Star Search Video Contest Drives $12K & 3,500 Opt-Ins

The Idea

WCWF-TV (CW 14), a part of LIN Television, is a DMA 69 CW television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Next CW 14 Star Contest was created to determine the new CW 14 Star, a year-long paid position meant to provide valuable experience in the world of television. The new station personality would be the station’s representative on air, online, and in the community for the duration of their term.

Green Bay Paul Mitchell School, a beauty school with a focus on cosmetology and hair design, sponsored the entire contest in hopes of increasing their brand awareness during the duration of the contest.

The Execution

Before the contest, the station held two open auditions at the Paul Mitchell School in Green Bay. There applicants were briefly interviewed and had 60 seconds to make a case for why they should be the next CW 14 Star. Applicants could also submit their videos online.

The Next CW 14 Star Contest began once nine semi-finalists had been selected by a panel of judges from the station.

The contest was divided into three rounds with finalists advancing each time. Finalists for each round were chosen by a combination of online votes from viewers, a panel of judges, input from station management, and a handful of other criteria.

Every aspect of the promotion – on air and online – was connected back to the sponsor, The Paul Mitchell School. Their promotional package included:

• TV schedule on both CW 14 and FOX 11
• 100% Share of Voice on all CW Star Search pages
• Additional impressions on CW14online.com and FOX11online.com

In addition, auditions for the contest took place at The Paul Mitchell School location and Paul Mitchell students gave makeovers to all of the finalists as part of the recorded selection process.

The station promoted the contest in several other ways, as you can see below.

• Sent out press releases to local newspapers, radio stations, and colleges.
• Ran standard-length on-air promos and lower-third banners.
• Received additional support from FOX 11’s morning news program.
• Sent the incumbent CW 14 Star to appear on local morning radio shows and promote the contest.
• Sent out emails promoting the contest from both CW 14 and FOX 11.
• Posted frequently about the contest on social media.
• Added the position to FOX 11’s popular job search section, the Job Finder.

The Next CW 14 Star Contest ran on Facebook in addition to on the CW 14 website.

The Results

The contest generated $12,500 for the station, and all of it was new business. Even better, the Paul Mitchell School has already committed to being the sponsor for the 2014 CW 14 Star search as well. Over the duration of the contest, the station generated 3,516 email opt-ins. The contest attracted 4,123 registered users and received over 17,000 votes.