What’s Your Radio Station’s McRib?

It happens more and more these days.  We get a call from an anxious client.  The ratings have been tepid, they need some positive buzz, but the marketing budget is nonexistent.  In essence, they have to make something happen organically without boost of a billboard, Google AdWords, or a social media campaign.  And because promotional dollars are at a premium these days, there’s not even any money to stand up a decent contest.

Every station needs a go-to – a surefire hit guaranteed to generate word of mouth, and as importantly, actual tune-in.  You may not be able to go to that well too often, but knowing you have a special something in your promotional or programming quiver separates resilient stations from those simply hoping they catch a meter or a diary.

I was in a number of meetings with the late great consultant and master programmer, Steve Rivers (pictured).  He was not a man of many words, and often he’d let the strategic conversation run its course as one participant after another pontificated about what was wrong and how to fix it.  Inevitably, a station manager or company executive would turn to Steve, and ask him directly for his thoughts.

And without hesitation, Steve would tersely utter his favorite three-word phrase and solution to most radio problems:

PLAY THE HITS!

Realizing the sheer simplicity of Steve’s prescription for success, I would watch some people in the room do an eye roll or otherwise wonder why a programmer of Steve’s magnitude would default to something so basic during a time of need.

But that was precisely the point of Steve’s ultra-brief admonition: when in doubt, default to what got you there in the first place.  It doesn’t mean speeding up the rotation on “Bohemian Rhapsody” or shutting the jocks up.  It does mean reverting to what works – and what has always worked.  And hopefully every brand manager has that “secret sauce” in their programming and marketing arsenals.

Look no further than McDonald’s current travails.  The raw onion E. coli breakout last month was just another stain on the world’s leading fast food chain in 2024.  The company’s financials this year have been especially disappointing.  Last summer, Investopedia reported Mickey D’s Q2 earnings showed flat year-over-year revenue and 12% lower profits.  On top of that, comparable store sales dropped, too.

So, what’s the solution?

PLAY THE HITS!

McDonald’s has a secret weapon that boosts everything – sales, social buzz, earned media, attention – and they deploy it every so often, especially at time like this.

Of course, it’s the McRib sandwich, which made its strategic reappearance last month, just in time to impact the last quarter of the year.  Originally introduced way back in 1982 (due to a chicken shortage that year), the fast food hit has shown up on the menu sporadically.  And the scarcity of McRibs works.  Every time McDonald’s brings it back, they enjoy a spike in sales – and pretty much everything else:

And in a new twist this year, McDonald’s is offering a limited number of 64-ounce jugs of “A Whole Lotta McRib Sauce” both online and in stores.  For the Golden Arches, this new brand extension is another way to boost interest, revenues, and buzz.  While the sauce retails for around $20, it is on sale on eBay for prices that range from $100 to as much as $1,500, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

It’s a great lesson for any legacy brand.  Things inevitably slow down.  And sometimes, you deal with scandals and unforeseen events that threaten to scuttle a quarter or even a year.  In radio, it might be the loss of a beloved personality or an embarrassing PR debacle.  So, when you’re in need of a ratings boost (and maybe even a buzzworthy distraction), does your station have a McRib – a go-to device that always creates a boost in business?

Most morning shows intuitively think along these lines, whether they’re taught to – or not.  It may be a bit, a topic, a promotion, or a character that always seems to re-energize the audience.  A number of years ago, morning show star, Sheri Lynch (pictured), wrote a guest blog post for me that addresses this very issue:

“The Top 5 Radio Topics That Get The Phones Ringing”

An amazingly popular post in its own right, Sheri’s “hits” are great techniques that can inject much-needed enthusiasm and engagement on a slow day or a lull in the market, the station, or the morning show itself.  Among Sheri’s hot topics, “Relationships” is my favorite, including topics like “I secretly like one kid best” and “Co-workers who give you the creeps.”

I bet most shows have their list of guaranteed guests, giveaways, and topics that turbocharge audience reactions.  Sports radio shows have gotten especially skilled at this, as they juggle hope and fear, the favorite two emotional characteristics of hardcore sports fanatics.

Having a big hit in your arsenal is just smart business at a time when there’s precious little else to count on.  Of course, you can’t over-rely on these stunts or they become dull.  That’s why McDonald’s McRib assaults are years apart.  The more in-between time, the bigger the impact.

So, what’s your station’s “big hit?”  Or your go-to gadget for your show?  In other words, what’s your McRib?  It’s important to have one, especially these days.

And I can promise you, somewhere Steve Rivers will be listening.