Commercial Production

Chapter 12

The most important thing to commercial stations is to make money. That is done through selling airtime commercials. So, commercial production is a very important topic when studying radio production.

Three Responsibilities as a Producer of Radio Commercials

a. To produce commercials that stimulate sales

b. To produce commercials that please the client

c. To produce commercials that fit your station’s sound

The producer of a commercial must translate those three goals into a radio production that will capture the attention of an audience and be a successful sales tool for the client.

Putting together a commercial

• Writing the script or putting the concept together• Narrating the commercial• Doing the hand-on production work• Convincing the client that your approach is the proper one

What Makes a Commercial Effective

There are no defined rules for determining a commercial’s effectiveness but generally they must get the audience’s attention.

Elements of Effective Radio Advertising

In a radio commercial sound must compensate for the lack of pictures. Radio advertising can and should be geared toward a targeted audience. A great advantage of radio is that it’s audience is clearly defined. For example, if you are selling an acne medicine, you would probably advertise on 92Q and not WQSR.

Advertising Appeals

• Appeal to Personal Fulfillment• Appeal to Authority• Appeal to the Bandwagon Effect• Appeal to Fear of Rejection• Appeal to Sexual Success

Advertising Appeals

• Appeal to Reinforcement of Listener’s Ego• Appeal to Prestige• Appeal to Value and Quality• Appeals to Other Emotional Triggers (Nostalgia, Family Ties, Guilt, Loyalty, Tradition, etc)

Music in Radio Commercials

Music is very effective in establishing a commercial’s mood or an overall set of conditions.

Voice in Radio Commercials

Voice is also an important element in commercials, whether the spot is voiced by the producer or air talent. Also, the announcer must be believable. Someone portraying a senior diplomat should not sound 21 years old.

Three Approaches…Hard-Sell—requires an announcer with an authoritative, strong voice.Soft-Sell (or Sincere)—requires an announcer with a casual or sincere delivery (not the typical “disc jockey” type of artificial delivery).Whimsical—often borders on the comedic; requires an announcer with a lot of flexibility and acting ability.

Suggestions for Producing Effective Commercials

• Avoid Gimmicks—production elements like echoes and sfx should reinforce the message• Summarize the Thrust—you should be able to summarize the thrust of the commercial in a few words• Don’t Blast the listener—Louder isn’t always better• Read the Spot to the Client—don’t just give the client the script, read it aloud to them

• Don’t Force Humor—if there is any doubt as to whether or not a spot is funny, chances are it isn’t• Achieve High Technical Quality• Don’t Overuse a Particular Piece of Music• Keep the Message Simple

Avoid the Following…1. Lack of Focus—don’t wander from idea to

idea, keep it simple2. Poor Technical Quality—levels to high or

low…3. Lack of Completeness—should have a

beginning, middle and end4. The Assembly Line Approach—can make

all your productions sound the same5. Fear of Experimentation—try a new

approach, experiment with new ideas as long as time permits

Production Applications for Station Promotion

Focuses on creating excitement among listeners that helps attract them to the station and that helps distinguish your station from others. The producer should know as many kinds of audio effects as possible as well as what is possible with the equipment they have.