SYNDICATION 101

  By Bryan Farrish
www.radio-media.com
  The Marketing Kit

  There are several things you can do to help your promoter get new affiliates for you, and the most basic is a properly put-together marketing kit.  Notice I did not say an elaborate kit, just one that properly done.  This article will cover the printed items in the kit, and a different article will cover the audio on the
CD.  (I'm not going to use the word "demo" here, because "demo" many times means the CD and the printed items together.)  And, if your kit is already done, don't trash it and start over... just use the following concepts when you make more kits.

  First of all, start by putting all critical information on the CD disc, the jewel box, and the back side of the insert or booklet.  The CD jewel box (ALWAYS use a regular-sized jewel box with a printed spine) is usually taken out of the folder and placed on a cd rack... especially at bigger (busier) stations, and of course at music stations.  These stations just don't have room to keep track of all the marketing folders/papers/pictures, so they try to just make use of the CD which fits neatly into the station's CD rack, or in the car. 

  Include the show name, host name, promoter/syndicator's name, contact phone numbers, email, faxes, and websites.  Also include a one-sentence description of the topic of the show, along with pronunciations, lengths (minutes:seconds), delivery info (taped/live/re-feeds), and recommended dayparts.  Again, all this info goes on the CD disc, the jewel box, and the back side of the insert or booklet.  And finally, the spine of the jewel box needs to
be printed with big letters (black letters on white background is best) which can be EASILY read when sitting five feet away on a shelf with 1,000 other CDs.

  Next comes the marketing info included in the kit.  You should print this info right into the CD booklet using small print, so when the folder and other papers are lost, all info will be right there with the CD.  Nevertheless, you can also print the info up into full-sized sheets that go into the folder.  If you do, include basic
contact info on EVERY sheet.  Here are the marketing areas to cover...

  Affiliate list: Very important, as stations want to be part of a growing show, so they need to know they are not the only ones considering the show.  Sort the list by market size, from New York on down.  Include call letters, the GM's name, and their phone number/email.

  Sales sheet:  This is a simple one-sheet with 10 or 15 bullet points for the sales department to glimpse at and determine if they have prospects who might buy your show.

  Comment sheet:  Comments from other programmers, advertisers, and guest who are currently (or have been) with the show.

  Show clock:  This is the master clock that the affiliates will sync their operations with.

  Term sheet:  This sheet spells out the syndication agreement for the affiliates:  Free, barter, cash, the split, options, minimums, dayparts, delays, re-feeds, cancellations, pre-emptions, etc.

  All the above printed info can be duplicated on your website, but having the information in the kit it the primary concern here.

  Once thing that should not be given too much priority is electronic delivery of the kit, i.e., CD-roms, mp3's, audio emails, etc.  Unless you have a friend doing these for you for free (or your total annual marketing budget is $20,000 or more,) the amount of work it takes to put them together properly, versus the amount of stations who will be able to use them, does not make them money well spent.


  Bryan Farrish is an independent radio syndication promoter.  He can be   reached at 818-905-8038 x11 or www.radio-media.com