Do men and women communicate differently?
This video suggests they do.
While that’s for entertainment value (uh, I think), if you’re a radio program director or marketing director you absolutely should download Programming & Marketing to Men and to Women.
Every now and then someone will take me to task for “not giving consumers enough credit” or “underestimating the intelligence of consumers” when it comes to their responses to advertising.
This occurs when I point to specific radio commercials or TV ads that fail to anchor a firm connection between the story and the sales message.
Most recently this happened in response to my critique of the Chevy Cruze television commercial:
“I think the writers of the spot are giving consumers the credit for being smart enough make the connection that you’ll rarely visit a convenience store for fuel when you own a Chevy Cruze.”
It’s not a matter of consumers being “smart enough” to make the connection. It’s a matter of whether television viewers care enough to make the connection…and they don’t.
Viewers prefer not to watch TV commercials at all.
I know my saying that will spark retorts of, “What about that great X commercial or Y commercial??” — to which my response is, “Check the latest statistics to see what percentage of DVR users don’t skip past all the commercials.”
A broadcast commercial is intrusive. It interrupts or temporarily impedes the delivery of the programming the viewer has tuned in for.
Viewers don’t want to “figure out the connection for themselves.”
They’re not looking for a puzzle to solve; they’re waiting — often impatiently — for their television program to resume.
To whom is it more important that the consumer understand the connection between the story and the sales message — the consumer, or the advertiser?
Obviously, it’s more important to the advertiser.
That’s why it’s the advertiser’s responsibility to do whatever is necessary to deliver the entire message to the targeted consumer.
Expecting the consumer to do any of the work required to complete that delivery is naive and unrealistic.
Here’s an excellent example of one of the most harmful types of advertising.
Why Is That Commercial Harmful?
1. It’s clever.
2. The story is well-written.
3. It’s very well produced (which includes the casting).
4. Viewers enjoy watching it.
5. No matter how many times they see and enjoy this commercial, few viewers will associate #s 1 – 4 (above) with the product: The Chevrolet Cruze Diesel.
Good Storytelling. Poor Advertising.
But if the story is well-written and produced, how can it be poor advertising?
The “sales message” — what the advertiser ultimately wants the viewer to remember — isn’t part of the story:
“Chevrolet Cruze Clean Diesel, with the best gas mileage of any non-hybrid.”
That’s the sales message, and it’s delivered only via the announcer voice over (which viewers tune out) and 2 seconds of words on-screen (which viewers ignore).
The story isn’t about a guy who’s a stranger at gas stations because he drives a Cruze Diesel. It’s about a guy who’s a stranger at gas stations because he drives a car that doesn’t use much gas.
In fact, with the announcer saying “of any non-hybrid” and viewers not consciously listening, probably 60% of viewers later will think it was a commercial for “some hybrid car.”
“But What About The Value of Repetition?”
The story ends before the sales message begins, regardless of how many times a viewers sees this commercial. Repetition offers very little help.
If a tree repeatedly falls in a deserted forest, how many more people will hear it due to the repetition?
Why This Commercial Is So Harmful
See #s 1 – 4 (above).
This ad will win an award.
It’ll probably make USA Today’s meaningless list of “People’s Favorite TV Commercials.”
The advertising agency will land new business from clients who are impressed by the spot’s warm, feel-good nature…and by the award.
Other agencies and advertisers will emulate the Good Storytelling + Failure to Connect to Sales Message model.
Ratings for Cheers reruns probably will enjoy a bump.
And more business will continue to squander their advertising dollars. Some of them will have less money to waste than Chevrolet, and their employees or stockholders will feel the hurt.
But it’s an enjoyable 20 seconds of entertainment…followed by a sales message delivered only in a deserted forest.
Recently I came across a radio station website that included the following link on their “Contacts” page:
“PSA Requests.”
I’m pretty sure what they meant to say is:
“Want Us To Announce Your Community Event?”
If it didn’t, they could’ve changed it to:
“Local Announcement Requests”
Only broadcasters know what a PSA is.
Fortunately, your station website makes no mention of “PSAs” — right?
A Loyal Reader uploaded a recorded radio advertisement, referring to it as “The Radio Commercial from Hell.” He included a brief explanation.
“So this is what passes for an agency spot these days, as aired on a prominent national radio network.
“Between the glottal fry on the female VO talent, the room tone and the popped P at :48, the bar has obviously been set very low for the rest of us now.“
I hear plenty of bad radio commercials. It takes something really bad to surprise me.
Something like….
We needn’t even ponder whether the commercial is legal.
I’m sure they’d argue that by ending it with, “That’s NewsBreak from (Mumbled Advertiser Name),” they’re complying with FTC and FCC regulations which require commercial advertisers to be clearly identified.
Personally, I think radio stations that air this advertisement are exposing themselves to the risk of FCC penalties.
Then again, not being understand much of it puts me at a disadvantage in assessing its legal compliance.
