A struggle that most radio stations must suffer through is bad copy. Your cluster’s creative team is likely not to blame — the poorly conceived puns, clichés, and wasted verbiage are usually written by someone in sales or, frighteningly, by the client. Of course, there is awful commercial and promo copy being written by seasoned radio professionals. If you are writing a lot for your station, you are likely to type out some idiocy now and again.
I have spoken with imaging voices and asked them about copy. I have been told some program directors cannot write themselves out of a paper bag. Okay, how do we help solve this problem, especially when it comes to endorsement copy?
Maybe you have been handed copy that reads like a middle school creative writing assignment: packed with clichés, weak analogies, and forced, unfunny jokes that do nothing to help the business grow. You know the phrases: “locally owned and operated,” “we are your neighbors,” “let our family serve yours,” and so on. In 30 or 60 seconds, you have to create a need and inspire distracted drivers to contact the company that can install their new vinyl siding.
I once worked in a market where a longtime advertiser and his family performed remarkably unfunny commercials for carpeting and flooring. I also had to pull an ad the client supplied to the cluster because it used the term “Olympics” — a lawsuit waiting to happen. Crazy. Account executives are bred just to get money out of the client.
It’s also the job of a good salesperson to consult the client on what would help them maximize the impact of their advertising campaign.
When Clients Fight the Creative Team
Heaven knows, most of us are pumping out a lot of content daily. Being creative and unique can be a real struggle. How do we create memorable moments in our commercials, endorsements, and imaging? It really comes with creating an emotional reaction. The wacky roofing guy who believes that he is Shane Gillis needs to be tamed.
I am sure that you have noticed that the most successful clients allow the creative team to build great commercials. It is like me, a radio guy, telling a plumber how to do his job. I know nothing about plumbing, but I can turn a wrench. I don’t care how many YouTube videos you have watched. You probably couldn’t complete a plumbing job either. Small business owners are usually fairly stubborn. This is because these amazing people built a successful business against all odds. When the small business owner started, they likely had doubters and roadblocks. If you speak with your account executive team and ask about the challenges they face, it is a difficult job.
I worked with a sales guy who was working on a meeting with an HVAC company. The owner handed off the sales guy to the “marketing director,” who was the owner’s 18-year-old son. I would have left that appointment because it was a waste of time, but this account executive gave the son the pitch. No sale ever happened.
Account executives struggle for each sale. Getting commitment is only a small part of the job. Getting the copy right and approved is the next step. Ask your cluster’s creative services department — clients turn down an awesome campaign and want a series of superhero spots.
The superhero angle in commercials is as tired as your grandpa after his 3 p.m. dinner at Golden Corral.
Selling the News/Talk Endorsement
Okay, let’s get to endorsement spots and the copy. Depending on what you are pitching, nearly every customer is motivated by emotion. The garage door is stuck. What do you do? Your fans are panicky, and for good reasons. They are missing part of their workday. It is an unanticipated expense. The wonderful listener calls your client because they trust you.
The news/talk host endorsement is the most impactful of any piece of advertising that can be sold in any form of media. If your team has not sold out your endorsements, you need to be an active participant in making sure that the spots are booked. Remember a couple of weeks ago when there was a big reduction in force? I bet it is a fair assumption that the riffed news/talk hosts were not sold out on their endorsements.
If you like hosting a show, be very mindful of your show’s financial success. Yes, hosting 15 to 20 hours of radio each week is tough. Likely between prep and hosting, you are working 50 to 60 hours a week. But if you love what you are doing to make a living, you must provide more to your company. I guarantee there are people in the radio industry who believe that you roll out of bed, take a shower, and come in to host a show. The sales manager, market manager, and salespeople don’t see your daily work, because you are not in the building.
Make the endorsement copy personal and relevant. Ignore the clichés. Make that spot personal and experiential for your listener. Tell a story about that broken garage door and a lady who is at home alone with the kids. There have been home burglaries in that neighborhood, and now she doesn’t feel safe. Her husband is out of town on a business trip.
Explain the emotion to solve a real-world problem. Make that commercial very personal. Storytelling is an underutilized skill in our business. Do it.
A Word on AI
A note about artificial intelligence: I sometimes use it for idea starters. I prompt ChatGPT for a unique angle on news coverage that would target my station’s target demographic. Sometimes, it is a miss. For my creative promos, I usually come up with a funny yet realistic scenario and expand upon it.
Like all creative promos, some work great, and others are not that fantastic. If I get a note from Jim and Dawn Cutler saying the copy was funny, I usually feel pretty good about it.
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Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He currently serves as News/Talk Format Captain for Zimmer Communications. Prior to joining Zimmer, Peter held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Des Moines, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.