Audio Ad Creative: Leave It to the Professionals

quotGreat creative is and always has been incredibly important to brands making impactquot says JonPaul Rexingamp160ESPN39s Senior Director of Sales noting thatamp160the company works alongside clients and agency partners to maximize qualityamp160quotWe39ve seen marketers drive results when they take advantage of all our platformsamp160and customize their message for each one amp8230 we know fans respond when a brand engages them with creative that is targeted and contextually relevantquotOldies But Always GoodiesOinkamp160Ink Radio one of the experts in producing radio ads that resonate is celebrating 25 years of awardwinning creative with a quot25 for 25quot countdown of their favorite spots Their trademark wit in ads for brands ranging from Google to Pepsiamp160is redolent of the predigital era when radio copy was not scut work assigned to junior writers but an aspirational opportunity to earn Clios or Cannes awards as well as increased ratesEvolving beyond the quotfathers of radio advertisingquot like Dick and Bert Chuck Blore and Jim Kirby Oink Presidentamp160Dan Priceamp160describes his shop39s process as more protracted often taking weeks to produce a spot They will assemble a writing team selected from their stable of almost 40 freelancers generate dozens of initial scripts then pare down the best for client input It makes them admittedly one of the most expensive radio creative shops but they have long since ceased counting awards or clientsamp160quotWe go overboard in almost every step while most of our competition just take agencygenerated scripts and produce themquot Price says quotWe almost never produce ads for agencies it39s almost always clientdirectquotEasier Said than DonePrice and other experts believe that radio is actually difficult to do well and ad money is better spent with an expert on the job since there39s a sense almost anyone can do it quotThat39s why you39ll hear things like the audio from a TV spot becoming a radio spotquot he says quotBut I think the opportunities from new audio channels can drive a renewed energyquotThat in part is what Horizon chief Bill Koenigsberg was counting on when he greenlit audio creative divisionamp160Wordsworth ampamp Booth as he described in AdAgeamp160quotI have been an advocate for years that the radio creative world needed to up its game amp8230 Now with programmatic and digital audio there is more opportunity to engage and make the experience betterquotWith the digital mindset of many advertisers Tony Mennuto Wordsworth ampamp Booth President says quotthere39s a lot at playquot now in creating an audio campaignamp160quotWe39re applying digital rules to the radio space nowquot he expalins quotWe understand the value in highly creative spots and sonic branding But being housed at Horizon Media we have access to valuable data from broadcasters and consumer behavior research teams that other audio creative shops don39t have So our difference is combining the agency39s strategic smarts with the entertainment and comedic skills of experienced writers That39s the best of both worldsquotHe adds that test and learn scenarios and partnerships with media and broadcast companies illuminate new ways to use the medium and ways to engage and entertain via anything from their recent study on effective audio cues to applying data mined from a radio network app quotThese data insights allow us to alter the message by station time of dayamp8230all good stuff to inform the creativequot he saysMennuto who honed his chops as a writer producer and voiceover actor at TV networks such as HBO NBC and ESPN says audio commercials are content amp160just like a videoamp160or a skit for SNL and the same rules applyamp160quotWe39re always trying to make spots interesting from a content play perspective but then we add on a layer of all we know about the consumer the flighting and the other information to help itquotThey also quothand tailorquot the content to the destination air personality or podcaster such as translating a produced brand spot into copy points for live reads customized for DJ styles and stationsWill It Play in PodcastsThe growth ofamp160podcasts has sparked new ad styles and formats from Gimlet39s signature quotnativequot approach to The Jess Lively Show39s longform postroll sponsor interviews And some podcast spots if not awardwinners yet are becoming memorable Think Mailamp160Kimpamp160Multiplatform content publishers like ESPN and NPR are particularly cognizant of the need to adapt and deliver contextually relevant adsNPR necessarily approaches broadcast and podcast sponsorships differentlyamp160quotWhen you fully understand what resonates with your audience you can craft sponsorship messages that keep listeners engagedquot notes Gina Garrubbo President of National Public Media the sponsorship sales arm for NPR quotNPR39s broadcast sponsorship messages governed by FCC guidelines are specifically designed to feel organic to the public radio broadcast environment amp8230 they communicateamp160a sponsor39s support for NPR and then shareamp160information about the brand productamp160or servicesquotNPR podcasts she explained have expanded messaging which include the opportunity to reference discountamp160oramp160offerESPN recently delved into conversational style ads in some podcasts with an integration for The Great Courses Plus in their Ahead of Their Time podcast miniseries While it can be difficult to nail the native style that podcasts practically demand having that competency can be a valuable sales hookSounds like a job for the expertsClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this article are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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Audio Ad Creative: Leave It to the Professionals

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Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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