The Background
WSB-FM (B98.5), a part of Cox Media, is a DMA 9 radio station in Atlanta, Georgia. The adult contemporary radio station has been running successful contests since 2011.
The Idea
The Lake Lanier Islands Resort wanted to double the number of weddings booked from 2012 to 2013. To reach this goal, the resort teamed up with WSB to run Lake Lanier Islands Dream Wedding Contest, giving one lucky couple the chance to win their perfect wedding!
The Execution
The contest took place in 6 stages. In the first round, voters narrowed down all of the hopeful couples to 3 final couples. Before the second round, each of the final couples was interviewed on the B98.5 morning show. The second-round voting determined which couple would win the Lake Lanier Islands Dream Wedding grand prize.
Once the couple was chosen, the third round gave listeners a chance to vote for their wedding transportation and flowers. Voters in the third round were automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a 3-day/2-night stay at the Lake Lanier Islands Resort. The fourth round was a vote to determine wedding cake and the location of the rehearsal dinner at the Lake Lanier Islands Resort. The fifth round selected the honeymoon suite at the Lake Lanier Islands Resort, and the sixth and final round let voters choose the wedding dress and the site of the reception.
In addition to the online portion of the contest, the Lake Lanier Islands Resort invited the top 50 couples from the first round to a party at the resort meant to showcase the way in which the resort hosts weddings.
The promotional package for the sponsor included:
- Radio advertising
- Digital advertising on the B98.5 website
- A landing page featuring the dream wedding
- Google Display Network ads
- Facebook ads
The Results
The contest generated $30,000 in revenue for WSB-FM. Over 500 engaged couples entered the contest, which provided direct leads for the sponsor. Furthermore, Lake Lanier Islands Resort had over 900 potential resort guests vote on various aspects of the wedding that also provided leads for vacations, weekend getaways, concerts, and more.
The Lake Lanier Islands Resort was pleasantly overwhelmed by the response the contest received and the number of weddings that were booked because of it. The resort has booked a total of 10 weddings as a direct result of the contest and the party for the top 50 couples, including a wedding for one of the 3 final couples that did not win the dream wedding!
Why It Worked
- The contest enticed people to vote on aspects of the wedding and register by offering the chance to win a weekend stay at the resort.
- The party for the top 50 couples served as both an additional prize and promotion for the resort as a wedding venue.
- On-air, online, and social media promotion created awareness of the contest.
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Julie is the Senior Customer Success Manager at Second Street and a former client in local media. Her best advice for driving the most success with your revenue and audience engagement strategy is to include promotions in every business initiative.