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Got Copycat? Be Original Even though this is a radio advertising tip, this applies to all forms of advertising. Be original! Don't rip off someone else's idea. My inspiration for this tip is a billboard outside the dentist office around the corner from our studios (and I'm sure it's on a dentist's office near you too). The billboard says... "Got Smile?" I once read an article with creative guru Jeff Goodby (who's agency is the creative force behind the "Got Milk?"... [More Info]

"Gee Bob, Is That Your Real Name? Why Yes Sue." - Names In Radio Commercials. Unless the name ties in with the creative - such as a character like "Flawless Florence" or "Mile-A-Minute Molly" , or telling a funny story bout Uncle Louie - there's no reason to have dialogue in radio commercials that have names. You hear them all the time in those "two voice spots". Hey Bob...Yes Jane...of course Jill. Just converse. Make it natural. Drop the needless names and get to the... [More Info]

The First Rule of Radio Advertising - "There Are No Rules" Many advertisers have had success with radio advertising with a variety of radio commercials. There is no one style..no one formula. Our point here, is that when we hear "the name must be in the first three seconds", or "the phone number must be mentioned at least three times", we have to say, oh really? These are old school rules that do not guarantee success. Success comes from a great radio ad that makes a... [More Info]

How Do You Talk To Your Mother? - Use Real Language In Your Radio Commercials We call it cliche "radio speak". It's the incredibly awkward script written for two voice talents that in no way represents how an actual conversation actually sounds, yet is punctuated with a just-so-happen-to-have-the-phone-number and peppered with bad acting (take breath here...) Dialogue is one of the toughest things to write, even for the pros. You want your spots to sound real and authentic, yet... [More Info]

Everyone's Favorite Radio Station - WII-FM (What's In It For Me" Me, me, me..all about me. Many radio commercials are just that. "We do this" and "we do that". "We provide this" and "we provide that". "We offer this"and "we offer that." In your radio commercial, you are the star..the focus. One problem with this. Listeners don't really care. The listener's world is me, me, me. in otherwords...My needs..my wants. So make sure your radio ad is less about you, and more... [More Info]

Radio Cliche of The Month - "Friendly Knowledgeable Staff" I would expect them to be friendly and knowledgeable if they are working in a business that deals with customers. This should not be benefit but a given. That's like saying "we have a front door that's not locked" or something as crazy. The truth is, you can say "friendly staff " all you want in your commercials, but there are personalities out there working with customers that...well...shouldn't be working with... [More Info]

Give It A Name. Recently we told you about pharma-marketing companies creating new "syndromes" in order to create demand for their products. Here is a different approach to using names to enhance value. People like to get value - to really get a lot for what they pay for. Here's something you might try in your radio advertising (or all advertising for that matter). Create a special name for your product or service. Great marketers learned long ago, that using phrases... [More Info]

Make Up A New Memorable Phrase. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ohh. Sounds painful. Guess who was the first to diagnose this? AN AD AGENCY!!! In the world of pharma-advertising, there are marketing companies out there that are developing new phrases for their clients. The idea, is that the phrases become so burned into the general public's mind that they actually become part of the medical jargon. Everything from "chronic dry eye" to "restless leg syndrome". Does anyone... [More Info]

Tell A Story. People love stories. That's why we watch TV. That's why we read novels. Stories draw us in. Stories teach us something about people, places or things that we never knew before. Does your business have a story to tell? Instead of using generic sales copy, tell a story. Stories can comunicate benefits in a powerful way. Here's a great example we had a while back. We were creating radio commercials for an Italian restaurant. The owner wanted to have... [More Info]

Cliche of The Month - "Conveniently Located" Don't go there! Even if your location is at the end of my driveway, it is not convenient for someone across town. The northside location is not convenient for the south side. The west side location is not convenient to the east side. And there are no such things as multiple convenient locations. If you have eight locations, say you have eight locations...but drop the word "covenient" This is a cliche fluff line and a waste of... [More Info]

Give Listeners a Reason (to visit your website) You've heard the tag line on radio commercials - "For more information, visit www dot..." Here's something to try with your radio campaign... Offer something for free when they visit your website. One major component of the internet is the ability to stay anonymous. In other words, I can... [More Info]

Tracking Results From Your Radio Campaign We all agree, measurement and tracking are important when determining the success of any advertising campaign. We want to remind you that tracking in radio advertising is NOT as nice and neat as with other media such as print or internet. We see a lot of radio production featuring special phone numbers, ... [More Info]

Controversy Gets Noticed. Face it, in today's society it seems that the most controversial elements get the most attention. Have you ever thought about bringing a little bit of spice...a little bit of controversy...to your radio advertising campaign? Here's a radio ad we did for a high end home builder in Houston who wanted listeners to think of their homes as sexy. Listen to the radio production here. This ad made people blush! It also grabbed the attention of the... [More Info]

Radio Cliche of the Month - "Family Owned and Operated" "family owned and operated"... Where this phrase become the defacto stand-in for "we won't screw you", we'll never know. Some of our worst customer nightmares came from businesses that were" family owned and operated". This really has no benefit to a radio listener. If you feel that... [More Info]

One Main Thought A radio listener will remember one main item from your radio commercial. What do you want that to be? If you have done your homework (i.e. talking to your clients), the one main thought that you hope listeners will take away from your radio commercial will be the one most important reason (i.e. benefit) that will be gained by using your product or service. ... [More Info]

Congratulations! You have taken the next step toward the best radio creative experience possible. The Radio Lounge creative process is a very simple and effective process. A radio marketing commercial from Radio Lounge, combined with an effective radio schedule, can at least DOUBLE YOUR CHANCE OF RADIO ADVERTISING SUCCESS. Here’s how it works. First, we setup a time to contact you and discuss your goals, needs and challenges and the needs and challenges of your potential customer. This is... [More Info]

Radio is our bread and butter. It is what we do the most and what we do best. However, the same solid concepts that make great radio commercials are applicable to all areas of marketing. That's why Radio Lounge also offers these great services: Copywriting Sound to Picture Sound for Multimedia 5.1 Surround Sound Mixing Marketing On-Hold Audio Podcast Production ...and just about anything that needs audio. (Read the press release below) The Radio Lounge digital... [More Info]

No Charge to Use the Bathroom! No, we’re not kidding. There are some production houses that actually make you pay for idle time. Our all-inclusive no nickel-and-dime attitude is a refreshing change of pace. Here’s what you get for one flat rate. - A staff of experienced writers, and producers working on your account. - Years of radio advertising successes and mistakes to bid from (hey we’re not always perfect, but we learn a lot from our past mistakes). - Three... [More Info]

Any business that says you can trust them is misleading the public. That's why we offer full references. Right here. Radio advertising is a sizeable investment. And having the right radio commercials from a solid radio production company is important. Here are some recent testimonials. We have even included a phone number. Go ahead. Give them a call. We ENCOURAGE you to due your homework. "Partnering with RADIO LOUNGE has made all the difference. Enjoyable and... [More Info]

Usually by following any of the below examples: Not grabbing attention from the start - Headlines don’t only apply to print. Good headlines offer a benefit and provoke curiosity. There is no offer, or there is an offer that has no substance (fluff) (cliché). There is no reason to act. There is no justification of the products effectiveness (guarantee). The spot is written from a business perspective instead of the client’s perspective. There is no “what’s in it for me”. There... [More Info]