Transcript Slide 1
Umar Hassan
In this guide, you will be looking at the key concepts you have to consider
when creating a radio advertisement for commercial stations. The
concepts you need to consider before making a radio-friendly advert are:
Structure of the advert: Is the advert in a single voice or multiple voice?
Or is it structured in a conversation?
Unique Selling Point (USP): What differentiates this product in this advert
from the competition?
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Where does this advert fit in with the needs
of the target demographics?
Purpose: What’s the product trying to promote? E.g. Brand awareness
Advertising and Persuasive Techniques: Is the advert using a wide range of
language? Or is it using imperatives to command you to do something?
Broadcasting codes: What would the advert makers consider when making
an advert?
The main purpose of every radio commercial that is broadcast is
to raise “Brand Awareness” and to promote increased sales of the
product that is advertised.
These types of adverts raise an income for the commercial radio
stations broadcasting the advertisement.
Raising brand awareness: Mainly commercials can be about the
brand themselves rather than the product. This technique helps
the brand either solidify it’s place in the market or raise their
profile.
Some established brands continue to advertise because they are
well-known. This means that the brand is sending a message to
it’s competition by keeping themselves in the public eye or ear.
Existing brands reinvent themselves through clever marketing.
Most, if not all brands use the seasons of the year (Christmas and
Easter) to promote their flagship products to a wide demographic
to persuade consumers to part with their cash and buy.
As you may know, there are many different ways to structure radio
advertisements. Some are more familiar than others but the structure is
critical to promoting any products on sale.
If for any reason, you don’t structure your advert towards your target
demographic, the product you are selling towards your audience diminishes
and then making a profit for your product becomes even more harder because
consumers cannot put faith into what the company is trying to sell.
It’s incredibly important that if you have a great structure for your advert
because if you know what your selling towards your target demographic, then
selling the product becomes more easier. Which makes the company who’s
selling it a lot easier to make a profit. This means that once the consumer
knows what they’re buying, then they have a lot of faith within the company
because they expect this level of quality.
In each slide, you will be taken to a different structure that is commonly used
in radio advertising. The slides will give you all the relevant information that
is required to structure a radio advertisement.
In most radio advertisements, you’re most likely to hear radio
adverts use either single or multiple voice. We’ll start off with single
voice.
Single voice: As you may know single voice is the most commonly
used technique in radio advertising. There is one straightforward
technique that is used frequently in single voice radio ads. This is
called “A Straight Read”
A Straight Read involves 60seconds of reading straight, concise
information that is required to directly sell consumers it’s product.
It’s directed to motivate consumers to buy the product. Although this
style of advert is not used for comedy value, you can add actuality to
liven up the advert and sell the product to your target demographic.
This technique is an effective way of people who are new to radio
advertising to jump in and implement this technique from the get-go.
As you are already aware of, many if not all radio adverts use
different techniques to persuade you to buy your products.
With advertising techniques for example, there are many
techniques that advert makers use to influence consumers to buy
their products. Here are a few examples:
Brief: A brief is an overview of what your trying to achieve with
the product you’re trying to advertise to your audience.
Imperatives: Imperatives are used to demand the consumer to do
something immediately.
Use of every/always: This is used to make the listener feel like
they are spoken directly to them.
Humour: Humour is used to make a connection between the
audience and the brand.
Alliteration: Alliteration is used to help the consumer remember
the brand name and it’s product.
Persuasive techniques are used to convince the consumer to buy
their branded products.
This often involves persuading the consumer to buy the product
by using different techniques to persuade the consumer to part
with their cash to buy the brand’s product. Here are a few
examples:
Rhetorical Question: A question that is designed to make the
reader think. This doesn’t require an answer.
Flattery: Saying nice things about the listener to get on your side.
Emotive Language: Words and phrases that are used to make the
reader feel something.
Rule of three: To repeat an image or idea three times in a
different way.
Superlative: An adjective used to imply the highest or lowest
quality.
In the mid 50’s, an American psychologist named Abraham Maslow
put forward an idea based on a Hierarchy of human needs.
His concept was that each stage of needs needed to be satisfied
before coming onto the next one- like climbing up a flight of
stairs. There are 5 stages that are used in this Hierarchy:
1. Physiological needs: Everyday things like food, drink, sleep and
sex.
2. Safety needs: Security, protection and order.
3. Love needs: respect from others and confidence based on
others
4. Esteem needs: Respect, self-confidence, self-acceptance and
self-worth.
5. Self-actualisation needs: Fulfilling one’s potential, develop
potential within yourself and create beauty.
Many advertisers use Maslow because they persuade consumers
into buying products they desire rather than having the basic
everyday essentials. This means that advertising companies make
massive profits on the products that consumers don’t need. Most
advertising companies use a USP to seduce customers to buy their
products and leave the basic essentials behind.
There are many different styles that are used in radio, but you
have to consider with each advert how the brand presents their
product to their target audience. Here are some examples of
radio advert styles:
1. Humour: Is the advert funny?
2. Serious: Does the advert lack in humour?
3. Factual: Is the advert based on facts?
4. Fiction: Does the advert have a story?
5. Nostalgic: Does the advert refer to the past?
6. Pastiche: Is the advert paying tribute or is it trying to replicate
another piece of work?
7. Simple: Is the advert straight-forward?
There are many regulations that a radio advert go through
because the regulators must find that the advert is following all
the rules before it’s played on air.
ASA (Advertising Standards Authority): The ASA is one of the many
advert regulated companies in the UK that specialises in making
sure that the brands follow all the rules that are regulated by the
company themselves so that the adverts are fit to broadcast to
the wider public.
BCAP codes: BCAP (or Broadcast Committees of Advertising
Practice) is the company that has all the codes that are related
towards broadcasting different genres of adverts. An example of
a BCAP code is when in the code 03: Misleading advertising 3.1 is
when the brand is in breach of misleading consumers materially.
OFCOM: In the OFCOM Broadcasting Code, it has all the relevant
principles that are related to TV and radio. Harm and offence to
name but a few principles in the OFCOM broadcasting code. If
you complain about an advert that is in breach of the regulations
on TV and Radio, the complaint goes through to the Advertising
Standards Authority (ASA) where they deal with the misconduct
of the company. If it’s a political advert, then OFCOM deals with
complaints about a breach in political advertising.
RACC (Radio Advertising Clearance Centre): RACC is the
commercial radio’s advertising clearance body. Commercial radio
stations need to comply with the conditions where their licence
to broadcast is granted by Ofcom. These conditions include the
compliance with BCAP UK Code of Advertising as well as the
Ofcom Broadcasting Code. RACC also clears national and
commercial references so that the advertising companies provide
consistent standards for the benefit of both consumers and the
industry itself.
Sky Movies advert is structured in a multiple-voice format where
two men are having a conversation about watching a movie (romcom) under the stars via Sky’s on-the-move service Sky Go.
The advert also uses humour to give it a feel of it being a “proper
conversation” which means the audience are able to connect
with the men and be persuaded to upgrade to the Movies pack.
Also, the use of repetition to make sure that it’s customer base
as well as first time buyers of Sky know this is the “Sky Movies
Pack”.
At the end of the advert, it transitions from a multiple voice to a
single voice where a female voice briefly goes through how to
access Sky Movies via “Sky Go” as well as the terms and
conditions.
The advertising and persuasive techniques used in the Sky Movies
advert are:
Opinion as fact, e.g. “No-one brings you movies like Sky Movies”.
Use of second-person language, e.g. “Have you ever wished you
could watch a movie under the stars?”
The use of exaggeration to suggest that watching movies on TV
and on the go via Sky is better than it’s competition (BT, TalkTalk,
etc.)
The Unique Selling Point for Sky Movies to market and sell it’s on
–demand service “Sky Go” as the only place to watch movies
whenever you want via PC, Laptops, mobile phones and tablets.
Sky is trying to stamp it’s authority on the market as the only
place to watch on-demand content on the move and
differentiating from it’s main rivals Virgin, BT and TalkTalk.
This means that Sky is marketing itself as the only place to watch
movies as well as solidifying it’s place in the Satellite/Cable
industry as the no.1 brand with consumers alike.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Sky Movies advert
perfectly fits in with the Love and Belonging needs section.
The reason is that the 4-5million subscribers who subscribe to the
Sky Movies pack are part of an exclusive group who are able to
relate to one another if they are part of the group who has this
package.
This means that new subscribers who subscribe to the pack feel
more welcome to be a part of this esteemed group which means
that the consumer feels loved from this group of subscribers who
are on Sky Movies.
The main purpose for the Sky Movies advert is to promote “Sky
Movies” to it’s over 10million customer base. Sky is persuading
it’s customer base to upgrade from their existing packs and go to
the Sky Movies pack for a reasonable price so they can have the
exclusivity of watching movies wherever you want via it’s on the
move service called “Sky Go”.
This means that once subscribers who upgrade to this pack get
the “full treatment” where they can watch movies whenever
they want at a time to suit you on 2 different devices. Laptops,
tablets and mobile phones to name but a few.
This shows that Sky are standing out from their competition
(Virgin Media) that the only place you can watch movies on TV
and on the move is Sky. Not only this, Sky is raising furthermore
advertising money in the TV and radio sector by promoting the
Sky Movies pack.
The broadcasting codes that Sky would have to take into
consideration is the codes that are related to misleading
advertising. There are 2 important codes that Sky must follow.
The first code which is 3.2. This explains that advertisements don’t
mislead consumers by having either information that is presented in
a secretive or unclear manner. Material information is information
that’s delivered to the consumer to make an informed decision to
buy a product or service.
The second code is 3.2.9. This suggests that the advertisement
prices must state any grounds in which the advertisers have a
believing that they cannot supply the advertised product at the
price it was shown on air.
For a full detailed look at the Misleading broadcasting codes, click
onto this link http://www.cap.org.uk/AdvertisingCodes/Broadcast/BCAPCode/~/media/Files/CAP/Codes%20BCAP%20pdf/BCAP%20Section%2
03_2013.ashx Published by BCAP Accessed on Tuesday 26th March
2013.
With the structure for the Cadbury Dairy Milk advert, it retains
the multiple voice structure but has a more realistic feel to it.
The Cadbury advert uses a lot of repetition. One example of this
is when the lady briefly explains the cash prize of the
competition. Then what happens next is the man comes in and
repeats what the lady said before. However, there is the
inclusion of wind-blowing SFX with the man shouting to suggest
that the advert is set somewhere cold and desolate.
The inclusion of SFX as well as the ear muff gives it an added
dramatic effect which gives the advert a signature style which
audiences/listeners will love.
The advertising and persuasive techniques used in the Cadbury
Dairy Milk advert are:
Use of second-person language: e.g. “You could win up to”
Imperatives: e.g. “You could win up to 10,000 Euros with Cadbury
Dairy Milk”.
Use of persuasive language and actuality to create an image in
the consumer’s head once they’ve won the competition, the
consumer feels like the money is surrounding them.
The Unique Selling Point for the Cadbury Dairy Milk advert is to
market the competition of 10,000 Euros. If the consumer buys
the chocolate bar, then they are in the running of winning the
cash prize.
This means that Cadbury are standing out from the competition
(e.g. Galaxy) and persuading the existing consumer who doesn’t
buy Dairy Milk to switch from their existing bar and move to
Cadbury and have a chance of winning.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Cadbury advert
fits in the psychological needs section because since it’s food, it’s
designed to make the consumers think about Dairy Milk as well as
be influenced by the fact that if they open the Dairy Milk bar,
then they could win the cash prize.
Also, Dairy Milk fits in the love and belonging needs section as
well since the manufacturer Cadbury is a national brand. This
means that if you the consumer constantly buy their products,
then you feel like you’re part an esteemed group of lovers who
enjoy Dairy Milk and have been buying the chocolate bar for a set
amount of years.
The key purpose of the Dairy Milk advert is to make sure that
Cadbury has a strong share in the confectionery market. This
means that Cadbury is able to solidify it’s share in the market by
advertising Dairy Milk to a large demographic.
This shows that Cadbury has the longevity with the Dairy Milk
brand which means more and more casual and hardcore
consumers will prefer Dairy Milk to Galaxy and Mars, which is
Cadbury’s main competition in this sector of the confectionery
market.
Like Sky, Cadbury are raising more revenue through advertising
their flagship Dairy Milk bar which means they get more money
through advertising and consumers buying the bar.
The broadcasting codes that Cadbury would have to take into
consideration is they follow the competition codes that are
related towards broadcasting competitions toward consumers.
The code 28.1 states that the competitions must be conducted in
a fair manner. This means that the full terms and conditions must
stated accurately towards consumers.
For a full detailed look at the competition advertising codes,
click onto this link http://www.cap.org.uk/AdvertisingCodes/Broadcast/BCAPCode/~/media/Files/CAP/Codes%20BCAP%20pdf/BCAP%20Section
%203_2013.ashx Published by BCAP Accessed on Tuesday 26th
March 2013.
The Toyota Aygo advert has a completely different structure to
the Sky Movies and Dairy Milk advert. With the past two adverts,
the structure they use is a multiple-voice format, the Toyota uses
a single-voice format.
The first-half of the advert has a man go through briefly the
features of the car. An example of this is “iPod connectivity” so
consumers get a brief understanding of what’s equipped in the
car before you buy it.
What happens next is the man is briefly replaced by a woman
who says the slogan “There’s more to a Toyota” to show that the
Aygo is better than any other city car out there in the market.
At the end of the ad, the voice-over man goes through swiftly
over what’s being mentioned in the advert earlier at a quicker
pace so if listeners have lost track of what’s being mentioned,
then they know now what’s equipped in the Aygo.
The advertising and persuasive techniques used in the Toyota
Aygo are:
Opinion as fact: e.g. “There’s more to a Toyota”.
Use of alliteration: e.g. “There’s a lot to say about the Toyota
Aygo, go”.
Use of exaggeration: e.g. “0% APR”.
The Unique Selling Point of the Toyota Aygo is to market it’s city
car to a large majority of the radio audience.
This is shown when the voice-over man explains about it’s
features of the car such as “Bluetooth connectivity” and “iPod
connectivity”.
This shows that Toyota is trying to seduce it’s audience to buy the
Aygo over it’s competition. The Citroen C1 and Nissan Pixo are
two good examples of city cars that are around the same budget
as the Aygo. However, the 2 cars don’t have the comprehensive
amount of features as the Aygo.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Toyota Aygo fits in
between safety and self-esteem needs.
Firstly, the safety needs are used for the features of the Aygo.
For example with the parcel window because the consumer
would feel safe and secure inside the car because they know that
if the consumer was feeling unsafe, the Aygo would give the
consumer a bond that would be unbreakable with the car.
Secondly with the safety needs as well, the consumer feels
respected by the fact that the car is with them for every step of
their journey.
The purpose for the advert to promote the “Aygo” as the city car
that consumers want in their everyday lives. By explaining the
comprehensive features as well as the 0% APR, Toyota is trying to
persuade it’s customer base as well as first-time buyers of Toyota
to switch from their current cars to the Aygo.
This means that Toyota are trying to market the Aygo as the best
city car out there in the market compared to it’s competition,
the Nissan Pixo and Citroen C1 are a few examples of the
competitors that Toyota are facing in this competitive car
market.
The broadcasting codes that Toyota would have to take into
consideration is all the relevant codes that are related towards
broadcasting motoring adverts, all codes are especially relevant
towards the Toyota Aygo.
The most important code for the Aygo is the code 20.1, the car
manufacturers must not promote any form of dangerous driving
or suggest that driving a motorcycle or car is extremely safe.
For a full detailed look at the motoring broadcasting codes, click
onto this link. http://www.cap.org.uk/AdvertisingCodes/Broadcast/BCAPCode/~/media/Files/CAP/Codes%20BCAP%20pdf/BCAP%20Section
%2020.ashx Published by BCAP Accessed on Tuesday 26th March
2013.
Like the Toyota Aygo advert, the British Gas advert is structured
in a single-voice format. The voice-over woman is trying to
persuade us the consumers to replace our old boilers and get
£400 off a new one.
The use of Blur’s “The Universal” as a music bed along with the
SFX of a rocket blasting off informs us it’s the start of the radio
advertisement.
This means that the advert is trying to grab our attention and be
informed about the current deal that British Gas is trying to
promote to it’s customers. During the advert, there is the use of
repetition throughout the advert to inform us it’s British Gas and
there is a limited time to this offer.
The advertising and persuasive techniques used in the
British Gas advert are:
Rhetorical question: e.g. “Boiler not taking off as it used
to?”
Mentions the brand’s name a few times to remind the
listeners that it’s British Gas.
Use of imperatives: e.g. “Trade in your old boiler and you
could get £400 off a new one”.
The Unique Selling Point of British Gas is to persuade it’s
customer base to replace their old, knackered boilers for a brand
new one and have the luxury of having £400 off once they have
purchased it.
This means that British Gas is differentiating from it’s main
energy suppliers e.o.n. and nPower and give it’s customer base a
helping hand. So it shows that British Gas are willing to help it’s
customers upgrade without having too much hassle and delay
from other companies.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the British Gas advert
fits in between Physiological/Safety needs.
Firstly, the safety needs are related to when British Gas request
consumers to “replace their old boilers” and get “£400 off” a
new one.
Lastly, the physiological needs are related towards consumers.
Consumers need gas to warm their houses up because fossil fuels
are used to heat the houses up.
The purpose for the British Gas advert is to promote it’s
“scrappage” scheme where their customer base can trade their
old boiler and get an added £400 off their new ne. Since the
offer is for a limited time, only customers who are with British
Gas can apply for this offer. This means that once you’ve applied
before the expiry date, the consumer will have their new boiler
installed by an expert engineer.
This shows that British Gas are standing out from other energy
companies which means that they are able to give it’s customer
base a helping hand by replacing old boilers for new ones which
means that British Gas are able to have higher profits from
advertising the offer as well as making the money through this
“scrappage” scheme.
The broadcasting codes that British Gas must take into
consideration that they follow all the codes that are related
towards misleading advertising. The two codes that are related
towards British Gas are in the general section.
The first code is 3.2 where the advert must not contain any
material information that’s kept secret or presented in an
ambiguous manner.
The second and final code is 3.3.3 where the recommended price
of the boiler from British Gas, including taxes must be in the
nature that the price of the boiler isn’t calculated in advance,
instead the manner in which the product is calculated properly.
For a full detailed look at the Misleading broadcasting codes, click
onto this link http://www.cap.org.uk/AdvertisingCodes/Broadcast/BCAPCode/~/media/Files/CAP/Codes%20BCAP%20pdf/BCAP%20Section
%203_2013.ashx Published by BCAP Accessed on Tuesday 26th
March 2013.