Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Spirit Deals is 'win win' for merchants, Christian radio and public

Ireland’s Christian radio station, Spirit FM has launched a new marketing strategy to raise funds for the not-for-profit station. 

Spirit Deals will offer the public three discount deals each week, on the style of ‘Grab one’ or ‘Pig’s Back’ discount scheme. 

The station will offer the discounts on products and services through an e-zine, or through advertisements on the radio.  

Members of the public can then come on-line to the website (www.spiritradio.ie) to avail of the offer. 

Last Thursday’s deal for example, was for, “any hot drink and gourmet scone” from Busy Bean Cafe on Molesworth Street for €1.50 (a saving of 68%). 

“They can come on line, pay for and receive the coupon which is valid for a number of months,” Jim Feeley from Spirit told ciNews.

He explained that the system advertises the merchant, and gains them revenue while raising revenue for the station.  In general the merchant gets 70% of the revenue and the station, 30%.  

“We want to be generous [to the merchant].  We are a Christian station with a Christian ethos,” said Feeley.

Spirit Deals will offer discounts on services and products, including architectural consultations, golf outings, gym membership, pottery for children, life organisational skills, dental care, restaurants and hotel breaks.

Spirit FM has been broadcasting in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Waterford and Galway since the beginning of this year.  

According to Carole Browne from the station, when they began broadcasting they were aiming at 1% of the market per year, rising to 5% in five years, but according to their own research, they have already hit about 2.8% listenership, representing over 50,000 listeners.

Carole explained that the station telephoned 140 random numbers in the Dublin area asking them a number of questions.  

The key question was, “Name three stations you listened to yesterday for fifteen minutes.” 

2.8% of those surveyed had listened to Spirit.  

This gives the station twice the listenership of Phantom FM, and almost equivalent listenership to Sunshine FM.  

The survey established that 38% (more than 1 in 3), had heard of Spirit, and 16.9% had tuned in (almost 1 in 5).

According to audience reaction, and comments on Facebook and Twitter, there is a steady growth in the listenership, said Ms Browne. 

“We get lots of positive feedback,” she told ciNews.  “Whole churches are listening, Catholic, Quaker, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Church of Ireland and Methodist.” 

While picking up advertising in recessionary times is a challenge, here too there has been a gradual growth.  

Spirit Deals intends to offer the public three new deals each week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  

However older deals will still be available for a period of time after the original deal offer. 

Revenue raised through Spirit Deals will go, among other things, towards launching the next phase of Spirit that is to go national through an AM station.