The current economy has generated two predictable trends for local television: It's lots harder to sell

advertising and stations are scrambling for new ways to monetize unsold airtime.

So in a time when "Flat Is the New Up", maybe we need one more truism: "Trade Is Your New Best Friend."

No, not the desperate fire sales that fill hours of airtime with infomercials, Chia Pets ads. And you can't rely solely on P.I. (per inquiry) spots whose revenue hinges on viewer response.

I'm talking about strategically swapping just enough airtime to acquire the goods and services you need to attract cash clients in this economy.

"We've always done a lot of contesting during sweeps with client tie-ins plus direct mail," says Alan Chatman, sales manager of Diversified Broadcasting's WCJB Gainesville, Fla. "But these days that's too expensive."

So last fall Chatman ditched direct mail in favor of his station's Web site — and drove his viewers there with a trade deal.

"I turned $5,000 worth of gasoline cards into $100,000," Chatman says. "The total includes revenue earned, plus a savings of $40,000 I was previously spending on direct mail."

That means the dominant ABC affiliate earned some  $60,000 in sales — 12 times its initial trade investment. Not bad. And not so unusual, according to Pat Pattison, co-founder of the Incentive Plus Network , the five-year-old media trade business that supplied the gas cards and which is now enjoying its most successful year ever.

"We typically provide a return on investment between five and 10 times the cash value of the trade," Pattison says. Incentive Plus's most popular prizes are high-def TV's, Visa gift cards and travel packages such as a trip for two to the Super Bowl. Apex Media  handles the media exchange while Incentive Plus focuses on the promotional value.

Last July, WCJB registered "thousands" of viewers for a daily chance to win a $50 gas card. This ensured enough contestants for the station to launch Watch, Win and Ride, sponsored by two local advertisers — Palm Suzuki and Interstate Cycles, which paid cash to sponsor the promotion.

The 100 daily winners became finalists to win a weeklong stay at Hilton's Daytona Beach Resort  (another Incentive Plus trade prize) plus a full-featured jet ski, donated by the sponsors.

The trade deals were crucial to the promotion, says Chatman.  "In most markets, a car dealer will no longer just provide a car for the grand prize. They just don't have it to give anymore."

But when the initial promotion is jump-started by prizes obtained through trade, advertisers can be persuaded to sweeten the pot. That's been the experience at Granite's KOFY . The San Francisco independent reclaimed its famous call letters last October after parting ways with the former WB network. Building Web traffic was a key part of the strategy.

"We traded airtime for a bunch of 42-inch Panasonic flat screens from Incentive Plus," says General Sales Manager Chris Flynn. "We used the prizes to quickly attract thousands of viewers to our KOFY Club, a loyalty program that offers lots of savings opportunities."

Like WCJB, KOFY uses its registered viewer base to upsell advertisers from mere spot buys to their own custom promotions. In the current economy, Flynn considers this strategy indispensable.

"We like to say that ‘we think outside the spot.' In the last six months, clients have told us over and over that they need to drive customers to their location. This is our No. 1 tool to help them achieve that."

Almost immediately, KOFY signed up local sports chain Lombardi Sports  to sponsor a snowboard giveaway during the daily telecast of Punk'D . "It's a watch and win contest with a twist," Flynn says. "Viewers watch to hear the secret password, but they have to visit a Lombardi store to sign up for the prize." Lombardi vendor Burton Snowboards  provided the snowboards, as well as some co-op dollars.

Over the past year, Incentive Plus has increasingly seen the prizes it provides for trade go not to viewers, but to the station's sales force. Or even the advertiser's. "Businesses are cutting back on bonuses, so sales incentive contests are an attractive option," Pattison says.

But whether the incentive drives viewership or internal sales performance, success is measured in the final ROI on the airtime traded — and, of course, in repeat business.

"We've been able to deliver provable results to our advertisers' locations and Web sites," says KOFY's Flynn. As a result, "we currently have 15 trade promotions in development for the first half of 2009 alone."

At WCJB, Alan Chatman is equally bullish. "Consumers go to the vendor who offers something extra. Advertising sales is no different. And besides," adds the 28-year sales veteran, "in these cash-poor times, stations need to monetize their unsold inventory or it simply disappears."

Every Monday in TVNewsday Market Share by Arthur Greenwald focuses on novel developments at local stations —  sales, marketing, technology and personnel. What's new in your market? By all means let Arthur know. Write him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .