I was asked to do a specs spot recently. In case you’ve never heard that term, it’s a radio commercial written and produced for a customer who doesn’t know they are a customer yet.
Just as builders sometimes build houses to specs (speculation), radio salesmen call business owners and, as part of their pitch, offer to produce a spec ad so the customer can hear how good their build will sound. radio commercial, if you choose to do so. buy airtime
A good friend from a local radio station thought of me for a specification for one of her potential clients. She had a sales assistant write the ad and email it to me on Voice, and I was to email it to the production person at the station so she could put sound effects and music on it to introduce it to the potential customer.
That’s when the laughs started. The title of this article gives you a clue… think of all the reverb-laden Billy-Big-Voice commercials you’ve heard in your life, telling you about an event you CANNOT miss, and it’s this Friday. …Friday Friday!!!
Yeah, the writing was that bad. The 60 second script was around 75 seconds worth of copy and there were at least 5 different ideas going on. I called my friend. He had asked the sales assistant about the odd style choice, and he said that was all he could think of. My friend and I completely rewrote the ad, removing the clichés, tightening the copy, and focusing the message on a strong one instead of the three different messages in the original script.
The secret to a good radio commercial is really no secret: engage with the listener, use vivid and descriptive language, keep the copy short, keep the message focused on one thought, include a call to action, and sell the benefit you get. you will get the listener. using this client’s service.
In the meantime, the spec point is done. I hope it will help my friend to get her new account. I know it sounds better without all that Friday… Friday… Friday!!!