Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a guest speaker at numerous of the Radio Advertising Bureau’s annual conferences (now merged with the National Association of Broadcasters’ Radio Show, for whom I’ve also been privileged to speak many times).
The first time I ever spoke at the RAB conference was 1994.
Of all the sessions that year — I’m guessing they numbered at least 100 — mine was the only one dealing not just with selling commercials but also with the quality of the commercial copy itself.
I have a vivid memory of the beginning of that session.
I began by saying something obvious like, “The purpose of a radio commercial is not to show off or entertain. It’s to make money for the client.”
At That Point, The Audience Reacted In Such A Shocking Manner That I’ve Never Fully Recovered.
At least half the people in the room wrote that down.
“Wait a minute!” I cried. “That’s not supposed to be a big revelation. You already know that, don’t you??”
But apparently no one ever had suggested such a thing to those radio account executive and sales managers.
These days, our industry talks much more about delivering measurable results to advertisers.
Much of the talk, unfortunately, is nothing more than talk.
The prevailing attitude at most radio stations is:
“We fully support the idea of creating results-producing commercials for our clients…in theory. If we happen to have time. And if despite the lack of true radio advertising education among our staff members we’re lucky enough to have someone who knows how to write good radio commercial copy.”
As time passes, I do meet more individuals who have a talent for creating radio advertising. Some of them even have the support of their employers.
I don’t perceive that the percentage of such individuals in our industry is increasing. But each time I hear a good commercial — especially from a source previously unknown to me — I take heart.
