Andover Group: Advertising, Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Market Research
  Home     About     Links     Contact  
  Web site design     Direct marketing     Brochures & other collateral     Television & radio commercials  
  Public relations     Market research     Consulting     Media planning     Electronic marketing     Print ads  
  Newsletters     Other services  
 
Television & radio commercials•
 
Broadcast that sells
Television is the high-impact medium, yet as everyone knows, it takes creativity to cut through the clutter of other people's spots. Unfortunately, that's an excuse to create ads that may be wild and crazy but don't move product. And it drives out any consideration of radio, the Cinderella medium.
 
TV spots that sell – Here are some things that work:
  1. Humor – Conventional wisdom has always held that people buy products or services for rational reasons, but in the past few years some humorous commercials have achieved success, both in sales and in creative award shows. Warning: Very few people can write truly funny commercials.
  2. Slice of life – In these commercials, one actor discusses the merits of a product or service with another. The setting is designed to approximate real life. In the end, the doubter is converted – your widget really does work better.
  3. Testimonials – The most effective testimonial commercials are those that show loyal users of your product testifying to its virtues – when they don't know they're being filmed. The interviewer pretends to find fault with the product, and the loyal user rises to its defense with genuine conviction.
  4. Demonstrations – Ads that show how well your product performs are above average in their ability to persuade.
  5. Problem/solution – You show the viewer a problem with which he or she is familiar, and then you show how the product can solve it.
  6. Talking heads – This is the derisive term given to commercials that consist of a pitchman extolling the virtues of a products. Some agency people find them uncreative, but many advertisers still use them because they are above average in changing brand preference.
  7. Characters – In some commercials, a "character" is used to sell your product over a period of years. The character becomes the living symbol of the product Ñ like Mr. Whipple in the Charmin commercials or Madge for Liquid Palmolive. Provided they are relevant to the product or service, characters can achieve surprisingly successful results.
  8. Reason why – Commercials that give the viewer a rational reason for why they should buy your product are considered uncreative but may be successful in generated sales.
  9. News – Commercials that contain news are above average. For an old product you can create news by advertising a new way to use it, such as using baking soda to keep refrigerators smelling sweet.
  10. Emotion – Commercials with a large amount of nostalgia, charm and even sentimentality can be enormously effective. Beware: Consumers may also need a rational excuse to justify their emotional decisions – so include one. Above all, don't attempt emotion unless you can deliver.

 
What doesn't work – Here are a few types of spot that generally aren't effective:
  1. Celebrity testimonials – These are below average in their ability to change brand preference.
  2. Cartoons – They can sell things to children but are below average in selling to grownups.
  3. Musical vignettes – These spots, with a parade of fleeting impressions, were once fashionable, but are on their way out.


Radio – People quickly get tired of hearing the same commercial on the radio, so make several. Compared with television, radio commercials cost almost nothing to produce.

(In some developing countries, radio still reaches more people than television, though in the United States, it represents only 6% of total advertising.)

Here are four things all radio commercials must do:
  1. Identify the brand early in the spot.
  2. Identify it often.
  3. Promise the listener a benefit early in the commercial.
  4. Repeat it again and again.

 
> Samples
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetaur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum Et harumd und lookum like Greek to me, dereud facilis est er expedit distinct.