Just in case you’ve never seen the show:
The guy being interrogated is friends with the two guys he talks about.
Two honest, law-abiding guys. His friends.
Last week I shared with you the Second Dumbest Thing I’ve Ever Heard In Radio.
Here’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard — even though I heard it second-hand, via Ron Stevens.
When Ron was a disc jockey, one of his program directors took him aside and said, “You know, Ron, radio isn’t a popularity contest.”
Um….
Y’know, if ratings are important to your radio station, that’s EXACTLY what radio is: a popularity contest.
Last week I shared with you the importance of a cross-examining attorney’s limiting each new question to a single fact.
A “leading question” is one that suggests an answer. For example:
“Was the defendant holding a gun?”
Quoting from the book, CROSS-EXAMINATION: SCIENCE AND TECHNIQUES, by Larry S. Pozner and Roger J. Dodd:
“RULE #1: Leading Questions Only.
“The Federal Rules of Evidence, and the rules of evidence of all the states, permit leading questions on cross-examination….This is the fundamental factor of cross-examination. It is the critical advantage given the cross-examiner that must always be pressed.
“A skillful lawyer must never forfeit the enormous advantage offered by the use of leading questions. The ‘leading questions only’ rule means that, in trial, never, ever, no matter how well-intentioned the reason, use a question that is not strictly leading.”
The reason the cross-examiner is advised to use only leading questions is to make sure he maintains complete control of the facts that are presented to the jury.
If the fact is irrelevant to the theory of the case, it isn’t introduced.
If the fact distracts from the theory of the case, it isn’t introduced.
Radio Advertising Application
The way to adapt this rule to advertising is to forget about the term “leading questions.” Instead, focus on the results the authors say each question should deliver; the questions are intended only to bolster the theory of the case.
And you should allow nothing in your commercial that does not actively support its core message:
Extraneous bits of information the clients want to squeeze in, thinking that’s how they get the most for their money….
Or a joke that is included solely because it’s funny — but not because it leads the targeted consumer to the desired conclusion.
Is your radio station trying to bribe, cajole or otherwise influence listeners to click on your Facebook fan page’s “Like'” button?
If so, ask yourself this question about your station’s brand:
What percentage of your listeners/advertisers/supporters would click on an “I Love And Wholeheartedly Recommend” button?
That’s the kind of support a winning brand needs.
First, the radio commercial:
When you have just 60 seconds to talk to your target audience, you need to identify your “Core Message” — the one thing people to hear, to understand, and to remember.
When you have just 15 seconds….Well, “Core Message” becomes even more important.
In just 15 seconds, this Shakey’s radio spot manages to say three things that have nothing to do with their Core Message:
- Is something missing from your pizza?
- “Get out of the box.”
- “Put the ‘parlor’ back in ‘pizza.'”
(Those last two are from the “We’ve Got A Slogan So Dammit We’re Gonna Use The Slogan” Department.)
But the core message — maybe you’ve already forgotten it — is:
“Text us and you could win a pizza party for ten.”
This entire quarter-minute of radio advertising should have been devoted solely to enticing people to text their entry.
“Win a pizza party for 10 people” has Enticement Value.
“Get out of the box” has no Enticement Value.
Sometimes you just don’t have time for your expensive Madison Avenue slogan.
