The latest issue of my Radio Advertising Letter includes an article about appropriate criteria for judging a radio advertising competition, as well as a commercial script I wrote for a Japanese restaurant client.
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I’m sure there are at least one or two restaurants that could do this in our markets – but the problem isn’t giving them a good idea, as is finding a business owner with the balls to put it all on the line and actually DO it. And if they can’t bring themselves to do it … well, you know how many mediocre businesses are out there trying to find the magic wand to instantly turn their fortunes around. (And turning their noses at the ones offered them.)
I cannot count the nunber of ads I’ve heard that are creative, funny, even hilarious, BUT CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE CLIENT THE AD WAS FOR!!! I’m all for being creative and memorable, but unless you’ve treated the name of the business or product with the same level of attention, the ad had FAILED…
Just put in our stations’ entries for our state broadcasters association. Of the more than 1,000 messages we produced here in 2010, only 2 were what I considered “award winners,” based on the criteria: creativity, humor value, and production values. “Humor value?” That’s because this state competition has seen fit to change the criteria twice in the last two years. Categories used to be Best PSA and Best Commercial, but since one station kept winning those awards – with humorous, high production value messages – they were last year changed to Best Serious PSA or Commercial and Best Humorous PSA or Commercial, and now Best Commercial, Best Humorous Commercial, and Best PSA centering on the station’s involvement in support of a non-profit organization.
While I am still hopeful that I’ll break the 50 mark in awards this year, with consecutive wins of some level the past 17 years, the competition does little to improve or encourage messages that bring success to the advertiser – or at least motivate the judges to act on the content, advertiser or public service organization. In fact, this year, they’ve added a “Most Entertaining Client-recorded Commercial” category this year. Really? Is that what we’re here for – to make clients sound more entertaining? If so, who are we really serving? Our egos? Our clients egos? Or the needs, wants, goals, and desires of the people who hear the ads, are motivated to buy the product, generate sales for the client, and in turn respect for our ability to help clients and customers get together that leads to putting food on broadcasters’ tables?
Having judged thousands of entries for various competitions over the years it is obvious that awards are not for effectiveness. They are for the proper execution of the “elements” that make a “good ad”. I wish effectiveness was the primary criteria myself but I think I would want some proof to back up my opinion. Show me the results. Include a statement that provides some proof that the ad did its job. At the station level we rarely receive feedback or even enquire as to whether an ad did what it was created to do. However, we often hear if it DIDN’T or measure up to expectations. I find that award-winning spots, much like Superbowl ads, are rarely very effective. Just listen to this year’s Mercury winners.
I always enjoy your newsletters but this edition ($133) is one of the most informative and engaging I have read from you. LOADED with good ideas and information!
I agree with Chris P.’s post that it is rare to find a client willing to actually go through with such an ambitious promotion. Increasing market share and clientele requires bold moves, which really separates the ‘heard’ from the ‘never heard’.
Giving away an appetizer is a small investment that could be the start of a long relationship between restaurant and client, leaving the radio station as the match-maker. Job done!
Dan, thank you for bringing sanity to the “free food” promotion. I can’t tell you how many times I see these meager freebies like, “Buy two entrees, get one appetizer for half price.” It’s insulting. But “come in for a free appetizer” is such a kickass offer, I’d consider writing a book about it and then doing a teleseminar with you. Oh, wait. I did. Well, sort of…