Radio break down: what’s wrong with your ads?
The most awarded radio creative in the world Ralph van Dijk listened to a real ad break on Nova – here’s what he thought.
With Cannes behind us for another year, it’s time we all had a reality check.
What I’m about to ask may seem a little radical, yet it’s something 18m Australian non media-types do each week.
I’d like you to listen to an adbreak.
Great Insights
David Coney
Brand Response
Talk to clients not creatives. Otherwise you are wasting your time.
The most awarded radio creative in the world? He’s not even the most awarded radio creative in Sydney. John & Kev would certainly knock that one on the head.
Radio is an excellent place to advertise, it has so much more going for it than many people realise.
Radio is generally abused in Australia, it is used simply as an audio bill board, with too much blab, and not nearly enough creative content. There is a strange corporate idea that the entire air time should be taken up with constant blab, or you are not getting your money’s worth. Sound is better than pictures, simply because it doesn’t demand your visual attention, it is directed to the brain and then immediately to the imagination, which continues to engender images, long after the event.
Radio is a specialist skill, and it seems that either not enough people have the gift, or the gifted are being overlooked.
Many podcasts are now leading the way in this space, engaging audiences through unique and interesting story telling based creative versus a blast of messages.
Take a listen to Reply All or Startup from Gimlet media for some strong examples of conveying client messages differently.
As someone that works in commercial radio, can I ask how you get people to listen to five minute ad breaks? When I’m in a taxi, 90 percent of the time, the driver flicks a button on the steering wheel and switches to another station while the ads are on.
I’m fascinated with all the distractions like social media etc, as how we get people to stay tuned during the breaks, let alone concentrate and listen to them?
@Geoff Field.
You could ask that question even if you were someone who doesn’t work in commercial radio.
The answer probably lies in making the five min ad break interesting, even a simple hook would set it in the right direction. There is nothing to be one about ad hating taxi drivers, but even these guys can be persuaded to listen to interesting content.
In a country where footy colours sell like hot cakes, there is a notion that everyone will be happy with an appropriately emblazoned stubby holder or a beanie, but there is much more to life than footy. and when it comes to radio ads, the clients idea of a joke, or of a good script, is usually one which features his/her specific reference, just avoids the golden superlative, and mentions the product several times in 30seconds.
Get above “rapp” and start to tell stories, produce mini dramas, songs and catch phrases. Be as creative as your imagination will allow, because you must sound out images.