Snapple, the line of teas, juice drinks, waters and other beverages marketed by Cadbury Schweppes, is embarking on a unique summer promotional effort in which it will be the sole sponsor of a
Boston-based FM radio station for 40 days, from Memorial Day all the way through to July 4. The station, WFNX, also broadcasts through affiliates into Maine and New Hampshire. The deal is costing
Snapple more than $2 million and includes a variety of promotional elements. In place of traditional spots, D.J.'s will acknowledge Snapple on the air for its sponsorship and listeners may hear
declarations that WFNX is "playing the best stuff on earth," a nod to the longtime Snapple slogan. There will be sound effects mixed in with the D.J. patter, like the "whoosh" a Snapple cap makes when
it is twisted off a bottle. The deal also includes free concerts by bands like Dashboard Confessional, giveaways of merchandise and beverages by teams of Snapple employees who will visit area
beaches, and events with retailers that sell Snapple products. "Consumers are in control, deciding how, when and where they will receive your messages," said Holly Mensch, marketing vice president for
Snapple. "It's getting harder and harder to reach people through traditional media avenues. So if you want to break through, you have to connect in a way that fits with their lifestyles, in a way they
can't tune you out."
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