Tune In: Breaking Down What Makes an Effective Radio Commercial

radio commercial

After the newspaper, media began with radio. Radio shows used to be the number one form of entertainment. Families used to tune in weekly to consume media this way. 

Believe it or not, radio is still the number one form of advertisement. Tuning in to the radio in the car, at home, at work, it doesn’t go out of style. This is the reason that those radio commercials tend to sit in audience heads for days. 

What is a radio commercial? Other than a 60-second break in your music. How is a great one made? 

These are concerns good business entrepreneurs have. Lucky here is help with that. Here is all you need to know to make an effective radio commercial.

What Is a Radio Commercial  

A radio commercial is an advertisement for one service or business. They are about 30 seconds to 60 seconds in length. They also must capture the listener without visual aids. 

The very first radio commercial played on the air on August 22nd, 1922. This was a 15-minute ad for a real estate company. Advertising like this was a jump for listeners.  

Afraid to offend the masses, radio wasn’t quick to pick up advertisements. It actually took a little bit for radio commercials to catch on. Once they did, it became a means of advertising. 

Even today, radio commercials ads are a great form of advertising. Many companies bring in much of their clientele this way. There is quite a bit that does go into creating that perfect commercial. 

The following are several of the areas that go into making a radio commercial great. These are the guidelines to make your commercial a memorable one.

Production Value Matters

The thought may be that this isn’t going on camera. Why does it actually matter what the production value is?

Radio commercials aren’t as simple as hitting record and playing the commercial. You need to be able to have a great advertisement in order to bring in consumers. Production value is one of the ways to do this. 

Music and sound effects are two of the things that make the radio commercial. For a commercial to really pop. It also cannot sound like every other commercial on the radio.

By having a budget, the commercial will be unique. Be able to afford the right talent for your production. Add music and sound clips that will enhance your audio. 

Not only the sounds and talent, but editing is also important. The production is professional. It doesn’t go from the recording stage straight to the radio.

Production value can be heard in a radio commercial. It’s the difference between sounding like an amateur production and a real advertisement. 

Articulated Script

Believe it or not, radio commercial scripts can make or break the production. This dictates what the audience is going to hear and get out of the ad. When there is only have 60 seconds to get the point across, it needs to make every second count.

The radio commercial needs to have a hook that counts. Within the first few seconds, the listener needs to have something to remember. Be sure that the script begins with something that will capture the listener. 

If it can grab them at the hook it will occupy their attention. This will mean that they follow along with the rest of the ad. The hook is the most important part of the commercial.

Don’t forget to leave them with a closing statement that they will hold onto. Give the listener something to think about. This will assure that they want to revisit the ad or find out more about the provided information. 

The call to action at the end of the advertisement is just as important as the hook. Be sure that it is clear and concise. 

The entire radio commercial needs to be calculated. A great script is where the production begins. 

Simplicity Does Wonders

Believe it or not, the simpler the advertisement is, the more it will be remembered. Don’t overcomplicate the commercial. That will make it so that the listeners don’t remember anything from the ad. 

The ad needs to be a direct message. The listener doesn’t want to have to decipher the message. When there is too much going on it doesn’t stick very well. 

Remember that the audience only has a couple of seconds to grasp what is being said. Oversaturating the commercial with sounds can lead them away from the point. Be as straightforward and persuasive as possible.

Make sure that everything that needs to be said is heard loud and clear. The commercial doesn’t need an overwhelming amount of sound. It does need to be able to support the business and resonate with the listener. 

The whole goal of your advertisement is to bring in the consumer. Capture them with something simple they’ll be able to remember. 

Let It Stand Out

Not to contradict simplicity, but the commercial needs to be able to stick in the minds of the listener. It should get them to think about it even after the 60 seconds have passed. It needs to be stuck in their heads. 

A commercial shouldn’t sound like every other thing on the radio. It needs to have something distinctive that sets it apart. Aim to be able to captivate the audience and allow them to remember what has been said. 

Find something to include that reflects the brand. Hook into an area that the listener will cling to. This could be done in multiple ways. By catering to this, the audience will follow.

Maybe it’s a jingle. It could even just be a phrase that they can’t seem to stop thinking about. What sets the commercial apart from all of the others is beneficial. 

Aim for relatable content in the advertisement. Reach the audience by finding a level that strikes a chord with them. This is the best way to make them remember what is being advertised.

By doing this it calls the audience to your business. They remember why they wanted to find out more about it to begin with. 

Knowledge of Your Audience

Know who the advertisement is targeting. The commercial needs to cater to the listener. It shouldn’t fall flat and not make a difference to the directed audience. 

Consider who is going to be listening to the radio. Don’t try to pull in an audience that isn’t there. That wouldn’t be helpful to the cause. Nor would it bring any new clientele. 

Do the research prior to recording the commercial. Find out what has worked for other businesses and what to avoid. Don’t go into the recording studio without a formulated plan in mind. 

The script should reflect who is being reached out to. When writing the script, form a plan that’s going to appeal to them while keeping in mind the rules of the radio.

Knowing what is going to target the audience is important. Meet them on their level and entice them to find out more about the business. Be sure that the ad is something that resonates.

Catering to the audience will give them the chance to want to listen. They will find themselves intrigued by what is being said. This is the best way to make them want to find out more.

Listen to Feedback

Getting outside opinions will help to know if it’s going to be the right fit. Don’t be afraid to play the commercial for others before okaying the final product. This gives an indication of if it’s presented correctly. 

Ask the test audience what works for them. Find out what they think there should be anything included or cut. By doing this, there is a second opinion. 

An unbiased party is the best way to go. They are the consumers who will be getting the most from the commercial. Work with the feedback that is received from them. 

Be sure to ask deliberate questions. Find out if they believe anything in the commercial should be rewritten or changed. Follow this feedback in a way that is genuine to the ad and the company. 

A Radio Commercial Is a Great Business Tool

It allows for a wide range of audiences to engage. Keeping in mind these helpful tips will make the ad more efficient. A clean and concise script will do wonders sticking in the minds of the audience. 

The radio commercial will provide the audience with intrigue. The proper voice actors, a great script, and professional sound are beneficial. The products will sell themselves when the correct attention is paid. 

Looking to record that radio commercial? There is help in making it the type that an audience will listen to. Contact us regarding the production of your radio advertisement. 

Catchy If You Can: How to Create a Memorable Company Jingle

company jingle

When it comes to running a business in the 21st century, brand recognition is one of the most important things to take into consideration. If you want customers, you’re going to need leads, and if you want leads, you’re going to need to get recognized. 

Almost everyone considers advertising, and we all know the importance of merchandise. But have you thought about coming up with a company jingle? 

Your brain might automatically think that company jingles are old and dated, but check out this list of the most memorable advertising jingles. Some of them aren’t even very musical, just rhythmic and melodic phrases that stick in people’s heads.

No doubt, you recognize all of these corporate jingles. It doesn’t take long for this recognition to turn into good times you spent with the product. That is the power of brand recognition. 

Whereas most advertising works on a purely visual level, a jingle allows you to infiltrate people’s brains sonically. You can effectively dominate your local cultural consciousness by branching out to other forms of advertising.

This article will walk you through all you need to know to create the best company jingles. 

Phase One: Research

Our auditory associations are highly generational and cultural. Because of this, companies looking for jingles need to make sure they know which market they’re targetic. 

What generations of people are coming into your business or calling you up? — are they a younger crowd, or older? You don’t want to create a jingle that calls to mind Engelbert Humperdinck if your audience is all under the age of 21. Conversely, you don’t want to drop the newest Travis Scott song on a bunch of elderly people. 

For young people, make sure you keep up with social media trends, so you can stay relevant. 

But that’s all you need to get specific about. 

Language is extremely specific to the way we live our lives. Language is how we imagine, build and structure our world. You need to tangle the language if your company jingles to your demographic as well.  

You’re not going to want to use a lot of slang if you’re addressing technical professionals. You’re also not going to want to be too cold if you’re shooting for a more casual crowd. 

Phase Two: Get the Music Right

Once you know what sort of music you’re going to be making for your jingle, you have to hammer out the music and get it right. Make sure you work closely with any jingle-writers that you hire to get exactly what you want. Always choose to work with someone who’s willing to co-operate; it’s your business after all.

(Speaking of which, unless you’ve had some serious musical training, don’t try to write your own jingle. In all likelihood, it won’t go very well. The songs are short, but the music is much more complicated than it seems.) 

You have to keep your jingle simple, poppy, easy to remember, and easy to sing. Now is not the time to show off your love for the avant-garde jazz styling of Eric Dolphy. The ultimate test as to whether or not your jingle is working is whether or not people are willing to sing it back.

The thing is, it doesn’t even need to be technically good; it can even be extremely annoying like the Fanta ad, and it will work. 

For the most part, you’re going to want to stay in a major key. The melody should be so simple that you can rework it into several different concepts. Just think about all of the varying ways the Nationwide jingle has been played. 

Phase Three: Get the Lyrics Perfect

You have to get the music right, but you have to get the lyrics more right. In the case of a jingle, the music is just the vehicle you’re serving up a lyric in. 

What should your lyrics be?

Well, for one, they should not be the modernist poetic stylings of Wallace Stevens. They should be short, repetitive, child-like, simplistic, they should stick in your head like gum to the bottom of a table. You might only get one shot to capture the hearts, minds, and imaginations of your audience; make sure you aim well. 

Make sure you use rhyme. People remember rhymes. That’s why they’re so popular in almost every form of popular music. 

Make use of assonance as well. Words that sound alike, that start with the same sounds, that flow together rhythmically like drum hits. All of this can only serve to help people remember you. 

In your lyrics, don’t be afraid to get corny. There’s no such thing as a “cheap” sale, so why should there be “cheap” lyrics? Feel free to use puns, silliness, pop-culture reference, and sentimentality to your advantage; people eat these things up. 

Speaking of sentimentality, don’t forget to suggest a relationship. Don’t be afraid to tell your customers exactly what you provide, and exactly what their relationship to you is. On our list of the greatest ad jingles, we list Toys R Us, who did a wonderful job of getting straight to kids’ hearts. 

One of the reasons they did so well is because, years later, when those kids were grown up, their sentimental attachment to those songs made them share the product with their kids. Which is a sweet moment that means more business. 

Phase Four: Come Up With a Few Options

There’s a reason why musicians do several takes of songs, why movies end up with deleted scenes, and authors go through many drafts of the same scene. You’re stepping into the world of art here, and things aren’t always as cut and try as they seem. As a businessperson, you might just want to pay for the product and get the job done, but it isn’t as simple as that. 

When it comes to creativity, everything is a matter of taste. You might be disappointed by how annoying the jingle your writer came up with is, only to find yourself whistling it in bed at night. Inversely, you might love a jingle, but never be able to remember how it goes. 

This is why it’s important to get several options. Bring your team in and have them listen to all of them. Then give yourself some time to sit and think about which jingle works the best.

Heck, you can even call a meeting a week later and ask your team which jingle has stuck in their head the most. This is a great, scientific way to choose a jingle. 

If you can afford to, it might serve you well to hire several jingle writers. As long as the musicians/company jingle maker is getting paid, and you’re not using any of their music without their permission, they’ll happy to work for you, even if you don’t end up using their song. Session musicians record songs that never see the light of day popular musicians all the time. 

The point is, you need to think outside of the box when it comes to jingles. You’re not going to get 100 percent of the way by hammering it out with facts and logic. You’re going to need to get a little strange. 

Phase Five/Six: Test It Out/Refine

A good business person knows that to succeed, you’re going to have to fail. Some of the most successful business people of all time tanked their first companies abysmally. 

When your jingle hits the air, don’t rest on your auditory laurels. Get out there in the world. Listen to the way your song sounds coming out over the radio, after a song in a Spotify ad, in-between shoes in a commercial, etc; it’s one thing to hear it in the comfort of your office, another to hear it amongst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. 

The hustle and bustle of life is where your jingle is going to have to shine. It needs to cut through the raw fabric of life. Does it sound good, catchy, reliable in this context? 

Take note of whether or not people hum along to the song, or seem to have it caught in their heads afterward. Take note of whether they’re talking about the jingle or not. It’s a good sign even if they’re making fun of your ad or calling it annoying; mimicry means repetition, and repetition means recognition. 

If your jingle isn’t catching, that’s alright. You can use one of your alternate takes, or refine your current one. The more you fail, the closer you get to success. 

Create the Best and Brightest Company Jingle That No One Can Forget

Human beings are creatures of symbol, language, associations, sound. If we’re going to remember a business, we’re going to remember it because of a symbol that’s attached to it; an image, some language, or a song. A company jingle allows you to combine language with songwriting for the purposes of your company. 

Now that you know the six phases of creating a great jingle, there’s nothing stopping you from dominating the business world. 

For more information, contact us today.