Forward and Backward

As fast as radio is changing, moving forward into new areas of influence, that's how fast it's leaving behind the old way of creating radio commercials. WE see that-- yet many who are in management positions right now don't. With so many managers coming from the sales end of the business, the old ways are not going to die any time soon.

I recently did an ad for a small market station back east. Solid ad, one that would accomplish the client's goal, entertain and work well as a sustainable campaign-- plus, it could be done without taxing the station's talent pool. What I get back from the salesperson is an email stating the following:

"My sales manager wants to go in another direction. How about two women talking, and one says this and the other says that and---"

So it ends up that, the 'other direction' of two women (chosen because the target is, of course, women) becomes an exchange of information about the clients copy points, all while pretending to take place at the client's location. The idea is something straight out of 1955, and the choice of two women taxes the station talent pool to the effect that one of the voices will undoubtedly be a secretary or someone similar doing a favor on their lunch break. This, I might ad, is not the first time this manager has decided on 'going in a different direction' and moved backwards.

Can we please stop this nonsense? Now.

One of the KEY REASONS WHY RADIO IS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE, is because our commercial air sound is atrocious at the local level. It's time for management to understand that, BECAUSE of all the cuts on the creative side in favor of nicer balance sheets, local air sound suffered. In good times it meant nothing----now, it reveals a huge flaw----because no client loyalty was ever created. With no way to quantify results, clients have now left in droves, and our industry has been eliminated from many budgets.

The industry is changing, almost daily---creative has to change with it. It's time for management to lead, follow, or get out of the way. Outsource your creative needs to people who understand it and can offer you fresh ways of engendering client loyalty again. Old, worn out, 1955 commercial ideas no longer apply. Go forward, or risk falling further behind.