Case Study Highlights
- $25,000 in revenue
- Recurring, returning sponsors
- 25% YOY growth
Second Street Award Winner – Recurring Revenue
The Idea
Sheridan Media uses a tried-and-true promotion to generate recurring revenue year after year: a Pro Football Pick’em. The pro football season delivers six-plus months of sustained audience interaction and advertiser awareness—a winning combination that Sheridan Media has perfected.
The Execution
Sheridan Media leverages the national Pro Football Pick’em contest to engage its local football fanbase, offering both title sponsorship and supporting sponsorship packages to local advertisers.
Title sponsors receive premium logo placement on the contest’s main image and Winners tab, along with opt-ins on the registration form. They also receive VIP picker spots, allowing players to see the sponsors’ picks each week and “play against them.” Supporting sponsors have the opportunity to sponsor individual weekly prizes, also benefiting from logo placement on the Winners tab.
The Sheridan Media team has streamlined promotion of this contest to a science. Every Wednesday from 7:40–8:00 a.m., two VIPs from each title sponsor joined the in-studio Local News, Sports, and Talk radio show. Their on-air interactions with the hosts were so entertaining that Sheridan Media repurposed the audio into 60-second promotional radio ads for the following week, teasing listeners with “Here’s what happened in the studio last week.” This approach allowed audiences to follow the storylines as they unfolded throughout the season.
The Results
Sheridan Media’s advertising strategy was a huge hit, as the title sponsor VIPs would be stopped in grocery stores, listeners calling out to them by their avatar names.
In total, the Sheridan Media team generated $24,500 in revenue—a 25% increase year over year. They also captured more than 600 new opt-ins for title sponsors and over 100 promotions opt-ins for Sheridan Media’s own future campaigns.
One title sponsor remarked that the promotion was so successful they “will never give it up.” The other title sponsor has already committed to sponsoring the contest again next year—clearly showcasing the lasting power of smart, well-executed promotions.
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Kristen is a Customer Success Manager and Content Creator. She works to create useful content with thought-leadership our partners can use to drive revenue, engagement, and audience growth with promotions.