This is the sixth in a series of articles helping radio salespeople to educate their advertising clients enough for the clients’ commercial campaigns to succeed.
Old advertising adage:
“Don’t tell me about your grass seed; talk about about my lawn.“
What do you talk to consumers about?
The problem you’re offering to solve for them.
A Loyal Reader (manager of a radio group in a tropical climate) Writes:
Our board of directors wants to enforce a business dress code for the DJ’s.
The DJ’s are feeling very bad about this.
What is your opinion?
Unless your board has evidence that enforcing a business casual dress code will:
A) Improve the ability of the DJs to communicate effectively to their listeners
or
B) Increase your listeners’ enjoyment of your radio programs
or
C) Increase your DJs’ enjoyment of their jobs…..
I can’t imagine why they would do such a thing.
Most likely it would communicate to your DJs that the board doesn’t understand what the radio talents actually do and would make your DJs feel unappreciated and disrespected.
Jason Potter, Continuity Director for WNWV-FM, Cleveland, writes:
I was just arguing with a co-worker over the effectiveness of a piece of copy. We both agreed that it was creative and good…but was it going to be effective?
He won. With this argument:
“Have you seen the commercial with the guy sitting at a table with a bunch of kids and the kids are being silly, while he plays the straight man?”
I replied, “Yeah, it’s for a bank, right?”
“Nope. AT&T.”
As soon as he started describing the spot, I could picture it! I remembered some of the reactions from the kids, I knew some of the punchlines (“hold on, I’m watching this”)…but I was certain the spot was for a financial institution.
The whole situation smacked of O’Day Wisdom.
But by golly, AT&T sure is proud of that smarmy, worthless advertising campaign, aren’t they?
