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Advertising On The Radio - Keep It Simple

Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Let’s say you spent good money on a brochure. Several pages filled with features, benefits, facts, figures, call to action, contact info…oh yeah, paragraphs about who you are, what you do….the different services you provide, your product offerings…and the list goes on and on. Everything you believe a potential client would need or want to know about your business. Now you are interested in advertising on the radio.

Here’s a great radio advertising tip –

Don’t let your radio commercials end up like your brochure.

Advertising on the radio works best when it is simple and effective.

First…a given. If you are going to advertise on the radio. Make sure you have a product that has demand. In another article we discuss the topic of Direct Response Radio Advertising Mistakes: A Product No One Wants. With that said, lets move on to advertising on the radio assuming there is demand for your product or service.

Simplicity is the key to effective direct response radio advertising. Face it, when you are buying fifteen, thirty, even sixty seconds worth of radio advertising, you don’t have the time to create an audio brochure. Radio advertising is a powerful advertising medium, but can it work for you?

Yes it can. You just need to make sure your direct response radio advertising campaign is just that…DIRECT. When advertising on the radio, get right to the point. What is the problem your potential customers face? What is the solution? (Hopefully this is where you have inserted your company name). What benefit does your company provide that solves the problem? And most important of all…what would make me choose your company? Here is where the irresistible offer comes in. Direct response radio advertising is rooted in a foundation of “what’s in it for me”. Give me reason to call. A free offer…free sample…free estimate…deep discount…money back guarantee…whatever your feel is important to your potential customer. This offer helps “grease the skids” and provides a strong incentive to call or click.

And speaking of calls and clicks - If you are advertising on the radio, you must make your call to action clear, concise and memorable. In other words, if you are driving to a toll free number, make sure you are not advertising some random ten digits that are difficult to remember. Use vanity phone numbers. Vanity phone numbers provide sticking power in the listeners mind. What will you remember more – 1-800-I-ATE-A-BUG or 1-800-428-3228 (plus the extra useless digit)? You can use a combination of vanity numbers or words and number for tracking purposes. If you are directing your radio advertising campaign to a URL. Make sure it’s a simple domain name. No long URL’s with dashes and slashes and long strings of weird variables. Simple works better. And again, you can use a variety of simple domains for tracking. And make sure you mention your number or URL at least a couple of times throughout the radio commercial.

So what have you learned here?

When advertising on the radio, keep it simple. Get directly to the problem, the solution, the benefit, the irresistible offer, and the clear call to action. Keep this simple structure in mind, and your chances of success when advertising on the radio dramatically increase.

If you are thinking about advertising on the radio, let the experienced direct response radio advertising professionals at Radio Lounge make your campaign a success. Call us for a free consultation. No pressure, just friendly people who love to help companies succeed with their advertising on the radio.

Call toll free, 1-866-4-AUDIO-9. That’s 1-866-428-3469...but we would never say it like that on the radio J

Remember…Direct Response Radio Advertising Works - when done right, it can achieve powerful results.

marketing

15-Oct-08 8:00 AM

Free Podcast Interview: Enhancing Advertising Creative By Learning The Strengths of Others with Kent Dean of True Colors

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:00:00 GMT

For more than 26 years, True Colors has been helping people discover their greatest strengths and understand the strengths of others. Kent Dean, Director of Account Services for CVA Advertising in Fort Worth, board member of the Fort Worth Ad Club, and licensed facilitator of True Colors drops by the Radio Lounge to discuss the communications curriculum and how it relates to creative in advertising. It has become widely regarded as one of the most memorable and entertaining methods for helping organizations see an immediate improvement in communication, morale, performance and productivity. Edutainment® is at the heart of True Colors' success. When people laugh, they learn. All True Colors trainings employ an education-by-entertainment strategy that helps participants to both visualize and conceptualize the information presented.

Listen to this free podcast interview with Kent Dean as he shares the Radio Lounge love.

1-Mar-07 8:00 AM

Free Podcast Interview - Randy Carr

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:00:00 GMT

WBFF Radio/Assistant Station Manager Randy Carr sits down in the RADIO LOUNGE to discuss radio and attracting young minds interested in the radio industry. Randy and Ray Schilens discuss everything from the philosophy of WBFH Radio - an educational radio facility in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan - to the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, Casey Casem, Gary Berkowitz, HD Radio and other various radio advertising and radio commercial production topics.

18-Jan-07 10:00 AM

Showcase Interview: Part 2 - The Legendary George Lois Shares His Unique Perspective on the Advertising Industry and Talks about His New Book, Ali Rap

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:00:00 GMT

RADIO LOUNGE President Ray Schilens, along with Co-Host Brad Forsythe interviews George Lois, Advertising Legend and Founder of Lois USA, and author of Ali Rap: Muhammad Ali, the First Heavyweight Champion of Rap.

Lois shares classic stories from his career with Bill Bernbach of Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) and his 40 years as a free spirit in the ad industry. As advertising’s self-styled street fighter, George Lois gained fame and major awards with bold, clean Doyle Dane Bernbach, Papert Koenig Lois and Lois Holland Callaway work between 1958 and 1978. He also became the youngest inductee into the Art Directors Hall of Fame. Lois' ads for Wolfschmidt vodka, Xerox, Allerest, MTV, Maypo, Wheatena, Edwards & Hanly and his Esquire covers reflected his "loosey-goosey" style and exemplified his idiosyncratic "stun 'em and cause outrage" philosophy. Never an "establishment" model citizen, Lois is defined by his powerful early work.

26-Dec-06 1:00 PM

Showcase Interview: Part 1 - The Legendary George Lois Shares His Unique Perspective on the Advertising Industry and Talks about His New Book, Ali Rap

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:00:00 GMT

RADIO LOUNGE President Ray Schilens, along with Co-Host Brad Forsythe interviews George Lois, Advertising Legend and Founder of Lois USA, and author of Ali Rap: Muhammad Ali, the First Heavyweight Champion of Rap. Lois shares classic stories from his career with Bill Bernbach of Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) and his 40 years as a free spirit in the ad industry. As advertising’s self-styled street fighter, George Lois gained fame and major awards with bold, clean Doyle Dane Bernbach, Papert Koenig Lois and Lois Holland Callaway work between 1958 and 1978. He also became the youngest inductee into the Art Directors Hall of Fame. Lois' ads for Wolfschmidt vodka, Xerox, Allerest, MTV, Maypo, Wheatena, Edwards & Hanly and his Esquire covers reflected his "loosey-goosey" style and exemplified his idiosyncratic "stun 'em and cause outrage" philosophy. Never an "establishment" model citizen, Lois is defined by his powerful early work.

18-Dec-06 6:00 AM

Free Podcast Interview - Gordon Marcy, VP-Salem Radio Group/Louisville discusses how hiring the right creative team leads to radio advertising success for radio station managers.

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 13:00:00 GMT

Vice President and Market Manager of Salem Radio Group/Louisville Gordon Marcy sits down in the RADIO LOUNGE to discuss how bringing in a third party creative outlet can benefit a radio station with effective radio advertising campaigns that lead to longer term retention of radio advertising clients.

3-Nov-06 8:00 AM

Free Podcast Interview - Patrick Guerra on Automotive Radio Advertising

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Successful automotive marketer, and longtime friend, Patrick Guerra of The Guerra Group stops by the RADIO LOUNGE to discuss his experiences in automotive marketing and radio advertising in this free podcast interview. Patrick shares with us how doing things different than the competition has been one of his key factors to success.

10-Oct-06 9:00 AM

Free Podcast Interview: Denise Partridge - Relationships and Radio Sales

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 13:00:00 GMT

Successful radio advertising account executive, and longtime friend, Denise Partridge stops by the RADIO LOUNGE to discuss her experiences in radio sales in this free podcast interview. Denise shares with us how building relationships have been a key factor in her success.

10-Oct-06 8:00 AM

Beyond Just Demographics – Psychographics

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 14:00:00 GMT

When putting together your effective radio advertising campaign, there are so many details to take into account. By now, if you’ve had any experience with radio advertising, you have seen how radio stations try their best to match the demographics of their listeners to the demographics of your customers. Common demographics of your customers like age, gender, education and income level give great insight into media usage. Once you know this information about your customer base, choosing the best radio format or station to place your radio advertising with is much easier. The question now is – How do you make the best connection with those listeners MOST LIKELY to be in the market for your product or service? One method is to examine the psychographics of your customers – lifestyle behaviors that have a relationship to the desire and purchase of your product.

In marketing, psychographics can be thought of as the patterns that customers follow which tie the “who” (demographics) to the “why”. What makes a customer want to buy your product? How do they use it within their lifestyle? What are their buying patterns? What are their hobbies and interests? What things are important in their lives?

These are just a few of the endless questions that can help you better define who a target customer may be. This article won’t go into detail on the tasks taken to determine psychographics. There are countless websites that discuss psychographics and how to determine your “ideal” customer. There are also websites that can assist in surveys and other research methods to help clarify your customer’s profile. Simply type psychographics into a search engine and you will get thousands of websites that can help you out.

Once you know the demographics and psychographics of your target customer, tailor your radio advertising campaign to them. For example a working mother - age 33, college educated, making $40K a year, and enjoys spending time with their children – might be a different sell than that same 33, college educated, $40K/year woman who is neither married nor has children. Make sure the radio commercial you create matches the lifestyle. Maybe your research shows that your product is best used by women, age 33, making $40K/year and parenthood makes no difference…maybe your product is geared more toward the lifestyle (always busy, strapped for time, etc.) regardless if it’s career oriented or family oriented. Then you would make sure that the message targets the emotions felt by those women who are extremely busy. Then tailor the message toward the singular focus - how your product helps those busy people.

Of course, these are somewhat elementary examples, but you get the point. The most effective radio advertising makes a connection with listeners. How many of those listeners need your product? Who are they? What is important to them? Find out! Target them with focused creative and you have a better chance of turning “potential” into “purchase”.

M. Bruce Abbott is part of the Crusade for Better Radio Advertising. He is also Creative Director and Partner of RADIO LOUNGE, a consulting and production service provider for the radio advertising and podcasting industry. RADIO LOUNGE works with radio stations around the country as well as advertising agencies and direct advertisers teaching techniques that guarantee higher returns on radio marketing investments. Visit www.radioloungeusa.com to read articles, attend seminars and workshops, and sign up for the free RADIO LOUNGE newsletter (or RSS feed) packed with great information to help you make the most of radio advertising. For consulting on your next radio advertising campaign, contact RADIO LOUNGE toll free at 866.4.AUDIO.9 (866.428.3469).

5-Oct-06 9:00 AM

Phone Numbers in Radio Spots: To Use or Not To Use

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:00:00 GMT

If you are taking on a radio advertising campaign, you no doubt are looking to get inquiries to convert to sales. Over the years, there have been many radio advertising experts who tackle the always controversial topic of phone numbers in radio advertising. Does the phone number in the spot get results? Clients want them in there so that the phone will ring. Copywriters believe phone numbers take up valuable real estate in a commercial that can be used more productively to convert potential customers. As a radio advertiser, what should you do?

If you are a regular reader to our radio advertising articles, you know that we do our best to get advertisers to approach the content of their radio spots from the point of view of the customer. Many times the advertiser is just too close to the product or service and has a hard time keeping an objective viewpoint. As always, when in doubt – ask! Ask your customers about what they do when they hear radio commercials with phone numbers. Do they write down the number when listening to the radio advertisement in the car? At the office? How did they contact you? Did they even call at all, or did they just stop by the showroom? Do they remember your phone number? You can gain some valuable insight from your customers. However, keep in mind that this information needs to be reviewed carefully. If a customer tells you he definitely remembers the phone number from your radio commercial, but all you have run are print ads, be careful!

At RADIO LOUNGE, we have used our years of radio advertising experience to develop a few general rules of thumb when it comes to phone numbers in radio ads.

The first question is – how important is this number in the purchase of my product or service? Will a clothing store make a sale via the phone? Probably not. If your restaurant does not take reservations, why have a phone number. Use common sense. You have limited air time (:60, :30, even :15’s, :10’s and the infamous Clear Channel :05’s, and :02’s)..stick to what’s important! For effective radio advertising, stay true to the singular focus that makes your product or service meet a need or solve a problem. Don’t waste time with a phone number no one can remember and really isn’t important to the actual purchase anyway. Make the point of purchase the key factor in the radio advertising. Is it a physical location? Steer the listeners to the location (and don’t use mailing addresses…in Houston, I know right away where Southwest Freeway at West Airport is at…but I haven’t a clue where 10502 Southwest Freeway is). Direct the listener to a website where purchases can be made or visual contact information is available. Locations and website are usually much easier to remember than phone numbers anyway. A website is typically the name of the company dot com (leave off the “www dot” in front, and make sure your website is easy to remember). Which leads us to…

The next big question – IF the number is key to the purchase, is this number memorable? Research has shown over and over that a very tiny percentage of radio listeners ever stop and write down a phone number from a radio ad. Especially while they are driving! Because radio works as a strong branding medium, most research shows that radio advertising builds up the awareness and curiosity about the company, product or service. Radio advertising creates a desire for the product when it makes the connection to listener who has a specific need or impulse want. A lot of research shows that the majority of potential customers will build upon the radio advertising message they’ve heard and either use a third source to find contact information (phone book, internet) or they remember contact information because it is memorable. So, if you have a totally unmemorable phone number (such as our toll free number that no one – EVEN US – can remember - 866-428-3469) you have a few options.

1) Purchase a vanity phone number. If you are investing in radio advertising, make the extra small expenditure to get an extra line with a memorable number. The extra line can also help measure the impact of the radio advertising campaign if the line is solely used to retrieve inquiries from the advertising. We just completed a project for a metal recycling facility. Their number in Houston is 713-4-RECYCLE. Excellent! Easy to remember even if you can’t write it down.

2) Build the spot around the phone number. It’s not the best option, but in some cases it can stick. It may sound dated, but jingle sings of the phone number can still be catchy enough to stick in the minds of listeners.

3) Drive listeners to an easy to remember website where the phone number is in clear sight. We mentioned earlier, many time the URL for the website is much easier to remember than seven to ten random digits. Yes, it adds one more extra step in the sales conversion process, but it’s better than the phone not ringing at all.

The best tip for using phone numbers in radio advertising is to use common sense. Think about your own listening behaviors. Ask about the listening behaviors of your customers. Think about whether the phone number is even necessary to make the sale. If so, how can you make it as easy as possible for potential customers to reach you?

M. Bruce Abbott is part of the Crusade for Better Radio Advertising. He is also Creative Director and Partner of RADIO LOUNGE, a consulting and production service provider for the radio advertising and podcasting industry. RADIO LOUNGE works with radio stations around the country as well as advertising agencies and direct advertisers teaching techniques that guarantee higher returns on radio marketing investments. Visit www.radioloungeusa.com to read artciles, attend seminars and workshops, and sign up for the free RADIO LOUNGE newsletter (or RSS feed) packed with great information to help you make the most of radio advertising. For consulting on your next radio advertising campaign, contact RADIO LOUNGE toll free at 866.4.AUDIO.9 (866.428.3469).

28-Sep-06 9:00 AM

Radio Advertising Is War

Ray Schilens - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:00:00 GMT

Make Love, Not War…Yeah Right

Your business is at war with the competition. Are you up for a fight?

After close to four decades in the radio advertising business, for me not much has changed. Radio programming was a game and still is. Kind of like a board game, without the roll of the dice. Decisions were made on solid facts, not on the chance that you’d hit the right number. And playing the “radio game” was fun, especially when you won. The Research Group, headed by Bill Moyes, one of the earliest proponents of music and audience research, had us attend a war college, where your station was either on top, and you operated with defensive moves, your competition was on top, and you executed offensive moves, flanking moves when two or more competitors were getting better ratings, and guerilla moves, for those stations that had nothing to start with and nothing to lose. It was war, and it was and is the way to win. So, how does that relate to radio advertising? Read on.

I’ve never heard a client say, you know my furniture store competitor down the street sells a lot more, but that’s okay, I’ll just get what’s left over. We’re just a little restaurant, and can barely make payroll, but hey that big chain really knows how to market themselves, so let’s not even try to challenge them.

Why would an advertiser choose to lose the battle, or even engage in battle when they can win it if they’re smart? You might not hear the busines owner actually speak th examples before, but sometimes actions speak louder than words. So, how do you prepare for battle? Let’s look at a few rules of engagement. And let’s look at it from an offense standpoint; that is the COMPETITION on top and you want a giant piece of their business.

1- Understand WHO your competition is. Look at them from a customers standpoint. Get to the heart of their operation, and find out what makes it successful from the top on down. Look at their strengths and weaknesses (yes they do have some areas of vulnerability, every business does). Their weakness will become your single selling point in your radio advertising campaign.

2- FOCUS on that single selling point. Market, and measure your success. Adjust your radio advertising message (your arsenal) if needed. That selling point is not intended to call attention to the competitor's weakness, but rather show how you have solved a problem your competitor hasn't. Radio listeners are smart enough to pick up on it and will understand the benefit of coming to your business rather than your competitors.

3- DON’T BE AFRAID to engage in war with your competition. I don’t care how small your business is - But you had better be prepared. No country goes to war without the proper training, the best intelligence, the best leaders, the most powerful weapons, and a game plan to win.

4- REMEMBER to build your army with people who know how to win the battle. You are an expert in your business, not in radio advertising. Understand that, and surround yourself with generals who know how to develop and execute a game plan that will work. Have faith, and enjoy the results.

Beating your competition is fun. With the right questions asked before you launch your radio advertising schedule, ( the “attack”) you will be better armed to win the battle.

Game on!

Ray Schilens is part of the Crusade for Better Radio Advertising. He is also President and Partner of RADIO LOUNGE, a consulting and production service provider for the radio advertising industry. RADIO LOUNGE works with radio stations around the country as well as advertising agencies and direct advertisers teaching techniques that guarantee higher returns on radio marketing investments. Visit www.radioloungeusa.com to read artciles, attend seminars and workshops, and sign up for the free RADIO LOUNGE newsletter (or RSS feed) packed with great information to help you make the most of radio advertising. For consulting on your next radio advertising campaign, contact RADIO LOUNGE toll free at 866.4.AUDIO.9 (866.428.3469).

25-Sep-06 1:00 PM

How targeted is your radio advertising?

Ray Schilens - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Ready, aim, fire. It’s hunting season for new customers.

Customers are moving targets. That’s one of the comments from radio advertising expert Roy Williams in a recent Monday Morning Memo. And he makes an interesting point. Think about your radio ad, and think of how many people are out there just waiting to hear it, let alone respond to it. If your answer was none (excluding you) you’re correct. Just how much time do you have to engage a brain. On a freeway you’ve got just seconds with an outdoor ad, and I really get a chuckle out of those outdoor advertisers that just have to tell the whole story, including a picture of their kid (or dog). Right next door to one of those boards you’ll see a national advertiser that did it right. I am constantly amazed that someone would waste several thousand dollars a month like that. Go to Vegas, you have better odds.

Enough about outdoor, let’s focus on radio advertising. To engage a listener you need to throw out all the crap you think you need to put in the ad, and focus on what is important to them. HOW are you different and WHAT will you give to them or do for them that will make their lives better? That’s all they want, not a catchy jingle, not a gimmick. And if you tell somebody something (i.e. your radio ad message), it better be true, because your dissatisfied customers will tell everyone they know that you don’t live up to your word. And that kind of PR takes a lifetime to wear off. As radio advertising creatives, we have a huge challenge: clients buying into a simple concept. Why, because they think they know what they want to hear. It might have been a competitor’s radio ad, or someone in a similar industry in another market where “that radio ad worked wonders”. Sure, good radio creative is worth looking at, but when did your business become a commodity? Truth is, it’s not. Your company and what you provide has its own unique identity and benefit and that’s what listeners respond to. Want positive ROI, keep it simple, focus your radio advertising on the customer’s wants – not yours.

Next, how good is your aim? Hopefully you’ve either hired an agency or a trusted and educated AE to put your 30 seconds of radio advertising fame) into the right places so the right ears hear it the right amount of times. You are not a media buyer? Let someone who has vast experience and the tools to do it most efficiently, create your ad schedule. You will have new customers calling on you. And that’s your job - to live up to your word and make customers happy.

Then, fire! Hopefully you’ve got a budget that allows a reasonable amount of time to run an effective radio advertising schedule. If your target station’s rates only allow you to run a handful of ads, you may want to consider either saving up for a more meaningful campaign, or finding other ways of getting your message out there. Radio stations offer a variety of spot lengths, :60’s, :30’s, :15’s all the way down to Clear Channel’s two second “blink” ads.

So…ready, aim , and fire away for results by using radio advertising in a smart effective manner.

12-Sep-06 10:00 AM

What is podcasting and what are its benefits to your business?

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 16:00:00 GMT

As a provider of not only radio advertising services, but also audio podcast production and consulting services, we come across a lot of confusion about podcasting. Hopefully if you are one of the many who have questions about podcasting - what exactly is podcasting, how does it works and how can it benefit my business – we will do our best to provide you with simple answers.

What is podcasting? Podcasting can be audio (the most popular form) or video. For our purposes, we will focus audio podcasts. Here’s where the confusion comes in. Podcasting really has nothing to do with owning an iPod. In fact, according to a recent report from Nielsen Analytics, most podcasts are enjoyed simply on a desktop computer. Audio CAN be transferred to any mp3 player (of which the iPod is just one model…albeit the most popular model) for mobile listening. But to enjoy podcasts, you do not specifically have to own an iPod. Now many wireless phones and handheld PDA’s have podcast compatibility.

Podcasting uses a special syndication model. For years audio has been posted on websites to listen to or download. Podcasting, however, is more than just audio online. Podcasting is the combination of audio files (usually mp3) and what is called RSS technology. In its most simple explanation, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a technology that allows the listener to be notified when new material (new audio) has been created and posted. Popular software such as iTunes works well with RSS technology. Say you find a podcast you would like to “subscribe” to it. (“subscribe” is the term used for the steps below…most podcasts are actually free to download) Associated with the podcast will be a special URL you will copy and paste into iTunes, or any other RSS reader. This special URL is known as an “RSS feed”, and is usually paired with a special icon that says “RSS”. Now, every time iTunes is opened, it will look for new audio at that location and if there is new audio, it will automatically download the audio to your iTunes player for you to keep. You can play the audio from iTunes, or transfer the audio to your portable player. The idea here is that fresh audio content has been delivered to you to enjoy on your own schedule.

How can businesses benefit from podcasting? Podcasting is increasing in popularity every year. Growth in the podcasting arena has been phenomenal. The greater the growth in podcasting, the greater the need for companies to harness the potential as part of an overall marketing mix. Podcasting is a great, cost effective method of communicating with potential customers who share a passion for your industry. Companies can create lifestyle programs for potential customers focusing on issues associated with their products and services. New products, new ways to use the products, and industry trends are just a few of the many ways to share information via a podcast. One word of warning! You must provide content that has value to the listener. Podcasting is not a blatant advertising vehicle, it is a powerful way to show that your business is an expert in a field and can provide information that entertains and informs; information that can make a person’s life easier – possibly saving time and money. A podcast is not an audio brochure, it is a lifestyle element. Get too sales oriented and no one will want to listen to your podcast. Podcasts are great internal tools as well. Companies can disseminate information such as employee communication, audio white papers, meeting recaps, presentations, etc. to employees. Having the CEO provide a regular message to stockholders about what is happening with your company can be a powerful way to communicate not only vital information, but the CEO’s passion not experienced with just written text material.

Start podcasting now while the medium is young and growing. Make sure you have clear goals and a clear idea of who the listener will be.

Podcasting is an incredible tool. Do it right, and it can be extremely cost effective. Professionally produced podcasts will always have a greater impact than self produced podcasts. So hire a professional to match the professionalism of your other marketing materials.

M. Bruce Abbott is part of the Crusade for Better Radio Advertising. He is also Creative Director and Partner of RADIO LOUNGE, a consulting and production service provider for the radio advertising and podcasting industry. RADIO LOUNGE works with radio stations around the country as well as advertising agencies and direct advertisers teaching techniques that guarantee higher returns on radio marketing investments. Visit www.radioloungeusa.com to read artciles, attend seminars and workshops, and sign up for the free RADIO LOUNGE newsletter (or RSS feed) packed with great information to help you make the most of radio advertising. For consulting on your next radio advertising campaign, contact RADIO LOUNGE toll free at 866.4.AUDIO.9 (866.428.3469).

7-Sep-06 11:00 AM

Duct Tape Marketing's John Janstch - Free Podcast Interview

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 20:00:00 GMT

Duct Tape Marketing is one of the most popular systems known to small business owners. With a focus on small business marketing, founder John Jantsch and his website and blog have become one of the most popular small buisness destinations on the web. John sits down in the RADIO LOUNGE for a free podcast interview to discuss radio advertising, marketing, and his new book due out this fall.

1-Sep-06 3:00 PM

Effective Radio Advertising Starts with Singular Focus

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:00:00 GMT

We’ve all heard the radio ads before. The audio reads like a lifeless brochure. How much sales material can be crammed into thirty or sixty seconds? Radio advertising is different than print advertising, yet many advertisers, ad agencies and radio stations treat it the same. Keep in mind that radio listeners are preoccupied with other tasks – driving, working, etc. Why make your message more difficult to absorb than it needs to be. Want your radio commercial to be more effective? Stick to a singular focus.

First, you need to know what the focus of your radio campaign is. Many ad campaigns are built upon price offers and special deals. If that’s what makes you unique, and your campaign is singularly focused around offers, that’s great! Most of the radio advertising on the air is not focused on offers, but on products, services and their respective businesses. Branding is a term that many advertisers hear all the time, but seem to only reserve for the big boys. As a small or midsized business taking advantage of radio advertising, branding is just as important. To define branding in its most elemental form, it is essentially what people PRIMARILY think of when they think of you. Many times, the business owner is not able to answer that question. To find out what your brand is, you should talk to your customers. If you are a service based business, what is it that people really value about your service? If you sell goods, what is the core reason people buy those goods...and why from you? The idea is to find out what really makes people feel comfortable buying from you. Find out what customers think about you overall. You should see a pattern develop here. This is basically your brand. Once you nail down what it is that makes customers want to come to your business, its time to exploit it in your radio advertising.

Next, your radio ad should not do anything else but communicate your brand. The commercial should be centered on that one key element that makes you special. If quick turnaround is your specialty, don’t fill your radio ad with extra garbage. No mentions of low price, no radio cliché phrases about superior service, etc. Just focus on the quick turnaround. Pound that singularly focused message over and over with frequency and you will start to be branded as the “quick turnaround” company. When people need your service, and quick turnaround is important, you will be top of mind. Reinforce the brand in your radio commercial and make it easy for potential customers to reach you. Of course this is just one example. You and your customers will determine what is important.

Lastly, find creative ways to communicate that singular focus. In today’s media saturated, over-marketed society, attention is the first step toward awareness. Humor works well (if it’s funny), testimonials (if they’re real and not poorly acted sales copy) and thought provoking stories also work well. You must do something that captures the attention of the radio listener. If your radio commercial is ever going to make that singularly focused impression, it must connect.

Radio advertising can be powerful. You must understand how to properly use it. Know what is important to your customers. Keep the message focused, and make it attention getting. These tips will increase your chances of a more effective radio advertising campaign.

M. Bruce Abbott is part of the Crusade for Better Radio Advertising. He is also Creative Director and Partner of RADIO LOUNGE, a consulting and production service provider for the radio advertising industry. RADIO LOUNGE works with radio stations around the country as well as advertising agecies and direct advertisers teaching techniques that guarantee higher returns on radio marketing investments. Visit www.radioloungeusa.com to read artciles, attend seminars and workshops, and sign up for the free RADIO LOUNGE newsletter (or RSS feed) packed with great information to help you make the most of radio advertising. For consulting on your next radio advertising campaign, contact RADIO LOUNGE toll free at 866.4.AUDIO.9 (866.428.3469).

28-Aug-06 11:00 AM

Clients and Creative - Be a Chef not an Order Taker

Ray Schilens - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:00:00 GMT

In a recent interview with David Lubars, the Chief Creative Officer for BBDO North America, David touched on a point that really drives what should be the “mission statement” of all creatives and agencies. Unfortunately it’s not. David calls many agencies “order-takers”. That is, a team that allows the client to steer where the creative is going. Why is that? Are they afraid to rock the creative boat? Afraid of losing the business? What does that say about the agency and its creatives? It says confidence in their capabilities is pretty low, and what business owner would want that kind of alliance.

When you think about it, if your client is driving the creative, why on earth do they need you. Guess what, they don’t. But if you are leading with new ideas, next level thinking, and killer production, you have the “special sauce” to retain and grow the relationship, and that equates to a long-term love affair. That’s how reputations are made. That’s how word gets out that “you” are the hot brand, and everybody wants a piece of that.

Can you see the picture? In a restaurant, your waiter recites the menu. Predictably you already know what’s on it, if you’re a regular. But then, the chef comes to your table to explain something new he or she has come up with, and the description of the off-the-menu masterpiece has your mouth watering in anticipation of its arrival.

Surprise your clients with some of the best tasting creative they’ve ever experienced. Serve them something new and better every time. Delight them with an ad that will have then so excited about your efforts, they will tell everyone. Obviously an ad that captures that kind of emotion will also capture the attention of the listener or viewer, and you become the Bobby Flay of advertising. That’s a cool place to be. So, get started on some new recipes. Your clients are hungry.

10-Aug-06 9:00 AM

Old Brands, New Life, New Ideas

Ray Schilens - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Are we running out of new ideas? Recently we’ve seen several brands bring back an old icon to support a new marketing effort. I’m not suggesting that this is a bad thing, but it makes me wonder who moved the creative team in this direction. Was it the client, after seeing too many new ideas that just didn’t light them on fire? Were the creatives presenting concepts without enough passion for the brand?

I would rather take the most out-there concept and if the client loves it, find a way to make it happen. Challenging, but a much better route to take than the idea of “let’s go with what we used back in ’02, it really worked. Old ideas may work, but old ideas are “old ideas” and they belong on the name of the award you won for them, not back in the studio.

Recently we were challenged to come up with a better way to promote a PGA Tour event. Golf is a pretty laid back sport and for the most part, so is golf advertising. Some exceptions include the Titelist NXT campaign using John Cleese, and Cobra’s campaign using David Ferrety, but most of what is out there is b-o-r-i-n-g (yawn). This PGA tournament is being held in San Antonio (deep in the heart of Texas) but its past advertising might as well have placed it in Napolean Ohio. (no sizzle). One of our concepts included grabbing the past years winner, along with a strong Texas recording artist and cooking up an exciting approach to draw people into gate. That’s in the works now, and we’re excited about pumping out a great campaign. I’ll let you know how it turns out, and I’m very confident that it will kick butt.

Finally, have you heard; they’re having trouble marketing Barbie. She was the best friend of boomerettes for decades, but Mattel wants to bring her up to 21^st century status with some new moves. I kind of doubt that will happen. Barbie, RIP, and look to e-Bay for some pricey memories.

29-Jun-06 9:00 AM

Copy Cats...Get Real!

Ray Schilens - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Got Milk? Get Real!

The other day a creative brief came across our desk. The big request, make it sound just like the campaign for that beer company. The fact that we are selling cars and not beer in the client’s ad didn’t really matter; they just wanted it to sound like the beer ad. I think what they were really asking, is that their client’s campaign could have the same effect on the listener, and that’s an important point, I’ll address in a moment. I guess the good news is that at least the client recognized what really good advertising sounds like.

The problem, as we all know, you don’t take somebody else’s idea and copy it. If you do, shame on you. I feel that some time creatives give up just one idea shy of something new and exciting. The client accepts it and life goes on, and that is OUR FAULT. Okay, so maybe we need some tried and true concepts to fire up our brains, but if we leave that gem of an idea unexpressed, the one we never explored, we’ve let our clients down and short-changed an opportunity for a successful campaign.

Clients don’t ask for your “almost” best work, they want the most amazing spot you’ve ever done, and they want it for them every time. Did somebody say this job was a piece of cake, because it isn’t? But it is fun, because we’re allowed to get as creative as we can. No restrictions, none.

In our market and probably in yours too, there’s an advertiser that stands out, possibly because of more frequency, or an outrageous concept. Advertisers don’t care about the “save you money” campaign run for years by Gallery Furniture {in Houston}. They want the same results, or better, but they sometimes don’t know how to express that to a creative. That’s our job to get them to see what they really want, and then design something appropriate to their product and most importantly, original. So as an advertiser, watch and listen to commercials. See what is winning awards around the country.

A couple of great sites are www.odeo.com, www.aaf.org for the Addy winners, www.rab.com for The Mercury Awards, and www.ihaveanidea.org for even more amazing stuff. We really get jazzed looking and listening to what’s out there, but when it comes time to create the concepts, it’s all about what WE can do for our clients. Be original, DON’T be a copy cat.

29-Jun-06 9:00 AM

Know Your Customers Buying Behaviors

M. Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 21:00:00 GMT

There are so many aspects to your business that are important to you. Are these aspects important to your customer? Should they be in your radio advertising campaign? Do your customers REALLY know the difference between YOUR "personal customer service" and your competitior's "personal customer service"? Many times a radio advertising campaign starts off with the advertiser saying "our customer needs to know all of these great attributes of our business". The belief is, saying this in a radio ad will make a potential customer pick up the phone and hand over a sale. My question to you is this - is this how YOU make purchases? Probably not. Before kicking off your radio advertising campaign (or any marketing campaign), let's step back and think about how your customers make purchases.

Let's look at an example of a plumbing company. A typical radio commercial might have the name of the company, a phone number no one will remember, and a few cliche radio commercial lines like "professional staff", "quality work", or "personalized customer service". Here's the problem - there may be 10-15 other competiting plumbing companies saying the exact same thing in their radio ads. Not only is it difficult for your company to stand out over competitors, but (more importantly) is this important to someone whose water doesn't work or whose toilet is pouring water all over the house? Probably not. Put yourself in this situtation. , Your probably thinking "my toilet is overflowing and everything is about to be ruined if this doesn't get fixed right away". Your primary motivation is "I need this fixed NOW!" Secondary motivations might be "I just want this to work after the first visit" or even "I want them to show up when they told me they would show up, not two hours later". Is this how you might think? If so, chances are this is how your customer thinks. Is your message addressing these needs?

If ,for example, there are three plumbing companies that do advertising on a regular basis - let's say Company A talks about personalized customer service in their radio commercials, Company B talks about quality workmanship in their radio ads, and Company C has a radio campaign that says they will come to your home within two hours of your phone call - which company do you think the person with the overflowing toilet will call. Exactly, Company C. Company C owns the "quick response" brand in the customer's mind. And if this "quick response" is most important to customers of plumbing companies, Company C will create a better top of mind awareness by being focused on what's important.

This is just one extreme example, but the point is: talk to your customers. Find out what makes them choose one company over another. Make it a priority in your business. Then make that your main focus in your radio advertising. Be focused, be consistent and own the market in your partciular strength. Do this and your advertising dollars will get you a better retun on your marketing investment.

Til next time...

~Bruce

M. Bruce Abbott is part of the Crusade for Better Radio Advertising. He is also Creative Director and Partner of RADIO LOUNGE, a consulting and production service provider for the radio advertising industry. RADIO LOUNGE works with radio stations around the country as well as advertising agecies and direct advertisers teaching techniques that guarantee higher returns on radio marketing investments. Visit www.radioloungeusa.com to read artciles, attend seminars and workshops, and sign up for the free RADIO LOUNGE newsletter (or RSS feed) packed with great information to help you make the most of radio advertising. For consulting on your next radio advertising campaign, contact RADIO LOUNGE toll free at 866.4.AUDIO.9 (866.428.3469).

9-Jun-06 4:00 PM

RADIO LOUNGE Podcast Interview: Lou Congelio

Bruce Abbott - noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 19:00:00 GMT

Lou Congelio of Houston's "Only In Houston" initiative sits down in the RADIO LOUNGE to discuss this unique approach to showcasing the advertising and marketing talent available in Houston - and why advertisers should look to the Bayou City, instead of New York, Los Angeles and even Dallas or Austin.
Podcast length 00:00

http://www.radioloungeusa.com/attachments/files/8/Podcast05LouCongelio.mp3

9-Jun-06 2:00 PM