Introduction
 As the holiday season approaches, this week’s egtabite focuses on two successful Belgian annual charity events – Music for Life and Viva for Life - which bring a warm Christmas atmosphere to radio listeners and television viewers. Both showcase a strong and successful cooperation between radio and television. Music for Life is organised by Studio Brussels, one of the radio stations of VRT (sold by Var), the public radio and television in the north of Belgium while Viva for Life is the initiative of the French-speaking public radio VivaCité and television channel RTBF in the South (commercialised by RMB).
The concept
  The concept behind Music for Life is simple: throughout December, radio listeners set up various initiatives and events to collect money which they can donate to one or more of the 850 registered Flemish charities. During this period, Studio Brussel supports its listeners by promoting the actions they have organised, therefore offering visibility to these charities. In the week before Christmas Eve, three well-known radio hosts with great on-air following provide live coverage from a special outdoor studio. The show is also broadcast on VRT’s television channel Éen.
 During this week, listeners visit the studio to give small interviews about the charities they are supporting or to tell funny anecdotes about the campaigns they have organised which creates a very joyful mood that perfectly fits with the Christmas atmosphere. In 2013, Music for Life reached more than 2.3 million radio listeners and 1.7 million television viewers during the last four days of the campaign, which generated a total of more than 2.5m euros. Throughout the entire event, advertisers have the opportunity to buy inventory between the interviews, news updates, reports and music. This is a format which they highly appreciate due to the relevant and qualitative context it provides and since part of the revenues also go to charity, it allows them to contribute and embrace the spirit of the campaign.
Viva for Life
 A similar charity event called Viva for Life is organised in the French-speaking part of Belgium in the South by the public television station RTBF and its public radio station VivaCité, and is sponsored by a number of public (e.g. The National Lottery) and private institutions. In 2013 three radio hosts closed themselves for six days and six nights in a glass studio on a public square without eating any solid food. All this was in order to help  gather funds for 40.000 young children living under the poverty line in Belgium. Similarly to its Flemish counterpart, RTBF supports the project by broadcasting the event live on its television channel La Deux (seven television broadcasts and nearly 550,000 viewers followed the TV show), in addition to continuously promoting it via social networks and a wide number of press media thanks to the support of national celebrities. This campaign generated 1.3 m euros which helped to support 33 associations active in the field of childhood and poverty.
Why does it matter to egta members?
Innovative campaigns such as Music for Life and Viva for Life are good case studies of creative cross-media operations, which reach an impressive number of engaged viewers and listeners through a powerful combination of storytelling on radio, television and online platforms. It is clear that the high success rate of these campaigns is predominantly based on the intimate and close relationship between the radio hosts and the listeners, whilst television increases the reach and gives a face to dozens of volunteers who support the project. The result of emotionally strong campaigns such as these ones is of course an increased loyalty of listeners but also of clients who love being associated with a festive environment which reflects positively on their brand. Both campaigns are considered by the market as strengthening relationships throughout the industry and “killing many birds with one stone”: B2B for the sales house, B2C for the station, popularity campaign for the hosts, fundraising for the charities and image strengthening for the brands. |
