If you saw Monday’s Commercial Smackdown, you might recall my saying the #1 objection “laser eye surgery” places need to overcome in their radio advertising is Fear.
Here’s a commercial that’s running for one of their competitors right now. Notice what they focus on most:
Is that a great commercial? No, but it’s effective… especially as part of a drip-drip-drip Chinese water torture campaign that eventually wears down the fear-driven resistance.
They touch upon the “expensive” objection at the end, which doesn’t help but does no real damage.
As their competitor did, they give a vanity phone number and a numeric number. Dumb.
And they give both a phone number and a Web address — nearly always a bad idea. You’ve heard me say it before: In a radio commercial, choice paralyzes response.
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just printed out in huge letters a quote from your blog: “And they give both a phone number and a Web address — nearly always a bad idea. You’ve heard me say it before: In a radio commercial, choice paralyzes response.”
Then I left a copy on every salesperson’s desk, because of course they almost always insist on address, web address AND phone number (twice, of course — AT LEAST).
I had a salesperson immediately tell me that his most recent script he wrote (instead of letting me, the copywriter, write) has the phone number for restaurants to order a product in one manner and other listeners to order through a website — so his obviously was the exception that proved the rule.
I told him that if his spot had two targeted listeners, listing both a phone number and web address are the LEAST of his problems. Or more accurately, his CLIENT’s.
Huge sigh, like it says in the subject line.
Thanks as always for at least making it easy to explain to them why they are wrong, even if they won’t listen.
One of the lessons to learn is not to waste your time helping colleagues who don’t want to be helped. Try once; if they don’t appreciate the effort, save it for someone who does.
Any radio station produced commericals are victim usually of a client wanting to put everything but the kitchen sink in a 30 or 60 second spot, and the salesman who dares not to contradict the client for fear of PO ing the client, and the sheer volume of spots going through the “factory”.
Given this issue, how can a copywriter write effectively? voice talent communicate well? They can’t. Yet despite the obvious, the copywriter still writes, the voice talent still communicates, the salesman still sells and the client still buys. I guess the listener is getting some message, though it may not be the correct and effective one.
Right question, wrong answer(s).
The copywriter can write effectively if:
1. He or she has studied advertising copywriting overall and radio advertising in particular.
That almost never is the case. Reading an occasional trade publication article — or blog — about copywriting is not the same as studying it.
2. The sales exec has been educated in the key principles of radio advertising and the key elements that make a commercial succeed or fail.
That almost never is the case.
3. The radio station truly is committed to the success of its advertisers.
That almost never is the case. Most stations would be pleased if the advertiser was successful, but that’s just a fortunate happenstance.
4. The radio station demonstrates its commitment to the success of its clients by not allowing unqualified people to write or produce its commercials and by setting copy and production standards for everything that appears on its airwaves.
4. The radio voice talent learns how to perform on a radio commercial so that the sales message is communicated effectively and the targeted consumer is motivated to act on that message.
99% of in-house radio voice talent knows only what they’ve heard on other stations or, occasionally, what they’ve read somewhere. With no one in the building to teach them, they don’t realize how much there is that they don’t know.
That’s why radio people who attempt to launch fulltime voiceover careers find it extremely difficult. Most of them aren’t good enough, while the ones who have enough talent first need to learn — painfully — how to “get the radio out of your voice.”
And it’s the difference between national and agency quality product and something that’s produced at a local radio station. Not all stations mind you, but a lot. Why? because anyone can write copy…right? I’ve known some stations that hire someone off the street to write copy.
Second, the sheer volume of product going through the station can overwhelm any copywriter, producer, voice talent and sales person. Getting announcers/voice talent to do commerical production can be like pulling teeth, as they are often overworked as it is. They do their “announcer” read, and really don’t know or don’t care about doing anything else.
This is the reality I have known, and it’s far often too common. It’s was often too frustrating to try to achieve high quality standards with lower quality talent at all levels. From voice talent, to copywriting. Sad really, but unless change takes place at the fundamental level, it’s like climbing a mountain.