These shows have become a regular and important fixture on the summer circuit and regularly attract the UK’s hottest pop acts including Blue, Mis-teeq, The Sugarbabes, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Hear’Say, Liberty X, 3SL, H & Claire and the like - all packed into a programme that usually runs for about four hours throughout the afternoon.
According to David Llewellyn, Blink’s head of operations, who has been responsible for developing this particular business strand, the way it tends to work is that the local station will source the screens and cameras and Blink will then produce the content and bring in the advertising. "Obviously, they are working to tight budgets," he says, "so anything we can do to offset the cost of the video is a very positive contribution."
"Some of these events - particularly the free ones - draw massive crowds," says Llewellyn, "but the key for us is being able to work across a series of them on a nationwide basis - it means that we can offer advertising clients a proper national campaign against this particular audience."
Although the deals are done at group level, Blink works closely with each local radio station to co-ordinate it. Llewellyn sees this as critical: "It’s their show and we have to have a good working relationship at a local level to make it happen. Fortunately, this is our third year of working with some of the stations, so all parties have a clear idea of what is required."
Llewellyn sees no sign of a slow-down in this particular niche. "If anything, it’s going the other way," he says, "they tend to be very well-produced shows, they attract extremely strong line-ups, the kids love it and they have sustained media support. All three major radio groups are committed to continued to develop shows in this sector, and it looks like it has become an established part of the summer music scene."
(Lee Baldock)
