by James Kennedy, Piehole.ie

So why is radio advertising effective? Flipping open a marketing manual will give you a head start. Don’t bother though, I’ve done it for you.

• Reach: People spend more time listing to radio than any other medium
• Frequency: Consumers listen to radio more frequently due to their daily habits. Putting the radio on in the car is a habit that is formed over years and which is hard to break. It also means consumers spend time building a relationship with presenters in a way that isn’t possible with less frequent interactions. This relationship increases trust and this transfers to the brands that advertise during those times.
• Intrusiveness: Radio intrudes without the need for any interaction by the consumer. They literally don’t have to lift a finger to listen to the radio in the car, shops or in their homes. This is unlike online, TV and especially print.
• Tactical: Radio can be produced quickly compared to print and TV. This allows brands to react tactically to topical news events or change pricing or offers mid-campaign. Radio ads can be turned around in a few days.
• Theatre of the mind: Radio is the only meduim where you have complete creative control. Great ads can transport the listener wherever and whenever you want. This is both an oportunity and a challenge. Writing great copy that manages to communicate a message in the most unexpected way is something difficult to master without reverting to tired old methods which blend in with the crowd.
• Mobility: The addition of FM tuners to many mobile phones means that your customers have never been consuming your ads so close to your point of purchase. Out and about, ads can take advantage of people who are closer to a buying decision than ever before.
  • • Ubiquity: With the addition of an FM tuner to the latest line of iPod Nano mp3 players, increasing consumption of radio via mobile broadband and traditional internet, radio is growing in reach. It stands to reason that listening to the radio compliments activities such as surfing the web and as such it is not as affected by current changes in the advertising landscape.
    • Music is less important: Services such as Spotify in the UK and the increasing availablity of music online, means that radio stations cannot simply rely on banging tunes to keep their audiences hooked. Radio personalities are becoming more important as a way of providing a USP between the music.
    • Community: Radio still provides a shared experience between peers. It serves as a common talking point amongst peers and helps people connect better with one another. Which radio station you listen to is a mark of who you are. This will increase as the range of radio stations (online and offline) increases, making it easier to target an audience.
    • National Thoroughbred Racing Association
    • VirginAtlanic.com
    • Chicago Tribune

  So that is what the textbooks tell you. But what are the trends that are effecting the market today? There are three to take note of:

  So how do you execute a great radio campaign? Well, in Ireland, the good news is that the competition is not that stiff. No Irish advertising agency or radio station has won a Cannes award for their radio work. This in the purported land of saints and scholars. Despite our fabled ability to write, an Irish copywriter has yet to write the type of copy that competes on a global stage. Their failing is your advantage. There is of course no 3 step method for creating fantastic, cut-through copy for your ads. Here are some quotes from the best and the brightest in the industry to inspire you to go where no Irish ad has gone before.

  The biggest challenge is incorporating a creative and entertaining idea into a 30-second spot – which is not a lot of time – without detracting from the single-minded message that you want the listener to walk away with. I usually start with “What is the message that we need to communicate and what would be the most unexpected way to communicate that message?”

  Justin Osburn – Copywriter – FoxP2

  A good dose of humour, a simple message as well as an in depth understanding of the target audience or the environment in which the ad will be played are key ingredients for a great radio spot.

  Mike Wilson, Creative Director, King James

  Encourage yourself to break the usual gag-and-tag setup of telling a story or joke, then tagging on the announcer with brand/product payoff lines at the end. Always think of interesting ways of breaking the usual structure of a radio ad.

  - Craig Ross – Copywriter – Ogilvy CT

  A 10″ ad can be more powerful than a 30″ commercial.

  -Melissa Cogle – Implementation Buyer – Starcom MediaVest Group

  A great ad has a single purpose. Everything else in the ad should build to support that purpose. If it doesn’t do that – it should but cut out with ruthless precision.

  - Priscilla Groves, Rules, Piehole.ie.Having decided on radio, decided on your message, figured out how to target it and hired a killer copywriter, you should end up with something like these.

  Who knows you might even win Ireland’s first Radio Advertising Cannes.

• James Kennedy rules Piehole.ie along with his partner Priscilla Groves. Piehole.ie contains Ireland’s largest selection of voice over actors They live, breath and eat radio advertising and you should contact them at info@piehole.ie to obsess over them with you.