What makes a good radio advert?
Creating a catchy radio commercial is a craft in itself. Because you can’t support your story with visible cues, you heavily rely on the listener’s imagination. This requires a different approach to your creation, where you need to keep your audience engaged in a smart way. And it’s about more than a clichéd jingle or an annoying call-to-action. A good radio advert entertains and engages your audience, clearly communicates who you are, and is tailored to the medium.
Creating an effective radio commercial is about finding a balance between how your audience wants to be entertained and what you want to convey. Consumers are generally open to a commercial message, especially if they know it’s a necessary part of the listening experience. This way, we give every advert a chance. Even if only in those first few seconds.
On the other hand, we can very well tune out unnecessary information, depending on how we experience those first few seconds of the advert. A radio advert with an irritating voice or an intrusive call-to-action can be fatal. In such cases, we can quickly shift our focus to another topic. The art, therefore, is to draw listeners into your radio ad right from the start so that they become invested in the outcome of your story.
How will you be recognised if you sound like a cliché?
Sonic branding
You obviously want to avoid having your radio advert air without anyone remembering your brand. A balance that is more challenging to achieve on radio than on TV. On radio, you can’t easily flaunt your logo or colours, let alone display an attractive packshot. Listeners must instantly be able to hear who they’re dealing with. Exactly, in those first few seconds.
You achieve this by painting your entire radio commercial in your own musical colours. A recognisable voice, background music, sound logo, and the rhythm of your script. The identity of your brand is paramount, allowing all the creativity to be yours. And nobody else’s.
Look beyond radio
In addition to advertising on radio, there are an increasing number of channels where you can be present with audio as a brand. Think of digital radio, a podcast advertisement, or a commercial on Spotify. And each medium has its own character.
There are roughly two categories. Audio that you must make an effort for, such as talk shows, news, and podcasts. And audio that is easier to consume, such as listening to streaming audio or radio in the car.
In the latter category, you have much more permission as an advertiser to capture attention. Your radio advert, for example, must really grab attention. This is also accepted by your audience. In streaming audio, this is less the case, because this listening experience is much more curated by the user themselves. This translates into the expectation of a certain level of control over the medium.
In contrast, with news and podcasts, you are completely in someone else’s space. Immersed in an exciting crime story or a political dispute. You’re essentially part of the experience rather than a listener. And your audio commercial must respect that. Drawing attention works counterproductively here. Instead, it helps to take a supportive role and connect with your audience from there. In a way that makes the listeners start to accept you as part of the club. Instead of an intruder.