By Holland Cooke
Consultant
The only holiday Americans spend more on than Halloween is Christmas. So set a reminder, so dutiful DJs spin Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” theme and the Classics IV’s “Spooky” and other durable perennials. Talk hosts: For you, the living, this mash was meant too.
Meantime: Plan for an early-October topic parents will appreciate: Halloween costume ideas. With family budgets tight now, those pop-up costume stores are less affordable to some. And as listeners are now coping, many are imagination-challenged. Back when we “went to the movies,” characters like Harry Potter were more obvious. And with campaign fatigue mounting, non-political costumes offer respite.
In years past, this has been a welcome call-in topic. And inviting listener snapshots of previous years’ costumes – possibly offering a prize for Best – can bring clicks to your web site. Sell a sponsorship, possibly to the big local liquor-warehouse store.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn