I do not share this thinking it’s the oldest popular song, because it’s not.
But when this premiered in a 1909 Broadway musical, I wonder if the songwriters ever dreamed people still would enjoy this little pop song well into the next century.
Although written as a ballad, Barry Gordon gives it a “stride piano” touch (which kicks in at around 0:38)….
A number of years ago at a radio convention panel session devoted to the subject of Ratings, the general manager of a station in a very large Southern California market stood up and declared:
“Arbitron’s ratings system makes no sense at all. And I can prove it. My station’s ratings have gone down in every book for the past four years — even though we haven’t changed a single thing on the station for the entire time!”
Sadly, he was telling the truth. When he began as GM, the station had very high ratings. When he finally left, the high ratings were but a distant memory.
Because as the ratings sank lower and lower, the station didn’t change a single thing.
Last week I shared with you the “Strategy of Sequences,” which I adapted to radio advertising from the book, CROSS-EXAMINATION: SCIENCE AND TECHNIQUES, Larry S. Pozner and Roger J. Dodd.
One of the authors’ rules is: “One New Fact Per Question.”
In those movie or TV courtroom dramas you’ve seen, you might recall an attorney objecting that the opponent asked a “compound question.” That’s a question that asks the witness to address more than one issue at a time:
“Did you see the defendant enter the barroom and then hit the plaintiff?”
That question introduced two facts.
The “One New Fact Per Question” Rule is offered not only to avoid objections but also to enable the attorney to maximize the overall impact of the testimony.
In a commercial, of course, there’s no rule against making compound questions or compound statements….But they either confuse the listener or they weaken the impact of your sales message.
Ed’s Jewelers is the oldest jewelry store in Smallville, with the largest selection and guaranteed lowest prices, and we specialize in repairing delicate heirlooms.
If you’re forced to deliver such bland information, at least you can punch it up by breaking it up:
Did you know that Ed’s Jewelers is the oldest jewelry store in Smallville? Did you know that no other jeweler in Smallville has as large a selection as Ed’s? Did you know that Ed’s guarantees that his prices are the lowest in Smallville? And if you have a delicate heirloom piece that needs resetting or repair, did you know that THAT is Ed’s specialty?
Not a great commercial, to be sure. But assigning each fact to its presentation sentence gives more emphasis to each.
(And to any readers who were erroneously taught that you never should ask a question in a radio commercial: If the listener doesn’t know those facts, now they do. If the listener already does know those facts, their knowledge simply has been confirmed.)
Last month I shared with you the story of The Short Radio Program Director Who Thought He Was A Big Genius.
Here’s one more, 100% true “short PD” story. (The point being not that the PD was short but that the PD apparently felt the need to overcompensate for his height by acting superior to others.)
A Famous Disc Jockey.
A Famous Station Manager.
A (short) Program Director you’ve never heard of.
The Famous Disc Jockey — wh0 had an extremely successful career — had a contract that included his own assigned parking space. He didn’t demand it. But the station offered it, and he accepted.
One day another jock from within the station was promoted to Program Director. I have no idea how that happened, because he was astonishingly unqualified.
The day after the other jock was promoted to Program Director, the Famous Disc Jockey arrived at work to find the New Program Director’s car in the Famous Disc Jockey’s parking space.
The Famous Disc Jockey went into the New Program Director’s office.
The New Program Director was seated behind an imposing desk.
The Famous Disc Jockey said, “Ummmm….I think your car’s in my parking space.”
And the New Program Director replied, “It’s my parking space now! So I guess you’ll just have to find somewhere else to put your car.”
The Famous Disc Jockey thought a moment. Then he grasped the edge of the imposing desk, lifted it in the air and threw it against the wall.
“Okay,” said the Famous Disc Jockey. “How about if from now on I park it right here??” And he stormed out.
Furious, the New Program Director went to the Famous Station Manager and related the events that had just occurred.
And the Famous Station Manager said, “If I were you, I wouldn’t park in his space again.”
When given a taste of power, the New Program Director failed his test of character.
No, he’s no longer Program Director.
Click on the “play” button, turn away from your computer, and c’mon back when this commercial is finished.
Can you remember any of it?
Can you understand any of it?
The voice over talent, however, did make a valiant effort with that terrible copy.
