November 5, 2021
WHY SHOULD YOUR RADIO STATION FLIP TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC SOONER?
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to listen to
Christmas music all day!
More and more radio stations are flipping to all Christmas Music each year. It has become apparent that what seemingly is a great idea to get into the Christmas spirit early, can also give your station an added gift under the tree in the form of higher station ratings.
FLIP EARLY TO WIN!
Some stations flip early to keep the holiday tradition alive. While others want to get a jump on their competition. So what is a good day to flip? Many radio stations switch to all Christmas Music in mid-November, and some even flip the day after Halloween. One of the most popular times to launch your Christmas format for the season is on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day. This day has over the years become the perceived start of the Christmas holiday season. Flipping formats earlier than Black Friday does work if you are in a strategic race to start holiday music before a competitor.
USE IT AS A MARKETING TACTIC
Flipping to all Christmas Music can be used as a strategic marketing tactic. Many advertisements and promotional media campaigns started rolling out in the same months, allowing radio stations to do sponsorship programs and gain traction and profitability. Being branded as the “Holiday Station” is a great image-building programming practice. It reinforces your adult, family-friendly brand and can expose your station to new cume. Also, your sales team can benefit from additional revenue streams.
THINKING ABOUT A FORMAT CHANGE?
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
There is probably no better way to engage your listeners than to play Christmas Music. You and your team can promote it across all your social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and use them to gain additional traction or even take requests.
Radio stations playing holiday music are seen as the “Official” announcement of getting into the season. Choosing the right time for your market and station to start playing Christmas Music can be strategic or a great way to create buzz. There have been many studies that indicate with the stress of the current times, listeners are getting into the Christmas spirit earlier.