Commercials for Radio: Theatre of the Mind
Creating commercials for radio is very different from creating any other form of advertising.
You cannot simply take a successful print advert or television commercial, record an audio version, and expect it to perform in the same way. Radio advertising is theatre of the mind, and the more you explore and understand the mind of a listener – your potential customer - the greater impact your campaign will have.
What do you need to know about creating commercials for radio when you approach your own on-air advertising campaign?
The script
The script can make or break a commercial. But don’t worry, you don’t have to write the script yourself! This is exactly what scriptwriters are trained to do; take your message and make it as effective as possible.
Avoid asking for too much detail. Depending on the length of the commercial, you have around 20 – 40 seconds to make an impact. The role of a radio commercial is not to give the same amount of information you would pack into a Yellow Pages ad. It is there to reinforce by repetition.
Remember, most people read print ads or watch television while sitting down, with few other distractions. People listen to radio in the car or at work, while they have other things to concentrate on. Audio is more memorable than words on a page but you can have too much of a good thing!
Make sure you reinforce your business or product name and USP (unique selling point), and offer one memorable means of communicating with you. It is more effective to say “for more information visit BracknellAutoRepairs.com” or “pop in to Bracknell Auto Repairs on Sunnyside Street, Bracknell” than to try to cram in “Bracknell Auto Repairs on Bracknell 512654, visit www.BracknellAutoRepairs.com, or find us at 52 Sunnyside Street Bracknell.”
Your name placed at the end of the commercial as a final reminder will also help listeners to remember you. Then they can jot your name down or look-up your details when they are in a better position to do so.
Avoid asking for clichés such as “family run business” or “one stop shop.” Your potential customer hears these all the time and will not respond pro-actively to them. If one of these is your USP then ask the scriptwriter to find a less clichéd way to communicate it.
The production stage
So, you’ve probably got loads of ideas in your mind, and now you want to bring them to life, but who will make your commercial? Many businesses do not realise that they can have their commercial made independently from purchasing the radio airtime. Radio station sales executives probably won’t tell you this as they like to keep the production in-house.
Bear in mind that stations who are part of a media group usually have one production department making commercials for the whole group and could be based hundreds of miles away. Smaller, independent stations may make commercials in-house but this task is often filled by a staff member who has other duties. Don’t expect a personal service.
You can approach an independent radio production company directly, where you can develop a closer relationship with the creative team, and possibly work together on the production. Also, consider talking to an advertising agency, who will be able to strategically formulate a cross-media campaign to give your company a consistent brand and advertising message.
Your production company should advise on what type of voiceover artist and which genre of music (if any) should be used to provide a positive and relevant audio representation of your brand. The inclusion of sound effects can also enhance a commercial, but before you ask for an epic to be produced, listen to national radio commercials. Sound effects are normally used in moderation, and only where relevant to the overall message.
Don’t be scared to be creative with your commercials for radio. Creativity can make you stand out from the crowd. But don’t allow a scriptwriter’s ingenuity to diminish your brand. Strike the balance between creativity and identification, and remember that through audio you are stimulating the listener’s emotions and imagination in order to influence their buying decisions.
Examples of radio commercial production can be heard in our commercial production gallery.
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