Bob Goff uploaded this commercial, describing it as a “unique and fun way of selling a ‘delicate’ situation.”
I’m not sure it’s a great commercial, but it does take an interesting
approach…
A Loyal Reader Writes:
“I recently received an e-mail from a ‘marketing guru.’ His idea is one that I have been hearing a lot lately.
“The gist of it is this: Listeners aren’t interested in you. They want you to be interested in them and to show how you will help them feel better about themselves.
“How do I make somebody feel better about himself? Any thoughts?”
My blunt reply: That statement is kind of silly.
With some editing, however, I can muster a defense of a revised version of that “guru” ’s proclamation.
First, Why It’s Silly
Listeners are interested in you…if you’re interesting.
And if you’re…interested.
The late acting teacher, Uta Hagen, said:
“If you are interested, you are interesting.”
She illustrated this with the example of a cat in a theatrical production.
On one side of the stage were the actors, emoting at their very best. On the other side of the stage was a cat, watching a feather slowly fall to the floor.
And every eye in the audience was on…the cat. Because the cat was genuinely, 100% interested in the movement of that feather.
Listeners are interested in you if you are interested in what you presenting.
They’re interested if you’re talking about something in an interesting, entertaining, provocative, enlightening and/or compelling manner.
Because a personality radio show does need to be relatable, listeners can make it about themselves if they want to.
The three primary ways a listener relates to a radio show:
- Vicariously
- Voyeuristically
- Via Emotional Investment
Vicariously: The listener identifies with one or more characters on the show and experiences what the characters experience. (Even if you’re “just being yourself” on the air, you’re a character.)
When their favorite radio host interviews a celebrity, they’re right there with the jock, asking the questions. (That’s one reason that using telephone, email and SMS to collect possible questions from your audience is a smart idea.)
When the radio personality expresses (or enables someone else to express) an opinion — whether seriously, comedically, satirically or casually — and the listener shares that opinion, the listener shares in the expression of that opinion, too.
(This applies to the bombastic politically-oriented talk shows in which hosts proclaim their own points of view to be unassailably correct and declare that anyone who disagrees is a fool, a traitor, or both. People who agree with the host can relax, having had their own opinions validated by someone who assures them of their certitude.)
Voyeuristically: “I can’t believe he’s actually doing that!”
The radio host’s prank calls, wild antics, blunt interview questions….
When you do something listeners would not normally do (but which in some way is an extension of their true feelings), they enjoy witnessing the event.
Emotional Investment: When radio listeners have an emotional investment in the programming, they’re more likely to continue to watch.
If the listener tunes in to hear her favorite songs and you play them, she has received a return on her emotional investment.
If he tunes in for a good laugh and you give him one, his emotional investment has paid off.
If she lands on your station in search of companionship and finds it, it becomes a worthwhile emotional investment.
Okay, let’s make that guru look a bit smarter.
Let’s edit this:
“They want you to be interested in them and to show how you will help them feel better about themselves.”
…down to this:
“They want you to help them feel better.”
Listeners turn on the radio to feel better.
Not necessarily about themselves.
Just better.
Better as in, “Less lonely.”
Better as in, “Better informed.”
Better as in, “Knowing to avoid Highway 12 on my way to work this morning; I can’t afford to be late today.”
Better as in, “Feeling blah, need some good music to pick me up.”
Better as in, “Feeling blah, need to laugh.”
Better as in, “Feeling blah, need to become intellectually engaged.”
Better as in, “Right now I’m hearing something that is worth my time & attention.”
Last week I spent 22 hours on two United Airlines flights (Los Angeles to Tokyo; Tokyo to Los Angeles).
Each inflight movie was prefaced by a brief animated entreaty to “Find Us On Facebook” and another to “Follow Us On Twitter.”
In other words, two commercials. Each commercial with a single, specific Call To Action.
And absolutely no reason given to take either action.
Why should I, the passenger, find United Airlines on Facebook? Why should I follow them on Twitter?
Dunno.
United spent the money to make those quickie commercials…and is getting no return on its investment.
I don’t know how many passengers have seen those little “commercials.” But I guarantee that — with the possible exception of curious airline or social media marketing professionals or students — not a single passenger has looked for UA’s Facebook page or followed them on Twitter.
Hey, but wait a minute, Dan! You’ve got a Facebook “badge” and a “Follow Me On Twitter” link on this blog! But you don’t give us any reason to take action….
Correct. The Call To Action on today’s blog is to read this posting.
The Facebook and Twitter links are there for readers who like the blog enough to think, “Hmmm. Maybe I’ll check out his Facebook page or see what he tweets about.”
To take either action, all they need to do is click on a link — which you’re not able to do while watching the United video at 32,000 feet.
If my primary goal was to get readers to go to my Facebook page I might say something like, “Hey, you’ll find a bunch of cool videos and special articles about radio and voice overs that you won’t find anywhere else…”
If my primary goal was to get readers to follow me on Twitter, I might say…Uh…Actually, I haven’t yet figured out why anyone follows me on Twitter. But you get the idea….
This is one of those professional organization commercials whose real goal is to make the organization’s members feel good about themselves when they hear the radio commercial:
Small point: No listener will believe the person speaking is a pharmacist. That’s because…uh…She’s not. She’s a voice actor.
So why lie? Why say “we” when the audience knows it should be “they”?
My nitpicking the copy/performance mismatch, however, doesn’t affect the warm, fuzzy “Hey, that commercial about us is on the radio!” feeling this campaign is designed to elicit from members of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.
And I’m sure it’s obvious to you that their Call To Action — to “find out more” about the American Society of Health System Pharmacists at their website — actually is a Call To Ignore.
But the change they are trying to make in the behavior of targeted listeners is this: When you’re in the hospital and have questions about the medicine your doctor has prescribed, ask the hospital pharmacist.
Successful Radio Advertising Intersects Common Human Behavior.
When you’re in the hospital and you have a question about your medicine, whom do you ask?
Right. The doctor who prescribed the medicine.
No radio campaign is going to change that common human behavior.
At that point where the commercial message diverges from the listener’s life, the listener tunes out…and never hears the rest of the radio advertisement.
