Radio Insight from an Outsider

I have a unique perspective on radio advertising, due to the fact that I started working on the air at age 16, and then spent the next 10 years on the programming side of radio, followed by another 12 plus years on the advertising side of the radio broadcasting business.

So, yeah, I know the ins and outs of what works and what doesn't in that particular advertising media.

So, how about some insight from an outsider?

This is from MGH Now:

Don’t tune out. Radio works.

From discussions with in-house radio spot gurus, John Patterson, Daron Fisher, and Scott Shulim.

Radio advertising, if done correctly, can earn a solid return on investment. But getting and keeping peoples’ attention through radio is difficult. Successful radio spots are disguised as entertainment but are actually informative in nature. Spots should be creative, smart and when appropriate, funny.

For more on how to create memorable radio ads, consider these elements:

1. Audience - Know who you are writing for and whose attention you are trying to grab. For example, if you are going after a younger demographic, you like totally, like need to use totally different verbiage to reach them. Dude.
2. Time - Short, concise ads work to your advantage because people get bored and overloaded from too much information. Pick a few standout statistics that your audience will remember, and stick to them.
3. Longevity - When creating the first ad in a campaign series, try to develop a hook that can be used for multiple spots. This will help your audience identify the brand and make connections. (Note: No, this is not us being lazy, we swear it works.)
4. Voice - The voice of the ad needs to stand out. When our copywriting team writes a radio script, they write with a distinct voice in mind. Does the voice sound authoritative, nervous, raspy? Does the person in the ad have an accent or say any particular words with distinction? *MGH secret revealed - To find that perfect voice, MGH establishes a precise list of casting specs, which are sent to talent agencies across the country. Within days, MGH receives over 300 demo tapes of people reading the script. Out of those 300, we usually like only one or two, proving just how difficult it is to bring the voice in our head to life. (Note: And trust me, we have many voices inside our heads.)
5. Shock Value - Don’t be afraid to shock the audience into listening. Use humor, music, or anything out of the ordinary to get their attention. Great spots do the unexpected. *Blatant MGH promotion - A great example of this is the work we did for Brothers Services. We took an industry (home improvement) that is known for very “bulleted” and dry advertising, and made it stand out with something unanticipated.

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