racing coverage to sport-loving crowds at area events—professional hockey, baseball, and arena football.

Station contesting took place for to tickets to NHIS events. The station also has the ability to put race fly-aways or RV road-trips together with clients and marketing partners.

Future proposals also include raising the interactivity level with the product on the station website—either through fantasy racing, or weekly online driver pick ‘ems.