Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Dear Mickey,

Even in today’s hurly-burly world of Flash animated banners and online movie downloads, radio's the most visual marketing method there is ... and done well, it can change lives.

I'll leave metrics aside for a moment and stroll into the hall of radio's true strengths: its ability to paint vivid and lasting impressions in people’s minds, and it’s simplicity.

Sadly, this last point is often lost because of a tendency to over produce radio pspot by chucking in every sound effect and trick imaginable in order to “beef up the impact”.

Completely unnecessary.

The best radio script I've ever read (and heard) featured two
guys talking about benefits, and the sound of a shop door bell.
It was written by Tim Delaney. Look him up.

Your biggest concern with radio is getting accurate metrics on its effectiveness, and that the company needs to be diligent in tracking where their clients are coming from?

Really? I think you're jumping the gun a tad. For now, forget about the numbers.

Why? Because, dear heart, the numbers will only mean something when they relate to sales. And before you generate a sale, you’ve got to create a relationship.

I know, I'm an old fashioned stick in the mud for even suggesting such a thing. And I’ll go to my grave saying this: all the jiggery
pokery and number massaging in the world is MEANINGLESS until you’ve created and nurtured a meaningful relationship.

Which means you've got to come up with an idea (an outline) about what you'll say, to whom you'll say it, and about what, why, where, when, and to what end.

Radio isn't a dead medium that you have to measure and adjust before you get anything out of it. Give a decent writer 30 seconds and a free reign, add a technician that knows his or her stuff, voice talent that knows what it's doing and that can take direction, and a client that's willing to take a wee risk or two, and the result will blow your socks, and your metrics, right off.

You might find the following articles of interest.

www.zeromillion.com/business/creative-advertising-marketing.html

www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/21/radio.advertising

So, create a relationship first, then deal with the numbers.
You'll thank me for this one day.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA