Advertising Information

Heard A Good Radio Ad Lately? Neither Have We


To many ad agencies, radio is considered advertising's ugly stepchild. It's not sexy like television and is treated as a necessary evil with little effort put into it. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the listener ends up hearing.

What advertisers and their ad agencies have forgotten is that radio truly is a "theater for the mind". Anything you can dream up can be in a radio spot. Elephants doing the back stroke in your soup? No problem. Landing on planet Neptune and finding the alien of your dreams? Done. Recreating scenes like that on television would cost a fortune for the computer graphics alone, not to mention the animal trainer.

So how do you write a great radio ad? I've written over 2000 in my career and if there's one helpful point I can pass along it's this: Less is more. The less copy you write, the better your radio spot will sound. One of the biggest mistakes made with radio copy is when the client insists on trying to tell the company's entire story within sixty seconds. You've heard them before. The announcer is talking a million miles per hour because they've been given two minutes of copy for a one minute ad, the end result being a verbal assault on your eardrums. Combine that with having to endure five or six of these spots in a row and it's no wonder stations are losing listenership!

Writing humor is another problem. That's because humor in radio requires the timing be perfect, much like the way a standup comedian tells jokes which means even less copy than normal is needed. Plus, and this is very important - it has to be funny. It takes talent and skill to write humor and unfortunately, this has not deterred many from trying. If you're attempting to put humor in your radio copy, try reading it to unbiased ears (not your husband, wife, or parents) first to see if they "get it". If you find yourself having to explain the funny part, it ain't workin!

Another common mistake is when the client feels the need to repeat the phone number a half dozen times. Studies have shown that repeating the phone number over and over again does not guarantee the listener will remember it. All it will probably do is irritate them. Many people listen to radio in their cars and can't write the number down anyway. But the real truth is, most don't hear the number at all. If the number is still a requirement, your best bet is to put it in once or twice towards the end of the spot so it is close to, if not the last thing the listener hears.

The most effective way to get your product or service to stick in the minds of radio listeners is to have a clever message that rises above the others and does so often. As I've stressed in past articles, repetition is your friend. However, remember that the downside to clever radio is that it "burns" quickly. This means that because the ad is clever, people really listen to it which makes the "bit" or spot lose its appeal faster. Many times I've heard a clever ad and the first three or four times I heard it, I chuckled, but the next 12 times it aired I wanted throw my radio out the window. If you're writing clever creative or having it written for you, make sure you've budgeted for at least two different spots that can be rotated within the campaign. This will keep your message fresh while giving you the opportunity to present different features in each spot.

Some radio stations are now selling thirty second spots which is fine if you can get your message across in that limited time frame. However, unless you've been on the radio a long time, I would suggest sticking with the sixty second format for awhile, at least until you feel you've established your brand.

The next time you hear a bad radio commercial remember that writing clever radio is not something everyone can do. It takes skill, imagination and practice but if you get it right, it can be the most effective advertising tool you'll ever use.

Hal Eisenberg is an award winning copywriter, voice over talent and producer, as well as owner of The Eisenberg Agency, a full service advertising agency specializing in creative ads that get results.

Visit his web site at http://www.eisenbergagency.com
Mailto: halacious@eisenbergagency.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Reuters

Why Don’t Newspapers Do a Better Job of Advertising?
New Yorker, United States - 3 hours ago
Of course, they’re serious about the advertising they print, and I presume they hope that their advertisers believe that big ads work to garner customer ...
Video: Money Minute: Times Ads, Hyundai, Construction AssociatedPress
US: Newspapers adopt front-page advertising editorsweblog.org
Globe joins papers selling front-page ads Boston Globe
MarketWatch - BNET
all 375 news articles


mediabistro.com

A Lawyer’s Call for a Greater Black Presence in Agencies
New York Times, United States - 7 hours ago
By STUART ELLIOTT THE inability of the advertising industry to fill its desks, cubicles and offices with a diverse work force is coming under fire again, ...
Madison Avenue Accused of Racial Bias BusinessWeek
Racial Discrimination in the Advertising Industry Civilrights.org
Diversity Study Takes Ad Biz to Task Adweek
AdAge.com - Crain's New York Business
all 19 news articles


The Money Times

mocoNews.net - Microsoft Plunges Into Mobile Advertising With ...
Washington Post, United States - Jan 7, 2009
The second thing to point out is the vote of confidence on Microsoft's behalf that they believe the the mobile search and advertising market could be of ...
Verizon chooses Microsoft for mobile search and advertising services Unwired View
Verizon Wireless Selects Microsoft for Mobile Search and Advertising PR Newswire (press release)
Microsoft Picks Verizon Over Google, Yahoo For Search, Mobile Ads eWeek
BNET - Seattle Times
all 317 news articles


RIU Hotels & Resorts Launches Advertising Campaign in California
MSNBC - 17 hours ago
MIAMI, FL - RIU Hotels & Resorts will launch its first ever television advertising campaign in California on January 11, focusing on their two all-inclusive ...


BBC News

'No God' campaign draws complaint
BBC News, UK - 13 hours ago
An atheist campaign claiming "There's probably no God" has been reported to the advertising regulator. Posters with the slogan appear on 800 buses in ...
Christians demand proof for atheist ad claims in Britain AFP
On the buses: Advertising atheism Scotsman
Atheist adverts reported to industry watchdog Times Online
Telegraph.co.uk - Sheffield Telegraph
all 489 news articles


Up in Smoke: Tobacco Advertising
MSNBC - 19 hours ago
By Kyle Reyes In 1998, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company was one of many that agreed to a settlement, essentially removing its creative marketing arm. ...


Gambling911.com

Billboards advertising sex treatment to go
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 10 hours ago
Billboards advertising a nasal spray claimed to treat sex problems for men will be taken down after hundreds of complaints. Hundreds of letters and emails ...
Tesco queried for alleged "bait advertising" IBTimes Australia
Sex drug poster ads to be taken down guardian.co.uk
Firm vows to keep up sex adverts BBC News
Media Buyer Planner - Online Casino News
all 61 news articles


BU Today

Alan Holliday, a retired College of Communication associate ...
BU Today,  MA - 4 hours ago
“Alan was a throwback to another time — an absolute gentleman,” recalls John Verret, a COM associate professor of advertising. “We met nearly four decades ...
Ad veteran Holliday dies Bizjournals.com
RIP Alan Holliday mediabistro.com
Hill Holliday cutting Boston staff Bizjournals.com
all 9 news articles


World Baseball Classic(TM) Selects Grey New York for Advertising ...
PR Newswire (press release), NY - 5 hours ago
8 /PRNewswire/ -- World Baseball Classic, Inc. has awarded Grey New York the advertising assignment in support of its premier international baseball ...
World Classic Baseball Drafts Grey Adweek
all 15 news articles


BBC News

Super Bowl 3-D Advertising
Right TV, CA - 12 hours ago
Aliens commercials will give a 90 second preview of the new movie and is “perhaps the biggest media-advertising event in history. ...
Super Bowl XLIII in 3-D Examiner.com
No 3D Monsters promo for Canada Toronto Sun
DreamWorks, Pepsi Offer 3-D Glasses for Super Bowl Ads Home Media Magazine
Artistdirect.com - Detroit Free Press
all 383 news articles

Advertising - Google News

home | site map | Tele88.co.uk | Soscili.com | UltimateWealthCorner.com | JustDial.tk | bennyong.com
© 2006 Velocity Spark Network. Hosted by Hostonfire.com