Should The Message Match The Source?

When I worked for a family-friendly radio station, I had to constantly monitor the content of commercials that were placed on the station. I was usually the first person inside the building who heard the spots. Most times there were no problems, but around the months for TV sweeps, I would usually find a word or two that would have to be edited.

The station had a commitment to its family friendly status, and that included being entirely safe for young ears. Occasionally, we had to tell advertisers that we couldn’t run their spots. Imagine that.

Recently, while doing some research on reality TV shows, I started reading the comment board on Jamie Oliver’s new show Food Revolution. The postings were full of kudos for Jamie, and his concept. But there was one writer who took offense at ABC’s inclusion of a banner ad for fast food restaurant Wendy’s.

Does ABC have a commitment to a particular show’s brand? Should they be aware of the ads that run on their site?

It’s an interesting question. On one hand, you have the advertiser. They’ve paid for the placement, and they should get what they pay for. On the other hand, you have a show which is promoted with extreme images of human obesity, and direct references to the unhealthiness of fast food. Does it make sense to display a banner ad of a national fast food chain on the home page of that show?

What do you think?

What If They Played A Commercial And Nobody Came?

Have you heard any good radio spots lately? 

I’m not surprised. Buy a local radio spot, and your copywriter could very well be the receptionist, the overnight DJ, or even the guy who sold you the spot.

Nothing against those particular jobs, but it just means that the crafting of your message is left to someone who needs something else to fill their already busy day. How much of their time do you think your business will get?

Are they vesting enough of their skills and experience to make sure you’re reaching the audience you need with the message that will tempt them to buy? Or will they use the same trite, unemotional babble on your spot as they used on the last 12 spots they wrote that day?

But, if you're  having an all out SALEABRATION, and prices will never be lower at all of our 16 convenient locations, so hurry in today because these prices can’t last, then maybe you’re getting exactly what you want.

But if you realize that your customers talk to each other, compare notes, and are actual living, breathing humans with a brain, and a life, then you might want to communicate with them rather than talking at them.

If you think that actual conversations go something like:

Hi Bill
Hi Ted
Say, Bill, where did you get that dandy garden weeder?
Ted, I shopped the grand opening of Middleburg’s newest garden superstore

No, you don’t really believe that, do you?

Next time you’re planning that radio campaign, DEMAND a copywriter who has actually seen your business, maybe has even shopped there, knows who your customers are, and what’s important to them. DEMAND one who knows creativity doesn’t mean just throwing a few adjectives at the problem.

“But OUR production services are FREE”, the radio ad exec says

And it’s still true:  - You Get What You Pay For.

--Thanks for reading.

Do Your Customers Wonder If You're Going Out Of Business?

How’s your ad campaign?

If you said “what ad campaign?”, maybe you should keep reading.

In a recent advertising and media study by Ad-ology, a Columbus Ohio company that measures customer insights, they asked over 2200 consumers about their perception of companies who advertise, those who don’t as much any more, and those companies who don’t advertise at all.  Whatever your ad budget, the results will surprise you. 

The Ad-ology study showed that when consumers no longer see or hear an auto dealership advertising as much as they used to, 42% believe that the dealership must be struggling. Another 20% believe that the dealership is less willing to deal.

For banks, if customers no longer see or hear ads as much as they used to, 34% believe the bank must be struggling, and 13% believe they may not be in business much longer.

Hmmm. Do you think that advertising only works when it brings you a customer?  Maybe you should think about it KEEPING your customers as well.

Is your ad working? I’ve talked to clients and written in this blog for years: Don’t make your ad about the THINGS you sell ; make it about the benefits. The Ad-ology study asked consumers what makes a good ad.  Wow, imagine that. They asked the consumer. 

• 68% wanted to be informed of something important or useful.
• 59% thought a good ad should make them laugh
• 51% wanted an ad to make them think
• 39% said, “Don’t insult my intelligence”

I like that last one.  Unfortunately, there are some advertisers and some creatives who continually miss that mark.

In many respects, 2010 is looking like a good year already. Ad-ology makes a great argument for not cutting back on ad budgets.  And if you’re not advertising, now is the perfect time to start.

Look around you, and if you see your competition cutting their ads back, or not advertising at all, then they’re giving you the opportunity to move ahead.

For more information on Ad-ology’s insightful research and how to connect with your customers, visit www.ad-ology.com

 

Working With Copywriters

People are getting good at putting their thoughts into 140 characters on Twitter. But I still believe that the hardest thing in the world to write is a 30 second spot. 

I wrote one recently for a first time radio advertiser.

"I'd like to also talk about (she inserted two more of her business concepts here)"

Me: "Well, this is written to convey the thoughts that we originally discussed. It's only 30 seconds, so there's really no room."

"Can you talk faster?"

"Sure. How much LESS do you want your message to be heard?"

"Huh?"

"Radio listeners are doing other things while listening: driving, working, and a good spot needs to cut thru all that clutter."

"Well, maybe they'll hear it."

"Really? You're going to make this sized investment on a maybe??"

Remember that whatever it is that you sell, people don't want the THING. They want the EXPERIENCE. In other words, people don't want to buy a big, honking backyard grill. What they want is the experience of family and friends together sharing a delicious meal. 

Humans buy either to seek pleasure, or avoid pain. Your sales messages need to reflect that.

It pays to work with a good copywriter.  If you like what that persn has written in the past, or if he comes highly recommended, he'll be on your side. Work with him as you would a team member.

--Thanks for reading.

But Enough About You, Let's Talk About Me

You’re at a party when someone you don’t know comes up to you and starts talking.

They talk about themselves. Everything. They tell you how great they are, and how many friends they have, and how many things they own. You smile and nod as you search frantically for somewhere else to be.

You’ve just met a typical radio ad.

The latest Adweekmedia/Harris Poll says that only 3% of adults find radio ads helpful when making a buying decision. It’s no wonder. Because most radio ads are like that obnoxious party guest: in your face and talking only about themselves. My Dad always said if you want someone to be interested in YOU, then you have to talk about THEM.

How many radio ads do you hear on a regular basis that talk about you? Apparently only 3% or less. 

Because the majority of radio ads are not compelling or engaging. They don’t tell a story; they give a laundry list of items or services, or tell you that they are simply THE thing for all your (fill-in-the-blank) needs. 

The medium of radio CAN be the most powerful communications portal on the planet, because radio tickles the emotion. It’s a best friend when it talks directly to YOU. Americans don’t gather ’round the radio like they did in the 30’s and 40’s for entertainment. They listen one on one. Radio stopped communicating one on one. It took too much time to establish that audience rapport; it wasn’t bottom line effective for 97% of advertisers. 

Looks like there’s only 3% of radio ads that are effective. If I were a radio advertiser, before I spent another dollar, I’d find out what those spots are doing to reach their buyers.

And then, I’d hire the best copywriter I could find.

–Thanks for reading

Where Words Come From

A few years ago, I interviewed one of the editors at Webster - one of the guys who decides which new words get into the dictionary. It was the year that “doofus” made it in as an official word.

Yeah, there are a ton of funny lines to go with that… but that’s another blog.

I don’t know exactly where THAT word came from, but I just saw something that could be the origin of a new one. 

Remember early this year when the USAir flight landed safely in the Hudson? Capt. Sullenberger, Sully, the name was on every newscast and talk show. I heard him on NPR just a few days ago, and he’s written a book about the whole experience. Not a shill, either, but a moment by moment account of what was going thru his head during that two minutes it took from bird strike to water.

And how calm he remained. Calm in the face of terror. Sully.

That’s the way that the Plugged In blog described a host on Home Shopping Network. I saw the post on Yahoo. t was the HSN host doing a Wii demo, and threw the “tennis racket” controller through the set. The blog goes on to say that the host remained in front of the smashed appliance the rest of his time. “Calm in the face of TV tragedy, he’s a regular Sully”

Captain, as I listened to you the other day on NPR, I heard you talk about how surreal the sudden flush of fame is, and how you had gotten past it. Now, a term like that may have a quick rise and never be heard from again. 

Or, maybe with enough usage, you’ll not only be in the history books, but the dictionary as well.

We could look up the word, and see your picture next to it.

Not a bad place to be.

 -Thanks for reading.

The End Of The MP3 ?

I have most of the Mannheim Steamroller's early albums on vinyl.  Even though they were also on CD, I was told by an audiophile friend that the clarity on vinyl was amazing.  He was right. Everyone is well aware of the difference between CD and Vinyl. 

Not so many are aware of the difference in clarity between CD and MP3.  MP3's while digital, are highly compressed.  They lack the depth and warmth of a live performance, or a vinyl performance for that matter.  But they're bought more than vinyl ever was.  We can conclude that the masses are not quality driven when it comes to entertainment.

(Yes, I know that last sentence can be taken different ways - but that's another blog post)

Anyway, now, Apple is reportedly in talks to buy internet startup Lala.com, who has threatened the end of the MP3 with their quick streaming app. It's even less fidelity-wise than MP3s.  So are we going downhill?

Are the music artists still screaming because they're not getting the royalties they think they should? Has anybody told them what is happening to their music?  Hmmmm.

--Thanks for reading.

 

Hi

I'm coming back to Blogspot.  For now, the Blog directory on ronharper.com has been deleted. I saved some of my favorite posts, and will use them from time to time. 

And if you see something somewhere that purports to be part of the my blog, and it doesn't have these spiffy dots all over it, then it's not really mine.  (thanks, spam hackers).

Okay, so in the meantime, there are some oldies but goodies in the archives. 

Thanks for reading.

Ron

WHAT ARE YOU SELLING?

Do you waste your time and advertising budget trying to sell your customers on a “product”? What are you really selling?

Recently, I had the opportunity to present an advertising concept to an insurance company. They spent a lot of time telling me about their “products”. I had to explain to them that they’re not selling a product

Take a look at the print or broadcast ads for fragrances. Is Chanel Number 5 selling a product? The product is what comes in the bottle. What they are selling is a promise – the promise that you will be attractive and alluring if you use what’s in the bottle.

Many advertisers make the mistake that if they tell customers how great their “products” are they will buy them. But that is the quickest way to waste your advertising dollars. You must first determine what it is the customer wants to accomplish, and find the benefit where your “product” will help the customer achieve that need.

--Thanks for reading.

A GENERATION OF CYNICS?

Almost anything you read about marketing to the 18-29 year old crowd will tell you that one thing is for sure: they detest hype. Now, it causes me to wonder - Is hype in the eye of the beholder?

One of the advertising buzzwords right now is viral marketing. Viral marketing is like starting a rumor. You judge your success by how much it spreads and how much excitement it causes. Viral marketing does not have a direct call to action. Several years ago, a group of independent film makers caused a stir with a website that purported to show a group of teens being chased and killed by an unknown entity. Turns out, it was pretty much the first viral marketing project, and it made The Blair Witch Project a lot of money.

Lately, with the increased interest in the MySpace and YouTube websites, a certain video journal has developed a following with folks now wondering - Is It Real? or Is It An Act? Could it be another viral marketing scheme, or a bright, creative someone who has discovered an attention-getting device beyond their wildest dreams? After all, there have already been a couple of YouTube videographers who have landed development deals with the networks.

Whichever way the internet cookie crumbles, I have to wonder if that age group feels disillusioned when these online discoveries turn out to be hype for a movie, website, product or whatever. Is all hype still hype? Or are we as marketers and advertisers crying wolf ?

--Thanks for reading

DON'T ASK ME, I JUST WORK HERE . . .

I can fix some things around the house, but I'm not a handyman. I do love hardware stores, tho. I mean the old ones, where you can get lost in the shelves and shelves of every gadget, ratchet and wing nut known to man. Not only that, but the guy behind the counter had built everything in his lifetime, and could tell you about the inner workings of any number of gizmos. Those stores are fading away rapidly - I know there's at least one left in Little Rock, Arkansas - worth visiting if you're a doodad freak. Most are being overrun by the Building Supply Supercenters.

I was in one of those last weekend (I'm not a NASCAR fan, but I think they have a speedway somewhere) with a simple, or so I thought, question about my bathroom light fixture. I wanted to make sure I didn't break the fixture, or electrocute myself , and needed to ask someone what to do. The first "associate" stared at me blankly. " The second one wanted to play 20 questions asking me what I thought the problem was. If I had known the answer, I could have stayed home and fixed the problem. Neither employee was focused on solving the problem. I don't know if they had the knowledge to do that. But it kinda goes against everything this company brands themself as. Luckily, their direct competitor is right across the street. Not only did I find TWO employees who knew what they were doing - and what I NEEDED to do-, but everyone from one end of the store to the other was wanting to make sure that I'd had a satisfying experience, needed to find anything else, or required help in any way.

The successful business needs to understand that today's consumer will not tolerate poor or inattentive customer service. Today, marketing and branding is all about the experience. I plan to shop at store H instead of store L because of the help and attention I received. They made me, as a customer, feel valuable.

It costs a company more to get a new customer than to keep ten of their current customers. Some businesses are finally realizing that. Others still don't get it.

--Thanks For Reading

EIGHT UNPROFESSIONAL MISTAKES IN WRITING

Spell-checkers make it easy. Not too many of us would have been able to go the distance with the kid who recently won the National Spelling Bee.. Many Americans today can barely construct a fluent sentence. The following are those flashing neon errors that makes writers look unprofessional.
(1) LOOSE for LOSE: (loose is the opposite of tight) I always lose my keys.
(2) IT'S for ITS: (apostrophe means a contraction of two words. The other is a possesive)
It's my set of keys, vs My car has its own set of keys.
(3) THEY'RE for THERE or THEIR (see above)
Everyone put their keys on the table. That table over there. They're going to stay on the table until you leave.
(4) I.E. for E.G. : (ie means "that is", eg means "for example")
We have a device to start our car (i.e.,keys) vs I carry a lot in my pockets (e.g., keys, change)
(5) TO for TOO or TWO: I drive to the store. You can go too. Two of us are in the car.
(6) YOU'RE for YOUR (contraction of you are vs the posessive)
You're going to be late. You may lose your job.
(7) DIFFERENT THAN for DIFFERENT FROM: (comparative as opposed to greater-lesser)
This key is different from yours. Your car is better than mine.
(8) LAY for LIE: (lay is an action verb)
Just lay your keys on the table. He did not see that the keys lie on the table.

Communicate what you mean to say. Careless writing means you just don't care.

--Thanks for reading

CREATING BUZZ

You have a new product, service, idea, show or whatever it is you do. How do you get people to try it? You can ask. You can scream and shout. You can print flyers, buy advertising, hand out samples, or offer a money back guarantee. But you cant create what you need most - buzz.

Buzz is difficult to describe and impossible to manufacture. What was the factor that made TV's "Desperate Housewives" the show to watch? Was it the attractive actresses and actors on the show, or maybe the Monday Night Football intro that caused a little controversy. It's probably a combination of many factors, but I'm betting the controversy helped.

People like conflict. They are voyeurs to other folk's problems. I'm reminded of that almost everyday - whenever there is an accident or broken down vehicle on the side of the road, it causes a slowdown so everyone can crane their necks and look. It's the same phenomonon that causes reality TV to generate the ratings it does. Otherwise, why would anyone be interested in the plight of a group of folks playing games on an island? Even the Miss America pageant, whose ratings had fallen in recent years, and has switched to a cable-only outlet is planning a reality-based show next year in which the public for the first time gets to vote contestants off. Now THAT will most likely cause some buzz.

Think about the first time you became aware of something. Chances are good that there was some controversy that brought it to your attention. More folks know who the Dixie Chicks are than have heard their music because of the controversy surrounding a quote from one of the group's members.

If you are "buzz-worthy" you may get someone to try you initally, but you will have to deliver the promised benefit everytime for the buzz to turn you into a phenomonon.

--Thanks for reading

GOODNIGHT , CHET.

Some of you reading this will not remember a time when folks came together to listen or watch the news of the day. As a matter of fact, I recently spoke to a graduating class of Broadcasting students and told them I hoped they would aim for the integrity of a Walter Cronkite. But I don't think many of them knew who I was talking about.

A recent survey showed that Americans are increasingly relying on online sources to get their knowledge of news events. So it stands to reason that blogs, podcasts, and opinionated websites are becoming more of a factor in the way people think. The unnerving part is I don't think those individuals realize what the difference is between broadcast or print journalism and what is being published online.

There are ethical standards in truth, and maintaining credible sources for the broadcast and print worlds. Not so much online. Maybe the next generation of browsers and newsreaders should come with a built-in salt cellar, dispensing it one grain at a time.

--Thanks for reading

Tell Me A Story

One of the hardest things to master is writing a :60 commercial. Try it. Write a commercial about yourself. Sell yourself to a prospective client. What would it sound like? Would you start by listing your credentials, or the other jobs you've held? Would it be an audio resume?

Are you sure?

I got the best response from a prospective client when I asked him about HIS product. There was something just a little off about it. I asked him if that bothered him. It did. He just wasn't aware that anyone else noticed the flaw. That's what got me in the door and a chance to present what I could do.

I started this entry with a commercial, but it wasn't about me, the product, it was about him, the consumer. I got the business because I asked questions about him, and wanted to know his product.

That's how you tell a story in a :60 commercial: aim for the heart of the consumer.

Have you heard the latest advertising from Sunkist? It also asks questions: "When you hear the words -juicy- , -yummy-, -mmmm-, do you think about the smell when you first rip into the peel, the juice exploding into your mouth with that first bite?" By the end of the "story" you are actively thinking about oranges, and you want one. Because the commercial just told you all the reasons you love oranges. NOT the reasons that Sunkist WANTS you to love oranges.
That's what radio advertising does.

--Thanks for reading.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

If you can force yourself to listen to the worst sales messages on radio- and believe me there are a lot of them- you might hear the client's business advertised as "THE place to be."

To be WHAT?? To be parted from your money? To be arrested? To be welcomed and pampered? We don't know, because the client has not told us. They assume the listener will know; but we all know what assumptions lead to.

Maybe fifty years ago, emphasising the article was considered chic and fashionable, as in "Dahling, you must call him, he is simple THE decorator to have!!" Meaning, I suppose, the Definative..the person whose work defined the standard for every other in that category. That's quite a large boast. It comes with the understanding that the listener considers himself to be a sheep, and if everyone else is using said product or service, then I will too, or else I shall be out of touch.

Apart from a 14 year old girl, do you know anyone who really thinks that way? Then to WHOM is the advertiser talking? The verb "to be" is an irregular verb anyway. It needs another idea attached to it. To be is simply to exist. Do you want to be known as the place to simply exist? Using that kind of lazy writing in your sales messages will cause your story to be un-memorable. Too much of that, and your business will cease to be.

--Thanks for reading.

IT'S TRUE - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Everything that is purchased has both a price and a percieved value. Price is the actual monetary cost of an item. Percieved value is how you feel about that price in relation to the to the item. If the percieved value is higher than the price, you have what is known as a good deal. However, when you deal in what is for all intents and purposes an intangible product - voice and production- the lines of percieved value can become blurred.

This is an interesting business in that everyone thinks he or she can be successful at it with minimal effort. And so they have a home computer with some software they downloaded and a microphone they picked up in the music store's closeout bin, they plug them together and market themselves as a voice for hire. They may have a low price, but they can be heavily lacking in value. Here's why:

The closeout microphone may be great for some musical instruments, but the human voice has a very specific range. Pro audio equipment is made specifically to capture those nuances.
Recording software varies greatly. Professional Digital Audio programs, like the Nuendo we use, has the ability to edit down to the whisp of a breath. It can enhance each track with the kind of tools - normalization, equalization, compression and digital effects - that just a few years ago used to fill racks of equipment in a studio. And while having all that is great, you also have to know how to use it. We have over 30 years experience in producing quality audio.

The final product, too, can leave a lot to be desired. So many clients now want MP3 files. Did you know that some MP3s can sound cleaner than others? MP3s are not CD quality, because the files are compressed and some data is lost. However if you're not specifying a sample rate for your MP3s, you're not getting all you bargained for. 128k is ok for an answering machine, but if you're playing your corporate image, or your sales message over anything bigger than a four inch speaker, you want 256k audio.. or a .wav file...........OR a CD. We can provide that. It's as easy as your asking for it.

We don't work only every few days, we work everyday. And we follow up with clients and make sure everything went smoothly with their audio. It has even followed us when we're out of town. A client called with a pressing deadline, and we found an available studio in a strange city and completed the project in just hours.

Ask yourself to imagine the cost versus the percieved value the next time you purchase something. I think you'll agree that service and experience stand up well.

Thanks for reading.

PODCASTING

I suppose the term "podcasting" will stick. Maybe a better one would be "personal broadcasting". Literally anyone with audio software and a little knowledge to pick up RSS coding can develop an audience with their unique brand of music, humor, or just talk. In the coming months, the process of putting a podcast together will become even easier.

By 2008, it's predicted that 25 million persons will be listening to podcasts, and by 2010 that number will reach 50 million.

I've been working with a number of podcasters for the past year. I just finished a project for the Society of Civil Engineers, and one of the podcasts I work with regularly, American Cliche, was recently named one of the most influencial programs by Ad Age. One of the first shows I worked with, AirFerg, even claims to be the first podcaster - before IPods were invented.

As a way of making information or entertainment available to an audience worldwide, podcasting is going to boom in the next 12 months. If you have a podcast or are planning one, we need to talk.

--Thanks for reading

DOC, IT HURTS WHEN I DO THAT

Any number of comics have used that line - it's an old joke: Doc, It hurts when I do that..and the doctor said, "Well, then, don't DO that!"

Have you ever heard of someone going to the doctor saying, "Gimme some more of that cough syrup, Doc, that'll do the trick." "But, you don't have a cough, you need your gall bladder removed." "Well," you say, " Let me have the cough syrup. That's what I've always used. Who's the customer here anyway!"

An unlikely scenerio, but it happens in advertising all the time. Mr. Black's business may be sick. The copywriter knows how to present your message in such a way that customers will want to visit your business. Yet, Mr. Black demands the same tired cliches and dull copy that he's always used.

If you must make your advertising a list of the products or services you sell, do it in the Yellow Pages. But make your broadcast fun (notice I didn't say FUNNY), compelling, listener-oriented, emotional, and effective.

Thanks for reading.

GOOD COMMERCIALS COME FROM TRUST

Thank you.
For the past two weeks, I've received a ton of comments about a commercial we produced about five months ago. If folks are talking about the message, then surely they should be using the product. Well, they are. Their Marketing Director tells me it is the best producing message they have ever had.

He can take most of the credit. It can be unnerving to place your trust in someone to direct your investment of advertising dollars. You don't know what your creative team will come up with, and when you finally see the finished product, you might feel let down. Is That IT?

Simple. Emotional. Tell the customer how they will feel using the product. Yes, that's IT.
It works.


Thanks for listening!