To many ad agencies, radio is considered advertising's ugly stepchild.It's not sexy like television and is treated as a necessary evil with little effort put intoit. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the listener ends up hearing.
What advertisers and their ad agencies have forgotten is that radio truly is a "theaterfor the mind". Anything you can dream up can be in a radio spot. Elephants doingthe back stroke in your soup? No problem. Landing on planet Neptune and findingthe alien of your dreams? Done. Recreating scenes like that on television would costa fortune for the computer graphics alone, not to mention the animal trainer.
So how do you write a great radio ad? I've written over 2000 in my career and ifthere's one helpful point I can pass along it's this:Less is more. The less copy you write, the better your radio spot will sound. One ofthe biggest mistakes made with radio copy is when the client insists on trying to tellthe company's entire story within sixty seconds. You've heard them before. Theannouncer is talking a million miles per hour because they've been given twominutes of copy for a one minute ad, the end result being a verbal assault on youreardrums. Combine that with having to endure five or six of these spots in a rowand it's no wonder stations are losing listenership!
Writing humor is another problem. That's because humor in radio requires thetiming be perfect, much like the way a standup comedian tells jokes which meanseven less copy than normal is needed. Plus, and this is very important - it has to befunny. It takes talent and skill to write humor and unfortunately, this has notdeterred many from trying. If you're attempting to put humor in your radio copy, tryreading it to unbiased ears (not your husband, wife, or parents) first to see if they"get it". If you find yourself having to explain the funny part, it ain't workin!
Another common mistake is when the client feels the need to repeat the phonenumber a half dozen times. Studies have shown that repeating the phone numberover and over again does not guarantee the listener will remember it. All it willprobably do is irritate them. Many people listen to radio in their cars and can'twrite the number down anyway. But the real truth is, most don't hear the number atall. If the number is still a requirement, your best bet is to put it in once or twicetowards the end of the spot so it is close to, if not the last thing the listener hears.
The most effective way to get your product or service to stick in the minds of radiolisteners is to have a clever message that rises above the others and does so often.As I've stressed in past articles, repetition is your friend. However, remember thatthe downside to clever radio is that it "burns" quickly. This means that because thead is clever, people really listen to it which makes the "bit" or spot lose its appealfaster. Many times I've heard a clever ad and the first three or four times I heardit, I chuckled, but the next 12 times it aired I wanted throw my radio out thewindow. If you're writing clever creative or having it written for you, make sureyou've budgeted for at least two different spots that can be rotated within thecampaign. This will keep your message fresh while giving you the opportunity topresent different features in each spot.
Some radio stations are now selling thirty second spots which is fine if you can getyour message across in that limited time frame. However, unless you've been on theradio a long time, I would suggest sticking with the sixty second format for awhile,at least until you feel you've established your brand.
The next time you hear a bad radio commercial remember that writing clever radiois not something everyone can do. It takes skill, imagination and practice but if youget it right, it can be the most effective advertising tool you'll ever use.
Hal Eisenberg is an award winning copywriter, voice over talentand producer, as well as owner of The Eisenberg Agency, a fullservice advertising agency specializing in creative ads that getresults.
Visit his web site at http://www.eisenbergagency.com
Mailto: halacious@eisenbergagency.com |
