It's 6:05pm, you have been in Boston bumper to bumper traffic on 93 for 30 minutes and have only traveled 1/4 of a mile. After a long day at work all you want to do is hear your favorite song or listen to your trusted news personality of choice. A commercial break comes on, and something grabs your attention-a funny line, a joke, a sarcastic take on an everyday event. You laugh out loud in your car, and suddenly your ride home isn't so terrible.
This is the type of control a company can have over a captive listening audience when they are trapped in their car and tuned in. As an advertiser, how do you make the most of that :30 (thirty) or :60 (sixty) seconds you have with them? For some companies, taking the funny approach can pay off in spades. Take these 3 tips into consideration next time you sit down to brainstorm you next commercial message.
1. Can your company pull off a funny radio commercial? Making sure your idea is in line with overall brand messaging must remain a piece of this process, but once you have checked that box, feel free to get creative. What type of services are being offered? Can you recall a funny real life event that happened as you were in need of said service? For example, an auto dealer might want to poke fun at the length of the car buying process, to highlight how their sales department is different. A contractor might want to highlight all the bad things that can happen if you pick the wrong guy to work on your home. There is usually a funny side to every story-you just have to find it!
2. Is there a clear call to action? Funny or not, your commercial has to have a specific call to action. Sometimes companies let the creative process take over and the actual result they are looking for from the ad gets lost. By having a strong and clear call to action in your commercial it can still be laugh out loud funny, but at the end of the day people will remember it was YOUR company that made them laugh.
3. Do people get it? How many times have you seen an advertisement and thought-what does that even mean? Make sure you don't get lumped into this group of almost great ideas that fall short. Use a focus group to test your material out on, see if it hits home and prompts the action you are hoping for. If it meets industry standard it's now time to set your funny radio commercial out into the world for all to hear!
Funny or not, the point of a radio commercial is to drive engagement with new and/or loyal customers. If you are investing money in your marketing, make sure your audience is picking up what you are putting down. Need help in the creative department? CLICK HERE.
