It’s a major musical event. Bigger than Woodstock, more than a million people attend every year. Spread out over 10 days, it’s free and open to the public. Well-known acts like the Moody Blues, Steely Dan, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, the Avett Brothers and others will give more than 500 performances on 14 different indoor […]
Bigger than Woodstock, more than a million people attend every year.
Spread out over 10 days, it’s free and open to the public.
Well-known acts like the Moody Blues, Steely Dan, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, the Avett Brothers and others will give more than 500 performances on 14 different indoor and outdoor stages.
And for 10 years in a row, WPVI, the ABC-owned station in Philadelphia is the media sponsor.
Tonight kicks off Musikfest 2014, the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival, in Bethlehem, PA., about a two-hour drive north of the city in the Lehigh Valley.
Why would WPVI sponsor an event so far from the city?
“The Lehigh Valley is a dynamic and growing segment of our television audience, so we seek out unique opportunities to reach those consumers,” said Mike Monsell, WPVI’s creative services director.
“Not only is it a smart promotional play, it’s a fun project to work on.”
The festival takes place on a state-of-the-art cultural campus built on the former Bethlehem Steel plant on the city’s South Side. Dozens of vendors and artisans will be there for the family-friendly event.
Familiar faces from WPVI’s Action News team will be on hand signing autographs, and attendees can get pictures taken at the free 6abc Photo Booth and then use #6abcMusikfest to share them on social media.
Musikfest supports arts and culture in the Lehigh Valley, and is presented by the nonprofit ArtsQuest (www.artsquest.org). ArtsQuest’s primary goal is making the arts accessible to everyone.
“We’ve built a wonderful relationship with the people at ArtsQuest, which makes it all the more enjoyable,” said Monsell. “We invest a lot of work into this partnership, but it’s one of the projects our team always looks forward to.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZbiI2eZo2g&list=UUtz8W_pjS769oruYHUaeEDw
In markets large and small, lots of TV stations want to make a meaningful contribution in their communities and get credit for it as part of their marketing. Has your station developed a criteria to follow for involvement in community events and organizations throughout the year?
Free and open to the public is good, as is family-friendly. Events that take place on more than one day are ideal, and try to sponsor those impervious to the weather. Try to own the event, get title sponsorship and, if it’s successful, be consistent and do it every year.
Throw the resources of the entire station behind the event to showcase your involvement. Promote it heavily and make sure viewers know you’re there by doing live hits in the news. And have your people there for up close and personal opportunities with your loyal viewers, and potential loyal viewers.
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