The Challenge
The Spraoi International Street Arts Festival, one of Ireland’s premier cultural events, was gearing up for its annual three-day celebration in Waterford, Ireland’s Oldest city. As the festival approached its 30th year, the organisers were keen to modernise their approach to donations by introducing a QR code system, making it easier for the digital-age audience to contribute to the festival. However, with over 200 performances, including street theatre, dance, music, and a grand parade with over 250 participants, the organizers faced a significant challenge: how to effectively communicate this new donation method and generate buzz for the event among a diverse audience of over 80,000 attendees. To tackle this, Spraoi needed a multi-platform campaign to reach both their local and wider target audience.
The Solution
To address these challenges, Spraoi partnered with WLR, Waterford’s leading radio station with a listenership of 62,000 and a digital following of 145,000+, to create a comprehensive on-air and digital campaign to promote the event and encourage donations via the new QR code system.
WLR’s campaign strategy included:
- “Spraoi is on its way” Campaign (July 14th to July 21st): This pre-event phase involved 43 ads of 30 seconds each, broadcast throughout the day, creating anticipation and informing listeners about the upcoming festival.
- Promotion of QR Code Donations (July 31st to August 4th): In the days leading up to and during the event, WLR focused on promoting the QR code donation system. Ads encouraged festival-goers to donate online or via the QR code displayed at the festival.
- Live Broadcast and On-Site Engagement: WLR’s state-of-the-art Outside Broadcast Studio parked up in Waterford City at the centre of the festival and broadcasted live from the event on August 3rd and 4th. The on-air team conducted interviews with festival organisers, artists, and attendees, creating a vibrant, interactive experience for listeners and those at the event.
- “Word on Spraoi” Campaign Sponsored by McDonald’s: This initiative provided hourly updates on the festival, further enhancing audience engagement and brand visibility. The updates were accompanied by jingles featuring the sponsor’s client details, ensuring a cohesive branding effort.
- Extensive Coverage by WLR News Department: In addition to the ads and live broadcasts, WLR’s news team provided substantial coverage of the event build-up online and featured interviews with key organisers and stakeholders, thus adding credibility and depth to the campaign.
Customer Benefits
The collaboration with WLR provided several key benefits for Spraoi:
- Increased Awareness and Reach: Through WLR’s multi-platform approach, Spraoi successfully reached a wide audience across Waterford and beyond, both on-air and online, significantly raising awareness about the festival.
- Targeted Engagement: By leveraging WLR’s established audience of 62,000 listeners and 145,000+ online followers, Spraoi was able to effectively target its audience, maximizing engagement with the new QR code donation initiative.
- Enhanced Brand Visibility: The “Word on Spraoi” campaign, sponsored by McDonald’s, provided frequent touchpoints with the audience, ensuring that the festival remained top of mind in the days leading up to and during the event.
- Live Coverage and On-the-Ground Interaction: The live broadcasts from the event created a real-time connection between the festival and its audience, adding value through interviews with artists and festival-goers and amplifying the overall experience for both on-site and at-home audiences.
Positive Outcomes for the Client
The campaign yielded several positive outcomes for Spraoi, showcasing the effectiveness of WLR’s multi-platform strategy:
- High Levels of Engagement: The festival experienced remarkable engagement across WLR’s social media platforms, resulting in significant social buzz that further drove attendance and participation.
- Successful Introduction of QR Code Donations: The strategic promotion of the QR code initiative led to a positive reception and uptake from the festival audience, helping to modernise Spraoi’s donation process.
- Increased Attendance and Participation: The comprehensive coverage and promotions helped draw an audience in excess of 80,000 people to Waterford, reinforcing the festival’s reputation as the premier street arts event in Ireland.
- Strengthened Community Connection: The combination of live broadcasts, interviews, and regular updates fostered a strong sense of community and excitement, enhancing the overall festival atmosphere and solidifying Spraoi’s position as a beloved cultural event.
Overall, WLR’s targeted and well-executed campaign helped Spraoi achieve its goals of increased visibility, effective audience engagement, and successful promotion of its new digital donation system, ensuring another successful year for Ireland’s premier street arts festival.
Partner with WLR for Spraoi 2025
Building on the success of the 2024 campaign, WLR invites businesses and organisations to partner with us or become sponsors for Spraoi 2025. If you want to benefit from WLR’s extensive reach and engage directly with a vibrant, culturally active audience, consider sponsoring a campaign or hosting an outside broadcast at next year’s event. To explore partnership opportunities and discuss how WLR can help elevate your brand during Spraoi 2025, please get in touch with your urbanmedia representative today
