The Benefits of CONSISTENCY in Radio Advertising

Image from http://www.alll.com/alll-regulations/expectations/consistency/

There are a bunch of radio campaigns currently on the air that frankly don’t SOUND much like campaigns at all. Each new ad jumps to a different announcer and has completely different information.

These businesses are really losing out.

Their advertising could have MUCH MORE impact if someone would take the time to come up with a campaign that is consistent.

This includes consistent tone, voice, piece of music or jingle, sound effects, characters, and most importantly…a consistent core message.

Businesses that bounce around and switch these elements up will get information across but they will never develop an identity in the mind of the consumer.

Let’s take a closer look at the main benefits of consistency:

The Identity Building Effect:

I still can’t look at Quaker Oatmeal in the store and not hear Wilford Brimley’s voice tell me that “It’s the right thing to do and a tasty way to do it”.

Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/63120832248971203/

Quaker Oats are no longer a product in my mind. They are a warm old grandfather figure that cares about my well being.

Every time I see the letters “N…B…C”, I hear a happy little three note tune that makes me feel, well, happy. 

Image from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvEwOfL21Uo

This is the identity building benefit of consistency. It goes beyond what people think about your business and into the realm of how people feel about your business. Familiarity makes you a friend and people want to do business with their friends.

The Subliminal Effect:

Let’s face it…people no longer gather around the radio and stare at it while they are listening.

Radio has become a companion to the activities in their lives and sometimes they are only “half-listening” to the commercials while the rest of their brain is being used to drive their car.

If you have gained their full attention by being relevant in the past and you are applying the concept of consistency, the listener will be cued by the tone, voice, music, etc and will listen more intently when they hear your ad.

Sometimes just hearing a piece of music or voice that is associated with your business is enough to trigger top of mind awareness even if they never fall out of “half-listening” mode.

The Separation Effect:

If you take the time to come up with a consistent sound for your advertising it will separate you from all the other ads that will run before and after it. You will no longer be another ad on “Radio Station X”; you will be a familiar message that directly represents your business.

Image from http://www.evotivemarketing.com/stand-out-from-the-crowd/

Take full advantage of your investment in radio and take the time to come up with a consistent sound to represent you. You will never build a relationship without consistency and you will most likely become part of the noise that great ads stand out from.

Want to unlock the benefits of consistency for your radio campaign? Contact Audio Active Advertising today.

http://www.audioactiveadvertising.com

Ryan Ghidoni is an 18-year veteran of radio advertising and has worked with some of the most creative sales reps, writers, producers and voice talent in the business.

CHECK OUT “Audio Active Advertising” every week on Puget Sound Radio.

THE ONLINE AGENCY IS OPEN: Get “Audio Active” ads for your clients with Audio Active Advertising’s online agency. Check out over 100 Effective Ad Examples and then become the next one by ordering a Radio Single OR a Radio Campaign. Go to audioactiveadvertising.com.

These radio ad formats need to die!

We are all guilty of using them.

Either we don’t have time for a good idea OR the client is insisting we use them.

They will undermine the chance of the ad finding an audience.

They will only contribute to the clutter that everyone wants to cut through.

They are…

HORRIBLE TIRED RADIO AD FORMATS THAT I WISH I COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND DESTROY!!!

This is by no means a complete list.

In this first AD SLAP, I intend to examine the three formats I despise the most and detail the following:

Why people want to use it?

Why is it likely to fail?

When is it at its worst?

AND…What could possibly make it work?

 

So let us begin:

The classic “Stupid and Smart”: This is where a dumb person who has a problem runs into a smart person who just happens to be an expert on the product that will solve the dumb guy’s problem.

Image from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/stupid-people-make-the-best-friends

Why people want to use it? Because it’s easy. You barely have to think. You just copy the info from the client’s email and paste it right into the dialogue. It’s also easier to copy an old format instead of thinking of something original…and this one is the oldest. I’m pretty sure that the very first radio ad was a “stupid and smart”.

Why is it likely to fail? Because the ad is going to sound…well…like an ad. It’s going to sound fake.

When is it at its worst? When the smart guy says the client’s name seven times and mentions things about the product that no real person would ever know, say or remember. “And the best thing about Smith and Hagelstein Insurance is that they can show you how to incorporate a business continuity plan into your emergency preparedness. They’ll prepare you for tomorrow…today…at Smith and Hagelstein Insurance.” Dialogue needs to sound like a genuine conversation. Keep the sell lines to the announcer tag. 

What could possibly make it work? If you could keep the dialogue as realistic as possible and you had voices who could actually perform the roles in a convincing manner…then you might be able to pull off a “stupid and smart” without it feeling like a tired old nag stumbling out of the gate.

The Hard Sell Puker: These are loud and fast with one or two announcers barfing information into your ear.

Image from http://kindakind.com/10-ways-to-not-be-a-dick-on-public-transportation/

Why people want to use it? Because they believe, like a three-year-old, the only way to get attention is to be the loudest most obnoxious person in the room AND it allows them to cram 45 seconds of info into a 30 second ad. What a deal!

Why is it likely to fail? Think of your ad as a sales person representing your business. How well would a sales person do if they shouted at all their prospects? People have trained themselves their whole life to block out and avoid obnoxious people. Plus, if you talk faster than conversational pace...people can’t keep up.

When is it at its worst? When the shouting, fast talking announcer repeats things. “And if you act now you’ll get forty percent off! FORTY PERCENT OFF!!!!!” How ‘bout you don’t repeat things and maybe you could slow down and say things once…in a way I can comprehend.

What could possibly make it work? Use it for a product where you wouldn’t expect it. A dentist, a day care, or a church. I once used it for a fundraiser for my son’s preschool. The mismatch can be enough to grab the listener’s attention.

The Shopping List Ad: The ad is simply an eight to ten item list of information the business wants to communicate.

Image from http://www.getbetterhq.com/the-human-obsession-with-the-list/

 Why people want to use it? This is how they build their print ads. Print ad readers can selectively choose what to focus on. Unfortunately, radio ad listeners are along for the whole ride. Clients also like this format because they feel like they’ve accomplished all eight of their advertising goals with one ad.

Why is it likely to fail? By the time you get to item number five, you’ve forgotten one through four. People can’t ingest all that info in 30 seconds. Say one thing well and use the 30 seconds to give it meaning, demonstrate the results, and make it memorable.

When is it at its worst? When the list is mostly numbers. Car ads with price points, finance terms and lease rates for three or more vehicles. Your ads need to inspire images in the listener’s mind and price points simply don’t create images of the product.

What could possibly make it work? Rhythm and repetition. It made people remember this list…two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. If you can turn your list into an ear worm…you have more than a chance of being memorable. BUT stay consistent and hammer the same rhythmic list for the long haul. The reason you can’t remember all the lucky charms is because they kept adding ones like purple horseshoes, rainbows, balloons and hourglasses. Who wants glass in their cereal?

If you want to call yourself a CREATIVE writer…avoid the old tired ad formats and CREATE something new…even if it’s a twist on the old. Your clients will get a more effective ad and you will actually find your job a lot more rewarding.

The next time I do an AD SLAP, I want to lay an open hand on quiz show ads and ads that try to ride an expired fad after everyone is sick of it. I really enjoy these types of ads…. NOT! Until next time…Party on Wayne…Party on Garth.

Want an original approach to delivering your message? Contact Audio Active Advertising today.

http://www.audioactiveadvertising.com

Ryan Ghidoni is an 18-year veteran of radio advertising and has worked with some of the most creative sales reps, writers, producers and voice talent in the business.

CHECK OUT “Audio Active Advertising” every week on Puget Sound Radio.

THE ONLINE AGENCY IS OPEN: Get “Audio Active” ads for your clients with Audio Active Advertising’s online agency. Check out over 100 Effective Ad Examples and then become the next one by ordering a Radio Single OR a Radio Campaign. Go to audioactiveadvertising.com.

The ONE question you need to ASK to create an EFFECTIVE ad.

Movie poster for “S.F.W.” (1994) from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111048/

Many radio ads are weak because we simply don’t dig deep enough when we’re prospecting for information.

We end up focusing on content that isn’t all that interesting.

We end up missing the real reason the target would want to purchase the product from Mr. Client.

Info gathering is the foundation stage to building a great ad campaign and a proper one-hour client needs analysis will guarantee that the foundation is solid.

BUT…for the most part…neither you nor your client has time for a one-hour needs analysis.

So how can you make sure you’re focusing on the right info when you have no time for due diligence?

All you need to do is ask one simple question:

SO WHAT?

The client doesn’t even have to be there. You can ask this question and answer it yourself.

SO WHAT?

It’s guaranteed to polish turds into gold every time.

Image from http://electricsheepcomix.com/sketch/?p=107

SO WHAT?

It takes less than 30 seconds to ask and answer this question.

SO WHAT?

It will make writing the whole ad infinitely easier and take less of your time.

SO WHAT?

It will make clients think you are an advertising wizard genius ninja AND it will never fail you as long as you remember these TWO IMPORTANT THINGS:

ONE: Ask and answer the question at least two times.

TWO: Picture your target asking it. I like to find a picture of my target online, print it off and add a speech bubble that says:

Image from http://www.igre123.com/forum/tema/dancing-in-the-moon-light/30009/

Here let’s try it out.

TEST ONE:

Client: The Rib Shack

Target: 25 year-old females

Message: The Rib Shack has 2 for 1 entrées on Tuesday.

SO WHAT?

Two people can eat for the price of one.

SO WHAT?

For the same price of dinning alone…you could finally ask that cute guy in accounting to join you.

SO WHAT?

Then maybe you wouldn’t have to do “something else” alone every night.

WOAH…STOP AND WRITE THE AD ABOUT THAT.

TEST TWO:

Client: Pizza Amazing

Target: 35 year-old parents

Message: Our Pizza Party Package has tons of pizza for one low price.

SO WHAT?

It’s perfect for your kid’s birthday party.

SO WHAT?

Every kid will get at least 3 pieces.

SO WHAT?

You know how loud a house full of kids can be. They can’t scream with pizza in their mouth. It will take them at least ten minutes to eat 3 pieces. A ten-minute break from the screaming will guarantee that you won’t loose your s#!+ and say something inappropriate. If you’re doing a positioning ad you could add that the other guy’s pizza will only get parents a three-minute break from the screaming. Trust me…they’ll want the ten.

SWEET HEAVENLY JEBUS…THAT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE PARENTS BUY.

Quick write the ad.

Image from https://memegenerator.net/instance/51955804

So why does “SO WHAT” work every time?

Because when you first ask the question it takes boring FEATURES and transforms them into interesting BENEFITS.

Then when you ask it again…it takes interesting BENEFITS and transforms them into desirable RESULTS.

Ask it even more times to get more and more specific.

You will always end up with a stronger ad because of two things I learned from Dan O’Day:

Image from http://danoday.com/blog/

ONE: People don’t buy products; they buy the RESULTS that the product provides.

TWO: Specifics are infinitely more powerful than generalities.

This takes no time.

It actually SAVES time because it’s easier to write around an interesting idea.

More importantly…it always produces a better ad.

So stop writing bad ads and start asking SO WHAT.

Are you doing the “SO WHAT” process and still ending up with boring information? You must be doing it wrong. Hire me and I’ll show you how to do it right. Contact Audio Active Advertising today.

http://www.audioactiveadvertising.com

Ryan Ghidoni is an 18-year veteran of radio advertising and has worked with some of the most creative sales reps, writers, producers and voice talent in the business.

CHECK OUT “Audio Active Advertising” every week on Puget Sound Radio.

THE ONLINE AGENCY IS OPEN: Get “Audio Active” ads for your clients with Audio Active Advertising’s online agency. Check out over 100 Effective Ad Examples and then become the next one by ordering a Radio Single OR a Radio Campaign. Go to audioactiveadvertising.com.

Sometimes FUNNY can cost you MONEY!

After years of watching America’s Funniest Home Videos, I’ve concluded that the three key ingredients to a winning video are babies, cute animals, and dads being hit in the groin.

AFV clip still from http://www.wired.com/2011/04/ff_afv/

When my children were young I spent many hours wondering if I could teach them to ride a puppy while swinging a nerf bat into my groin. Hey…don’t judge. There was a $100,000 up for grabs and I was working in radio.

Speaking of radio…the audio medium has three key ingredients of it’s own.

The holy trinity of grabbing attention with your radio ad is sex, song and…humour.

Let’s save sex and song for another day (insert “that’s what my wife says” joke here) and take a closer look at humour in radio advertising.

Funny will grab attention.

Funny is memorable.

BUT the ultimate goal of a radio ad is to SELL.

If funny was the key to selling, we’d be greeted by stand-up comedians in every appliance store, every open house, and every car dealership.

So here are five tips that will ensure your use of humour never undermines the effectiveness of your message.

Tip #1: Don’t let the joke outshine the product:

Bill: I heard this hilarious ad yesterday.

Bob: The one with the singing frog with the speech impediment.

Bill: Yes…I can’t get that song out of my head.

Bob: Totally. So what were they selling?

Bill: I don’t know.

The humour is supposed to draw the listener’s attention so that you can deliver the sales message. So…

Don’t make the humour the star of the show. Once you know you’ve got them…don’t forget to sell them.

Don’t deliver the sales message or say the client’s name during the 2 second zone following the punchline. People can’t hear you when they’re laughing.

Don’t use humour that is completely disconnected from the product.

Which leads us to…

Tip #2: Find the humour in the product:

You can’t simply tell a funny joke and then say “Want to buy a mattress?”.

Look for the humour in the product itself, the problem it solves, the way that it’s used (or misused), the human scenarios that are created by the purchase experience, or the misery that will fall on those who don’t buy the product. 

Leaf ad from http://www.yourleaf.org/blog/matthew-higginson/2012-03-28/you-could-really-use-tree

Find something that is genuinely funny AND directly connected to the product.

A 2002 campaign for Pfaff Motors (pronounced Faff Motors) featured phrases that were funny when the “p” was made silent like “all work and no play” and “passing lane”. The humour was directly tied to the name of the dealership so that when people recalled the joke…they remembered the name.

Make it impossible to separate the humour from the sales message so the listener remembers both.

Tip #3: Make sure it’s funny AND funny for the target:

If it’s not funny…just stop and take a different approach. Lame humour can backfire and make the client look lame by association. So the first part of this tip is make sure that “you and your fellow writers” think the humour is actually funny.

The second part of this tip is make sure “you and your fellow writers” aren’t the only ones who think it’s funny. You have to know who your target is and anticipate how THEY will react.

There are 20 types of humour listed at dailywritingtips.com. Check them out at:

www.dailywritingtips.com/20-types-and-forms-of-humor/

Pick a style that fits both the sender (the client) and the intended receiver (the target). For example:

The coarse jokes and sexual situations of blue humour might not fit a family targeted message.

Satire might not be a good fit for a client like the Museum of Human Rights.

I know these examples are obvious but you’d be amazed what we can become blind to when the room thinks something is funny.

Tip #4: Humour requires a performance:

Gene Wilder from http://www.biography.com/people/gene-wilder-17191558

For the most part, there are two types of announcers in radio…those with a very appealing sound to their voice and those that understand comedy and can be naturally funny. There are those that possess both, I’ve worked with a couple of them, but they are rare.

Have the funny announcers perform the humour. Have the great sounding announcers deliver the sales message.

Because a funny script requires a great comedic performance.

The reason I can’t watch “2 Broke Girls” on CBS is because its funny writing that is just being read off a teleprompter.

I need to believe that the performers actually experienced the humour…that the lines are THEIR lines.

Cast accordingly.

If you don’t…the great sounding announcer who lacks the ability to deliver comedy is going to sink your funny boat before anyone can get on board for a ride.

Tip #5: Jokes get old fast…so refresh the copy:

If the humour is really good…the ad is going to burn really fast.

You can take a REACTIVE approach to this and change up the copy when the sales executive or announcers start groaning about having to “hear that ad again”. This is an indication that you need to update the copy in the next two weeks. Announcers and sales reps are hyper focused on the on-air product so they will get sick of it first…BUT the listeners won’t be that far behind.

OR

You can take a PROACTIVE approach and write 3 to five variations of the ad and rotate them to eliminate the fast burn of one funny ad. You don’t have to write five separate ads. You just have to switch out the funny part. You can swap out the whole scenario, change the dialogue between the same characters, or even just switch up the punchline. I like the punchline swap approach because when the listener is expecting one thing and they get something different…you draw them in even more.

There is no formula for being funny, no tried and true anatomy of a joke, no five tips that will transform you into Stephen Colbert. The five tips that I’ve put together for you today are guidelines to follow so that when you are funny…you can avoid the common radio creative pitfalls and put the humour to work for your client’s communication goals. 

Want to know if your radio advertising is using humour that supports the sales message? Contact Audio Active Advertising today for a free consultation.

http://www.audioactiveadvertising.com

Ryan Ghidoni is an 18-year veteran of radio advertising and has worked with some of the most creative sales reps, writers, producers and voice talent in the business.

CHECK OUT “Audio Active Advertising” every week on Puget Sound Radio.

THE ONLINE AGENCY IS OPEN: Get “Audio Active” ads for your clients with Audio Active Advertising’s online agency. Check out over 100 Effective Ad Examples and then become the next one by ordering a Radio Single OR a Radio Campaign. Go to audioactiveadvertising.com.