Sherri Marengo of Eagle 99 asks, “Have you ever been doing a contest and forgot to give listeners the contest line??? OMG- did it this morning!”
My most memorable blunder occurred during my very first air shift. I’m a city boy, and my first radio gig was in rural Virginia. It was only an hour or so into the shift when a listener called up and said, “You’re not from around here, are you?”
Nope, it wasn’t a question of conflicting regional accents. I had read a live spot for John Deere tractors. Apparently the big clue was when I pronounced it “Dear-ie.”
First I should explain that for me, an Incredibly Cool Station Idea is one that provides a valuable service to the community, involves the listeners, and doesn’t cost the radio station anything.
A number of years ago I conducted an air talent seminar for BBC Radio Merseyside in Liverpool, England. At the time, they were heavily promoting its “A Team.”Staffed by volunteers, the A Team work from three desks in the radio station. They field calls from listeners who need what might be called Info-Help:
“What are the requirements for bringing a dog onto an airplane?”
“How can I find someone to adopt some kittens?”
“Who won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Actor?”
One very popular feature of the A Team is their Lost Person service: helping to locate an old army buddy or school chum.
While they research all incoming requests and reply to the callers by telephone, the A Team typically airs three bulletins a day to help with answers they haven’t been able to track down themselves.
When the film version of YELLOW SUBMARINE celebrated its 30th anniversary, Apple Records desperately wanted to contact the actors who had portrayed the Beatles in that animated picture, but they could locate only three of the four. So they called the A Team, which asked Radio Merseyside’s listeners if they could help. Within hours, they heard from a listener who was friends with the missing actor…who was living on a houseboat in Denmark. He gave them his friend’s phone number, and the mystery was solved.
Here are the benefits of the A Team:
• True community service
• Great public relations/local goodwill
• Occasional great publicity (e.g., the missing “Beatle”)
• Strengthens connection to community
• Builds listener loyalty
• Builds goodwill even among people who are not frequent listeners
Art Taft of KRTV writes: —————————————————————————————- Hi Dan. Every year or so I send you this message about the heading of your newsletter that I very much look forward to and enjoy reading:
Here is your copy of THE DAN O’DAY RADIO ADVERTISING LETTER #117. I hope you find it worth reading!
Please consider changing “I hope you find it worth reading” to “information to help you become the consummate professional.”
Hope is not a game plan. Hope is wanting something to happen that you did not work towards or for. Hope is the desire for a miracle. I hope I win the Lottery. I hope the ad campaign works. I hope I get to see the decision maker. I hope I meet a wealthy woman.
Your newsletter is worthy. Your newsletter is educational. Your newsletter is your personal contribution to helping to change messages from lackluster to brilliant.
Dan, you work too hard to hope that someone will find it worth reading. Your headline should always be that they are lucky you kept them on the mailing list. —————————————————————————————-
Dan Replies:
First, thanks very much for the flattering review of my newsletter.
I don’t think your definition of “hope” would conflict with my using the word in relation to events or actions I cannot control.
To me, the ultimate test of an “expert” is whether that person is able accurately to predict results in his/her alleged area of expertise. (Obviously, that test disqualifies economists and virtually all the talking heads you see on TV.)
When I write a campaign for a client, I don’t hope it works. If I’ve done my homework and they’ve given me enough accurate information, I know it will work — unless they decide to “tweak” the script themselves, in which case all bets are off.
Example: The “Dentist” commercial we syndicate always produces immediate results. So I was puzzled when one dentist called me to report that while the campaign was generating some response, the volume was disappointing. Turns out he took the 30-second spot — the one that always works — and added another 30 seconds to it, offering a free weekend vacation certificate to anyone responding to the commercial.
So I don’t “hope” my radio campaigns work. But I do hope my clients get their money’s worth by trusting me as the expert who predicts that if they run what I give them, they’ll get results.
In one of my Radio Advertising Letters, I can share a technique or principle that I know is valuable, that works. But whether any individual subscriber thinks that principle or that particular issue is worth reading? I can’t predict.
I’ve just coined that phrase, referring to commercials that exist because two companies made a deal to partner in a marketing or advertising promotion.
Neither company actually cares about getting results. They’re too blinded by the fact that somebody else is paying for part (or all, depending upon the promotion) of this!
Actually, whoever created this has achieved something noteworthy. They’ve produced a commercial that has absolutely no value at all. They’ve managed to say nothing, badly.
The commercial opens with the name of the advertiser. Why? Well, I’m sure it pleases the Visa people. Otherwise, it signals to the audience, “Here’s a brochure for Visa Signature credit cards.”
“On top of the points or miles you already earn…” — They jump right into the pitch, assuming that everyone in the audience has a Visa card, has a Visa Signature Card that earns points or miles, and at this very moment is thinking about their Visa Signature Card. They don’t attempt first to get the attention of the targeted listener.
“To experience the luxury of the world-class Pinehurst Resort” — Apparently all the effort went into creating this joint promotion, while the actual writing of the sales message was delegated to a secretary.
This is a golf club. Golfers use it to hit golf balls when they play golf on golf courses.
“year-round exclusive golf packages” — followed by the sound of a club hitting a ball, apparently for the sake of listeners who aren’t sure what “golf” is.
“Cardholders have access to the best of Pinehurst Golf” — implying there’s a worst of Pinehurst Golf.
“with the Ultimate Golf Package” — whatever that is. They go out of their way to illustrate the concept of “golf” but apparently assume everyone knows what “the Ultimate Golf Package” is.
They give the phone number before giving people a reason to call.
And the reason? “To reserve your Pinehurst Experience.”
MR. STUPID: Say, honey, why don’t we reserve a Pinehurst Experience?
MRS. STUPID: What a great idea! You’re such a wonderful husband.
MR. & MRS. STUPID: Thanks, Visa Signature Card and Pinehurst Resort!
After 50 seconds of mind-numbing nothingness, they finish with 10 seconds of fine print.
And what is this radio commercial’s Core Message? You know, the one thing they want the targeted listener to hear, to understand, and to remember? Take your pick:
• Visa Signature Cards give you exclusive benefits
• Luxury of Pinehurst Resort
• Year-round, exclusive golf packages
• The Ultimate Golf Package
• The Home of Golf Package
• 10% savings off any Pinehurst package
• Mention your credit card at time of purchase
• Instructions on figuring out if you have a Visa Signature Card. (HINT: If you have a Visa Signature Card, it will say “Visa Signature Card” on the front of your card.)
Two entities joining together to flush money down the toilet. What’s that called again? Oh, yeah: “Synergy.”
