Most jocks give away whatever comes in over the transom for free. But the best giveaway items for a personality-driven show have three qualities:
1. Extremely limited practical value
3. Personalized
3. Inexplicably fun
Historic Example
During the first years of Late Night With David Letterman (his NBC show), Letterman would give his guests their own, official Late Night With David Letterman Collapsible Drinking Cup.
It was a plastic drinking cup which, when you pressed down on it with the palm of your hand, collapsed into a flat shape.
Every visiting celebrity insisted on leaving with one.
And every viewer would’ve loved to get one.
Radio Example
When Peter Holmes was the Breakfast Host at Breeze AM in Essex, England, his lucky contest winners received… personalized bathplugs. They cost maybe $0.49 each, and every listener wanted one.
While I was making an in-station visit, Peter held a private party ONLY for his “bathpluggers.”
150 people showed up at a nightclub on a Tuesday night. (They had to bring their bathplugs with them to gain admittance.)
Peter came up with the terrific idea. I threw in a few suggestions to make it bigger and extend its life:
1. Create limited edition, seasonal imprints (summer, football, Christmas, etc.) to stimulate a collector’s mentality among recipients.
2. For a one-time only promotion, award a plug actually used by Peter in his own bathtub.
3. Send plugs to celebrities, asking them to bathe with them once and then return in a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Have them autograph the plugs first, then auction them off for charity, on-air.
My Test For A Great Morning Show Prize
Something you would never pay for… but which you would stand in line to receive.
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Too bad our cluster would make the winners come pick up their bath plugs. (I know that’s one of your pet peeves.)