We see so much research these days that it’s easy to ignore those “so what?” headlines – like this one:
“Americans Fed Up With Bad Ads”
That’s the hook from a recent “Research Brief” from the Center for Media Research. The study, conducted by InsightsOne with Harris Interactive, finds that 87% of Americans 18+are fed up with the number of irrelevant ads they’re exposed to before they start to ignore a company.
Apparently, annoying ads are everywhere. But the biggest culprits are on TV (60%), followed by websites and email/sidebar ads (both above 50%).
Somehow, radio managed to avoid this nasty ranker.
Not surprisingly, men get more pissed off by bad ads, motivating them to boycott companies and even stop using products.
As Waqar Hasan, the CEO of InsightsOne, points out, “…consumers have a real limit on what they’re willing to put up with…”
Apparently so.
While radio may have dodged a bullet by its lack of inclusion in the survey, we all know that commercials are an issue for listeners. In Techsurvey9, we asked the 13% of respondents who told us they’ve been listening to less AM/FM why that is. Once we get beyond lifestyle changes (I moved, I changed jobs, etc.), it comes down to dissatisfaction with radio programming and the perception there are too many commercials on the radio. All the other “digital drains” like iPods and Pandora are smaller factors in listening erosion.
And it’s not just broadcast radio’s problem. When we asked Pandora listeners about that the main barriers to listening to the popular pure-play, guess what rose to the top? Commercials.
Last year, Pandora users cited a lack of DJs and the inability to skip more songs. This year, the #1 culprit is advertising. Particularly at a service that was built on commercial-free benefits, the addition of commercials is especially noticeable – and irksome:
There’s a story here, and perhaps it is the universal truth that there’s no such thing as a free lunch – or free music. Eventually, even the most enjoyable Internet services have to find a way to make money. (Will one of next year’s negatives turn out to be Pandora limiting how much you can listen each week?)
Since commercials are what usually ends up being the price of most entertainment, the need for more creative, effective, and yes, entertaining commercials has never been higher.
Not just for listeners, but for the companies that pay for them.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Early on in my radio career, I learned that a DJ who could also repair the transmitter and sell advertising had better long term prospects. So I began to study what attracted and retained profitable clients. “Understand how my business works, and then I’ll talk with you about yours,” was what one car dealer told me on a cold call. So I learned about inventory and interest rates and cost per sale. I watched the traffic that came in and out of his dealership and studied what they looked like, imagined where they worked and read everything I could about the history of the company who made his product.
But that wasn’t enough. I needed to create an ad that would bring people in the door.
At the end of the day, radio is about telling stories. We’re attracted by the music we listen to because of it’s visceral connection to something in our hearts. Why is it that when a stop set starts, all the research and care that goes into creating that connection goes out the window?
Back in the day, I used to subscribe to the monthly cassette series distributed by the Radio Advertising Bureau. Each tape was filled with spots that went well beyond the screaming and yelling that is part and parcel of most ads today. I quickly realized that not every client could afford Dick Orkin or Paul Frees. But they did deserve someone smart enough to understand their business, their clients and how to effectively connect with them. I began to have more success in selling when I started taking these three things to heart.
I had the opportunity to visit a cluster broadcast center recently. It was afternoon drive and the only live content was a sports talk show. The company sold this time to the host, who created his own content and pitched his own advertisers. His inventory was sold out. The rest of the studios were dark. The computers were doing the talking. And even the receptionist turned the volume down when the stop sets started.
After my visit, I got back in my car and fired up Pandora. I pay the fee so I don’t have to hear the commercials and I’ve had the service long enough that it knows what I like.
But something was missing.
It’s the same thing that’s missing from most radio product these days: entertainment. When I got home, I pulled out an aircheck from my beloved 60s radio station, Keener 13. In between Scott Regen’s conversations with Motown artists and Gary Steven’s Wollyburger devouring the studio, I heard commercials for Merollis Chevrolet, Freddie Cannon singing a Boblo Island spot, and the nitro-powered spots for Detroit Dragway, if you grew up in the motor city, just the mention of these things brings back memories. Even the Mickey Schorr car stereo spots were entertaining.
As I was thinking about all of this, another thing came to mind. I quickly found it on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppZ57EeX6vE
Know any broadcasters who have tried dropping a maraschino cherry in Lake Michigan lately?
Perhaps great radio doesn’t begin with the right music mix after all. Learn about my business. Understand what’s keeping me up at night and what adds value to my intrinsic bottom line. Create spots that entertain me as much as “the best mix of the 60s 70s and 80s” would.
Listen to me.. and maybe then I’ll listen to you.
Scott, thanks SO much for taking the time to provide perspective on this important issue. You make some great points here, and the Stan Freburg piece is another great reminder of what radio advertising once was…and could be. It is astonishing that we continue to spend considerable time and energy testing the music, DJs, prizes, and topics, but spend absolutely no resources on the 12 minutes per hour devoted to serving advertisers – the entities that make it all possible.
We continue to see signs that radio is paying attention to advertiser needs. A number of the clusters we work for are gravitating to a CRM philosophy. But it also encompasses the quality of the writing and the production. And there’s just no way that a single person can produce great spots for a cluster of five stations.
Radio is fortunate that it was not included in this research study. I bet it will be when they get around to replicating the research. Hopefully, radio won’t be #1. It’s not a category we’d want to win.
Thanks again, Scott.
Wondering if anyone who listens to Spotify complained about hearing John Corbett’s voice on Every. Single. Ad? He’s on radio and TV as well. I love the guy but seriously. If anything, it was the last straw that got me to fork over the premium fees.
Laura, interesting POV. It’s noteworthy that while pure-plays are all over creating music content but lagging behind in commercial creative and production. This is another area where broadcast has better assets – IF we utilize them.
The poor adverts on Pandora – and Spotify, incidentally, here in the UK – aren’t they just part of a plot to get you to pay to upgrade? Worked for me…
Radio has a HUGE advantage over all other media because it happens inside people’s heads. When it is done right, audio is engaging. Video is distracting. Audio fires up the imagination, video shuts down the imagination. When your imagination is fired up you are engaged! If radio advertising was done right, it would be sold at a premium vs television. The Stan Freberg ad is a perfect example of the power that radio has but CHOOSES TO IGNORE. Why? In today’s radio world, creativity and writing are seen as an unnecessary expense, to be cut out of the budget wherever possible. Letting the salesman write the copy to save money is as wrong as letting him do your root canal to save money. So what we end up with are commercials that are not only ineffective, they are annoying and disturbing. How long do you think that is going to last in a world with many new choices?
Nick, what took you so long!!
I thought I’d hear from you today. And of course, you nail all the key points here. Radio has an opportunity to excel in this space. And given how bad commercials are on services like Pandora, this could – and should – be a selling point. Thanks for chiming in and helping us scratch our collective heads as to why radio spots aren’t better quality.
Regarding “bad CA’s:” In teaching at several universities, I let my association with Broadcasting be known. The chief negative about commericals I got “pinned to the wall with” was regarding (mostly) car commercials where the announcer whispered at light-speed all the “qualifications” and then screamed loudly all the rest. The chief reaction was that it sounded dishonest even if it were not dishonest, and for that reason alone, the (mostly graduate) students would forever avoid any dealings with said establishment.
It is a sad commentary to note “legalities” ‘interfering’ with our entertainment (e.g. the similarly whispered contest rules for radio). So, my comment in addendum to above is: Not only do we have to entertain, but also present an honest image.” (Gadzukes! We’re reeling back to the “Honest 1950’s!)
Doc, totally get it. Those disclaimers only serve to erode credibility and they’re ratings killers, too. No one likes them, and we don’t sit through them if we don’t have to. That fine print is a tune-out no matter what you do, and reading the copy as quickly as possible is NOT the answer. Thanks for the insights.
It’s not surprising at all to see radio absent from the list of “Bad Ads”.
As someone who plays and has spent a career making radio spots, those ads/spots are a part of the fabric of Radio. Even part of “The Show”. Radio spends more time trying to make them creative and seamlessly part of the flow where TV and Web will throw anything on that has the $ it seems. as long as it’s as LOUD as possible.
Satellite. Pandora, Web, et al ads/spots are awkwardly placed, produced, and are generally unexpected, such that they stand out more, almost scare you at times, are usually not of the quality of the content, ergo, not part of what you “went there for” in the first place.
If you’re watching a movie on HBO and suddenly a bad ad were to jump in out of nowhere, levels all askew, etc then back to the show, there’b be a WTF was that.
Also, as the “miss hearing people” shows, it’s the “sterility” of spending a day on HBO/Satellite radio, when you truly are out of touch.
Open the Pod Bay Doors, HAL. And don’t let anything in unless I (program) invite it in.
Chuck, thanks for the comments. As someone whose craft is creating commercials, I’m not surprised to hear from you. Overall, radio’s ads are better than what you’ll hear on Pandora – but they could and should be so much better. For every “craftsman” like yourself, there are 10 production directors slaving away and cranking them out. The industry – and our advertisers – deserve better. Thanks for the taking the time and the POV.
Pandora was close to ad-free for a long time and isn’t anymore. Consequently, I think that people may be more annoyed at the number of ads on Pandora than the quality of them. That may be true for radio as well. At some point, the clutter just gets to be too much, regardless of the ad quality. And in Pandora’s case, people got used to the music without the ads – of course there would be some push back when that free ride ended.
Radio could really set itself apart in this area and potentially overcome eroding audience levels with superior creative and perhaps testing of spots, as Jerry Lee does. But we all know that today’s operators aren’t going to spring for good copywriters and enough production people to produce creative spots. Its a shame that some won’t even beta test the concept in a few markets and see if it doesn’t impact power ratios. But they won’t…so radio would do well to ensure that spot loads are and stay reasonable.
The current trend of loading on anyone who will pay a few bucks is probably not ideal.
Bob, I think you’ve hit the Pandora issue on the head. When you set the bar high (no commercials), and then you start adding them in, there’s going to be listener remorse. And regarding radio’s opportunity with creating better commercials. it’s becoming clearer to me that this is more than just something that would help our advertisers while creating a better listener experience. It could also positively differentiate radio from the pure-plays that obviously don’t get it. Thanks for connecting those dots.