May 20, 2026:
ANATOMY OF A SALE
A Case Study with Local Media: Unity Produces Sponsorship $
Executive Summary
This case study shows what it really takes, in time, teamwork, and persistence to turn one small opportunity into a big success.
It started with a single sales lead sparked by one of the Spots & Space’s sales team. What began as a small regional campaign on one community radio station grew into a six-figure national sale across 150 community stations.
You’ll also see how one sale can snowball. That first referring station benefitted from later sales that came through new referrals. Even better, that initial sale opened a new agency relationship that continues to deliver sponsorship sales to community radio today
About Spots & Space
Over the past two years, 193 community radio stations have generated national sponsorship sales in partnership with Spots & Space.
Spots & Space is a specialist sales team representing a majority of Australia’s community radio stations.
The company grew out of the CBAA’s National Sponsorship Scheme (Natspon), which began in 1989 with seed funding from the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).
When Natspon began to falter in 1994, I&G (now Spots & Space) was formed in cooperation with the CBAA to continue that mission — helping community broadcasters join forces and attract national sponsors.
That partnership has now delivered 31 years of consistent sponsorship sales for the community broadcasting sector.
Anatomy of the Sales Process
Preamble
After visiting RPH Radio in Sydney, I felt two things at once.
I was inspired by their passionate volunteers producing programs that inform and connect people with disabilities. But I was also surprised — even shocked — that so many media buyers and advertising agencies had never heard of Disability Media Australia (DMA), which reaches people with disabilities nationwide.
— Sara Ocepek, General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Spots & Space
Team Effort
After sharing my visit with the Spots & Space team, we started brainstorming. “Who might buy advertising through Disabilty Mediua Australia?”
One team member suggested finding agencies that already work with disability-sector clients. Great idea! We made a list of potential agencies and got to work -emailing, calling, connecting on LinkedIn, reaching out any way we could.
Pulling Strings
Despite all that effort, we kept hitting walls. Agencies seemed too busy to listen. One team member even asked her niece, who worked for a national service organisation, to pass our info to her manager. Still, nothing.
It was disappointing but we didn’t give up. We believed in the value of this network and kept the door open.
Referral from PAKAM
Then came a surprise twist.
Months later, we got a call from a senior manager at one of the very agencies we’d been trying to reach. She said she’d been referred to us by Neil Turner from the PAKAM Network in WA.
We were over the moon, nothing beats a personal recommendation from a trusted media partner!
The agency had an urgent campaign that needed to reach as many Australians as possible within days. They asked us to send a proposal straight away for radio across First Nations communities.
Constructing the Proposal
We got to work immediately.
We sent a radio proposal that day, and at the same time, gathered audience data across our media partners. We also presented other First Nations media options -TV, newspapers, digital — and they agreed to those too!
Then we introduced them to Disability Media Australia, shared CBAA data on their national reach, and… success! They said yes to including DMA in the plan.
We were so excited we literally jumped, screamed, and hugged in the office.
Upselling
Originally, the agency only planned to use a few media outlets due to tight deadlines. But once we showed them more data, including audience information on people with disabilities who speak languages other than English, they expanded the campaign further.
We presented options in over 30 languages, plus details about relevant radio programs and audiences. They said yes again with just a few tweaks!
Many of our partner stations even had programs in languages specifically discussing disability which impressed the agency even more.
It was long hours and high pressure, but totally worth it.
No Referral, No Sponsorship
Here’s the key takeaway: none of this would have happened without that single referral from PAKAM.
The agency told us they were originally planning to include only a few First Nations radio stations but thanks to the station’s recommendation, it became a nationwide campaign.
(Sponsor name withheld for confidentiality.)
Delivery
This campaign had to move fast.
Spots & Space was given just seven days to manage translation, production, and quality checks across multiple languages — English plus Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, Korean, Vietnamese, Farsi, and several First Nations languages: Yumpla Tok, Kimberley Kriol, Northern Kriol, Arrernte, Warlpiri, Yolŋu Matha, and Pitjantjatjarra.
Adding to the challenge, the campaign script was changed after translations were done. The team made it happen on time.
Conclusion
That one referral from a remote Western Australian broadcaster turned into sponsorship revenue for 150 community media outlets.
And it didn’t stop there. PAKAM has since received new sales from referrals by stations in Sydney, Cairns, South Australia, and beyond.
It’s proof that one sale really can spark a chain reaction.
At Spots & Space, our job doesn’t end with one booking. We keep nurturing those relationships, helping agencies and clients understand the power of community broadcasting.
That first campaign led to an ongoing partnership with the agency, which now actively champions community media. Armed with data and success stories, they’ve won new clients and government tenders and in the 12 months since that first sale, have delivered 18 more sponsorship projects involving 55 community stations.
Referrals are one of the most powerful ways community media can compete with larger commercial and international outlets.
When we work together, we multiply our strengths: local trust, authentic connection, and deep audience engagement.
Final Word
Unity creates sponsorships. Unity creates revenue.
And more than that. Unity, goodwill, and local connection are what make community radio strong. When we work together, we turn those strengths into opportunity.
