HD Radio Alliance Stuff Your Stocking
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 12/3/2008
Orlando, Fla. — The HD Digital Radio Alliance, formed by radio broadcasters to accelerate HD Digital Radio adoption, launched its Christmastime promotional campaign with a Dec. 5 newspaper insert in USA Today, continued ads on radio and Web sites, and a continued cellphone texting campaign.
Promotional giveaways by radio stations are also occurring through the season.
Last year’s Christmastime campaign did not include an insert, giveaways or cellphone texting.
The newspaper insert is the Alliance’s first-ever insert, though the group previously ran full-page ROP ads in USA Today. The insert promotes HD Radio as a Christmas gift, lists major retailers offering HD Radio and lists manufacturers of almost 100 devices.
Radio ads are appearing in the top 100 radio markets on more than 700 stations to drive traffic to HDRadio.com, a consumer site where people can browse a holiday shopping guide, a station guide to find new multicast stations in a local market, and holiday specials and savings available through key retailers.
The continued texting initiative informs consumers about coupons, rebates and special incentives when they text “GIFT” to 58011. The Alliance’s previous texting initiative included conversations with more than 176,000 consumers in the third quarter.
The online ad campaign, now a week old, has generated 1,400 click-throughs to the gift-giving page on HDRadio.com, equaling 1.7 million impressions, the alliance said. Ads are appearing on the following sites:
Meantime, product giveaways by radio stations are continuing in partnership with retailers, manufacturers and iBiquity for the promotions, the Alliance said.
HD Radio will be ideal for gift-giving during tough economic times, said Alliance founder Peter Ferrara, because HD Radios are available at less than $100 and provide subscription-free access to new multicast channels.
