Radio Advertisement 101

So where did it all start? Although the 1922 radio advert for Queensboro Real Estate was the first radio advert ever to be produced and broadcast, the 1926 radio advert for Wheaties was the first ever sung radio advert.

So what’s it all about? A radio advert is obviously advertisement through the medium of radio. Airtime is purchased through a station or network in exchange for airing the commercial. Costs involve: Production fees Dubs and talent fees Radio adverts can last 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds.

But how’s it done? Step 1 ~ Write the ad out including all concepts, strategies, and specific phrases and when they’ll be used. Step 2 ~ Get the appropriate tone with the sound of voice. (Men have a slight deepening of the voice which is preferred for a warm, ambient ad voice.) Stage 3 ~ Practice the script until it is felt ready to record the radio ad.

Continued... Stage 4 ~ Make all studio arrangements. Know studio times for recording, how the ad will be used, and what times it will run. Stage 5 ~ Getting good background sound into the ad is key. (Either additional staff to produce noises on cue, or just using a digital sound device to provide background.)

Look out for these! Aural Signifier ~ Either a tune created specifically, or an already existing tune. Example:- Boots ~ Sugababes Jingle ~ A memorable slogan, usually sung and sometimes to a melody. Example:- United Taxis Voiceovers ~ These can be various and include:- over toned (loud), unnatural elements (synthesised), male/children/female etc. Example:- Paignton Zoo

Key points to identify when making an advert: Target Audience Air Time Budget Gender Representation Locality

Target Audience... A target audience (or target group) is a primary group of people that something, like an advertising campaign, is aimed at specifically. A target audience can be people of a certain age group, gender, marital status etc. Examples:- teenagers, females, singles. Discovering a target audience is one of the most important stages, as without it the company’s advertising can become expensive and difficult.

Air Time... Spot airtime is a very flexible way of advertising on radio, as brands can use different environments relevant to its products or services. Example:- a cereal brand advert on a morning breakfast show. Research shows that advertising which is relevant to a listener’s activity is over 60% more likely to be recalled. Example:- someone driving whilst listening to an Autoglass advert. Airtime is great at multiplying the effect of other media.

Budget... Radio advertising is more affordable compared to other traditional advertising mediums of television, newspaper, magazine. Radio advertising reaches target audiences at the lowest cost. The cost of a radio ad depends on:- the radio station, length of ad, time of day, length of campaign, campaign frequency, type of advertising. Generally radio stations charge per thousand listeners at one time, and a good rough price for this is £2 per thousand people. Example:- if a breakfast show has 100,000 listeners at 7.30am, then buying a spot at 7.30am will cost £200.

Gender Representation... It is a measure of how society views men and women, and how men and women are supposed to act and relate to each other in different social situations. Gender representation in adverts can indicate the existence of stereotyping, which are seen through continuous exposure to the media. Type of product, voice over, credibility, types of reward. These can aid towards finding any stereotyping in radio adverts.

Locality... Advertising can be designed to affect only one location, or be able to affect multiple locations. If the company advertising is only local, it would be a wiser and more practical decision to advertise on a local radio station. Example:- United Taxis. If the company advertising is a multi-chain, it would be a wiser and more practical decision to advertise on a regional or national radio station. Example:- Boots.

Key points to identify when making a campaign: The Creative ~ The actual ad itself. The message that is broadcast to the listeners about a certain product or service. The Air Time ~ When and how often the ad is played. The duration of the ad then multiplied by the number of times it is played.

Look at these! 1) Wheaties ~ “Try Wheaties” (1926) 2) Paignton Zoo ~ “Trouble At The Zoo” (2009)