Local radio stations continue exploring for effective ways to grow and diversify revenue by developing and selling cross-platofrm sales packages. It’s tough trying this on your own, so many stations are working with vendors and in partnerships to extend business models beyond the over-the-air platform in ways that leverage radio’s core assets of brand, localism, locally deployed sales force and existing client relationships.

Colin Pape, Co-Founder/President of ShopCity.com, an early stage Internet company, has a vision, “imagine finding prices for any product or service offered within your community all on a single website.” That’s what he’s doing with his company. ShopCity’s business model is working with local businesses and putting, pricing, availability, hours of operation and methods of payment in the ShopCity.com marketplace to facilitate local purchases. ShopCity.com provides small businesses with a package of advertising services, sponsorship opportunities, a suite of online business-building tools and a local marketplace they can buy and sell through that is heavily promoted in the community.

Small businesses are often eager to consider advertising online but they are attracted to a more complete local market solution that includes on-air, events, and other local points of presence in the marketing mix such as outdoor signage. “Small businesses want to be on the Internet but they’re reluctant to pay for an intangible Internet presence that’s just online – however, when you combine online with in-community advertising – whether it’s signage, radio or TV ads – something they can experience offline, the equation changes,” Pape says. ShopCity wants to drive additional success by partnering with local radio stations to leverage their brand credibility, ability to reach key demos and local sales forces. In return, ShopCity offers a compelling digital solution for radio stations to add in to their mix. ShopCity typically does revenue split deals.

ShopCity got the idea of working with local radio stations from a Midland, Ontario radio station. The Dock FM was looking for a unique angle to bring to its multiplatform advertising efforts and an ability to get a “call to action” for its advertisers. Since the station kept bumping into ShopCity’s sales reps, The Dock FM’s Sales Manager reached out to see about a partnership. ShopCity saw the possibilities and agreed to work with The Dock on ShopCity’s ShopMidland.com site, offering free profile pages to radio advertisers as a value-add, and with the station promoting a co-branded sub-section where businesses could get a special discount while the Dock earned revenue share on paid packages.

ShopCity is looking to develop the model further and is seeking broadcast partners that are already running ‘shop local’ oriented campaigns. Says Pape, “I see huge potential for radio stations and community-branded web platforms to come together to create cross-platform value for each other’s medium. Radio plays an important part in our strategy moving forward.”

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