Back in January, I read over the news wire that PEPSI was not advertising in the Super Bowl this year. In reading deeper the reason given was to take the millions they would have spent for 30 seconds on TV and put that in a new social marketing strategy. Pretty radical thinking for the big boys. The next day, I was trolling the ad websites and magazines to get a followup, the tidbits I found pointed to PEPSI focusing on community development through social networks. They wanted to engaged their audience and help worthwhile programs and organizations by funding them, getting their marketing value through the voting process and online buzz.
Who knew that this initiative would reach our city limits and possibly make something happen for our fiercely independent creative community. We can VOTE, we can promote, and we can win.
—————————————-
WRIR LP 97.3 FM Seeks
Refresheverything.com
Grant for Community Newsroom
Richmond, Virginia USA Wed 01 Sep 2010
WRIR LP 97.3 FM, Richmond’s independent radio station, is seeking the community’s help in their bid to obtain a grant to fund construction of a community newsroom. Station management received notification that WRIR’s proposal is in the running for a $50,000 grant and will compete for votes at www.refresheverything.com/wrir.
Refresheverything.com is an online competition sponsored by Pepsi to fund projects that will have a positive impact on their community. WRIR’s project will be competing for the most votes in the category for $50,000. A person registers with www.refresheverything.com/wrir or can vote via twitter or a facebook account. A person can vote every day in September and has 10 votes to cast for 10 different projects, including WRIR’s proposal. The voting ends on September 30.
WRIR would use the grant to build a Community Newsroom. This would be WRIR’s third broadcast studio but it will be the only one dedicated to gathering and reporting independent news. Presently WRIR has volunteers who produce the local news segments aired every weekday. With the Community Newsroom, WRIR will train more citizen-journalists to collect and report independent radio news.
“WRIR is very excited about this grant. It is a different approach to fundraising. Our listeners, supporters and volunteers decide if we get the grant by voting every day either online or by text. If they do, WRIR has the chance to build a state-of-the-art studio with limitless potential! WRIR will also use the studio as back-up in the event of equipment failure in our main studio. It is our responsibility as the City of Richmond’s official emergency broadcast outlet” says Liz Humes, President of Virginia Center for Public Press, the parent of non-profit WRIR.
WRIR LP 97.3 FM went on air in January 2005 with a mission to air unrepresented music, news and views in order to provide a platform for cultural diversity in Richmond. WRIR is operated by a community of volunteers. News programs, especially locally-produced news programs, are the focus of WRIR’s 2010/2011 philanthropy efforts.
A person can vote every day through the internet and texting:
Online – http://www.refresheverything.cm/wrir
Via an existing Facebook account or through WRIR’s Facebook Page
Text – Call call 73774 and text 102304
Twitter – http://twitter.com/WRIR
Or go to the station’s web site, www.wrir.org for links to these voting portals and information about the grant project.
For more information, please contact Matt Zoller at 804-387-8510 or mattzoller@gmail.com.
Back in January, I read over the news wire that PEPSI was not advertising in the Super Bowl this year. In reading deeper the reason given was to take the millions they would have spent for 30 seconds on TV and put that in a new social marketing strategy. Pretty radical thinking for the big boys. The next day, I was trolling the ad websites and magazines to get a followup, the tidbits I found pointed to PEPSI focusing on community development through social networks. They wanted to engaged their audience and help worthwhile programs and organizations by funding them, getting their marketing value through the voting process and online buzz.
Who knew that this initiative would reach our city limits and possibly make something happen for our fiercely independent creative community. We can VOTE, we can promote, and we can win.
—————————————-
WRIR LP 97.3 FM Seeks
Refresheverything.com
Grant for Community Newsroom
Richmond, Virginia USA Wed 01 Sep 2010
WRIR LP 97.3 FM, Richmond’s independent radio station, is seeking the community’s help in their bid to obtain a grant to fund construction of a community newsroom. Station management received notification that WRIR’s proposal is in the running for a $50,000 grant and will compete for votes at www.refresheverything.com/wrir.
Refresheverything.com is an online competition sponsored by Pepsi to fund projects that will have a positive impact on their community. WRIR’s project will be competing for the most votes in the category for $50,000. A person registers with www.refresheverything.com/wrir or can vote via twitter or a facebook account. A person can vote every day in September and has 10 votes to cast for 10 different projects, including WRIR’s proposal. The voting ends on September 30.
WRIR would use the grant to build a Community Newsroom. This would be WRIR’s third broadcast studio but it will be the only one dedicated to gathering and reporting independent news. Presently WRIR has volunteers who produce the local news segments aired every weekday. With the Community Newsroom, WRIR will train more citizen-journalists to collect and report independent radio news.
“WRIR is very excited about this grant. It is a different approach to fundraising. Our listeners, supporters and volunteers decide if we get the grant by voting every day either online or by text. If they do, WRIR has the chance to build a state-of-the-art studio with limitless potential! WRIR will also use the studio as back-up in the event of equipment failure in our main studio. It is our responsibility as the City of Richmond’s official emergency broadcast outlet” says Liz Humes, President of Virginia Center for Public Press, the parent of non-profit WRIR.
WRIR LP 97.3 FM went on air in January 2005 with a mission to air unrepresented music, news and views in order to provide a platform for cultural diversity in Richmond. WRIR is operated by a community of volunteers. News programs, especially locally-produced news programs, are the focus of WRIR’s 2010/2011 philanthropy efforts.
A person can vote every day through the internet and texting:
Online – http://www.refresheverything.cm/wrir
Via an existing Facebook account or through WRIR’s Facebook Page
Text – Call call 73774 and text 102304
Twitter – http://twitter.com/WRIR
Or go to the station’s web site, www.wrir.org for links to these voting portals and information about the grant project.
For more information, please contact Matt Zoller at 804-387-8510 or mattzoller@gmail.com.
