Radio Direct Response: Direct Response Radio Advertising Agency | Blog Zone

Since the ripe old age of eight, Alex Verde knew he wanted to be a voice over artist. While not a household name, yet, he certainly has a household voice. In fact if you’ve ever been to Disneyland and rode the Monorail, then you have heard his voice.

From his ISDN equipped studio near Laguna Beach, California, Alex voices for over 9,000 clients worldwide. And with over 20 years’ radio and voice over experience under his belt, there’s not much he hasn’t seen.

When too many producers are in the kitchen, it’s no good for anyone during the session. Also, not listening to what’s desired by the producer [is bad],” Alex says about some of the mistakes he’s encountered.

Voice work isn’t complicated. Alex says give them what they want. “My job is to get it right the first time. Sometimes it’s smooth. Other times [clients] want to add their input. They should be able to. They are paying for the session.”

It’s your job as the voice to do what’s asked of you.

“Voice what your clients want, and not what you want,” Alex suggests. “It’s whatever the producer calls for. They are not paying you for your opinion.”

And at the end of the session, when it all comes together everyone can be happy. Alex especially enjoys when the client says, “‘Thanks for helping me out.’ I think that’s funny, because it’s the other way around! I’ve been very fortunate.”

Alex Verde has over 20 years experience in radio and doing voice over work. Located near Laguna Beach, California, Alex voices for over 9,000 clients worldwide, usually with same day service. To learn more about Alex, click here.

Ian Cohen, Production Director

Format Description:
This music format is comprised of artists who’ve established and solidified the foundation of Rock Music over the last 40 years. Listeners are primarily Men 18-49 focusing on the lifestyle and things that men enjoy: rock music, beer, women, sports and feeling like they’re part of something special. The format is driven by what’s happening in rock music right now. AOR (Album Oriented Rock) evolved during the late 60s and early 70s, when FM radio stations flipped from elevator music to free form rock ‘n’ roll outlets. The format succeeds by blending today’s hottest bands with the classic rock artists who helped define the rock era. New releases and concerts events are also important to these listeners who are passionate and fiercely loyal to the heritage of rock and roll music.

Audience:
Men 18-49

Core Artists:
Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, Van Halen, Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith and Metallica

Key Radio Stations:
WBCN/Boston
WLUP/Chicago
WRIF/Detroit
KSHE/St. Louis

DR Factor:
This music format effectively reaches men with very little waste
outside of demo. Commercials produced to mirror the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle will deliver their message better than corporate, cookie-cutter ads. DJ testimonial ads are hit-or-miss, depending on the credibility and salesmanship abilities of each announcer.

For more information, visit:
All Access
FMQB
WBCN
WRIF
KSHE

The 2009 Major League Baseball season is underway and no matter which team holds your rooting interest, the addition of MLB to the spring and summer radio schedule brings a dugout full of opportunities and obstacles to be aware of when planning your advertising from the on deck circle.

Despite television, satellite and web coverage for virtually every game, audio-only accounts of the game still hold the same magic for fans of the game that it did decades ago. No major league sport is better suited to radio’s “theater of the mind,” where the pacing of the game permits the listener to absorb the Zen of the moment, rather than the machine gun rat-a-tat-tat of basketball and hockey announcers.

In addition to the flagship terrestrial stations that carry the games, there are dozens of stations that are part of MLB teams’ “radio networks,” bringing coverage of the nearest hometown team to small towns and cities 30 to 200 miles beyond the periphery of the hometown stadium. There’s also MLB.com, which provides coverage of every major league game with the subscriber’s choice of audio or video and XM Radio, which delivers play-by-play coverage of every game via satellite radio.

Many of the flagship terrestrial stations are clear channel radio stations. And by “clear channel,” I mean that as a description of the station’s signal strength, not its corporate ownership. These powerhouse stations – and there’s only one designated nationwide for each spot on the AM dial – are generally 50,000 or 100,000 watt “flame throwers” whose signals blanket their hometown market and extend for hundreds of miles after dark, when a phenomenon called “sky waves” bounces their signal through the ionosphere so that a Philadelphia Phillies’ fan in Muncie, Indiana can hear the game loud and clear on Philadelphia’s 1210 AM, WPHT.

That’s great news for advertisers after dark on these clear channel stations, provided their products and services are available nationwide. (This is not great news for the local landscaper who can’t mulch a lawn 800 miles away from their backyard office.)

But there’s a downside for radio advertisers who advertise on some nationally syndicated radio programs after dark. National advertisers on The Mark Levin Show, for example, may not know that several nights per week, the program (and its sponsors) are pre-empted by local broadcasts of major and minor league baseball. In Atlanta, WGST listeners are hearing Braves’ baseball, not your commercial on The Mark Levin Show. It’s your responsibility to police the process and attempt to negotiate compensation for any shortfall, as the networks and syndicators won’t go out of their way to spread this news. To them, you’re getting what you paid for – in this case, an ad on The Mark Levin Show – even though that show’s audience delivery fluctuates nightly during baseball season.

Still, baseball season brings a host of unique opportunities, such as traffic sponsorships to-and-from the game. Rain delay programming can be a wonderful environment for companies that make wiper blades and tires. Pre-game and post-game and highlight shows deliver a loyal audience at lower rates than actual play-by-play. And then there are the countless ways one can create and sponsor game-related features, from the seventh inning stretch, home run payoff or the offensive and defensive plays of the game.

At the very least, you should review the content of the radio commercials you air during baseball games. Is your generic 24-hour-a-day ad the right one to run during the ball game? Or might you be better served by an ad (or series of ads) that speak to baseball fans like baseball fans? Any direct marketer will reflexively tell you, “I don’t know. Let’s test!”

And that’s part of the fun of being part of America’s pastime on radio, whether it’s via streaming, via satellite or good old fashioned terrestrial. Batter up.

Mark Lipsky, President & CEO

How are radio stations working to ensure that their advertisers get results in today’s economy? We spoke with Matt Mills Director of Sales for the WTOP Group in Washington, DC for his perspective.

RDR: How’s business at your radio station/cluster?
Matt Mills: Compared to other stations in our market? Pretty good. Compared to last year? We are pacing just a few points behind. Considering that the business is breaking very late, forward pacing is thrown out the window and I am now focusing on how we finish the month.

RDR: What steps have you taken to be more accountable to advertisers?
MM: We are in this together with them. We know that if our clients are not getting results from WTOP then they won’t continue. So we are rolling up our sleeves and dealing with our clients needs on an individual basis.

RDR: What are you doing to secure your relationships with your key accounts?
MM: Great question. That is one of our most important goals this year. In the past two months, sales managers and Account Managers have gotten out to every “Key” account to reinforce the value of WTOP and to find out how we can help them in 2009. We have tried hard to take an even more proactive approach.

RDR: What are your top account categories?
MM: Each year, our two biggest categories are Automotive and Federal Contractors. (Businesses that sell products and services to the Federal Government…a very big industry in Washington DC). So far, this year is no different. Whereas the Automotive industry is down, that category of advertising is still a big category representing 13% of the billing on the books right now. However, the Federal Contractors category represents 16% of our billing. No other category is higher than 5% of our total billing.

RDR: What are your customers asking for?
MM: Lower rates and/or “more” for the same investment. The “more” they are looking for can be anything from commercials, promotions, web exposure, merchandising, etc…

RDR: What day-parts, programs and/or personalities deliver the best results?
MM: The best results always come from the best creative. Better rated day-parts are priced much higher than lower rated day-parts. So price is very proportional. Considering, as a news station, we don’t do many personality type commercials, it all comes down to the copy and the creative. That is what our most successful clients find is the difference maker.

RDR: How do you keep you sales staff motivated in a positive manner?
MM: For the past two months, I have been highlighting every piece of positive news. For example, we made our January budget. That was cause for well deserved recognition to the entire staff. Through today, we also have as much new business booked as we did the same day last year. This is VERY encouraging. The sales staff is doing a great job and we are highlighting these milestones. In addition, on an individual and group basis, we make sure they realize we are all in this together.

RDR: What’s the single most important practice you preach to your sales staff?
MM: If you are doing things the same way today as you were two years ago, you need to evolve. The industry, the economy, and our competition have all changed. So we need to evolve as well.

Vince Raimondo, Vice President of Marketing

They come. They go. They leave behind a legacy of pop culture in song ranging from “More Today Than Yesterday” to “Macarena.”

Some are wonderful. Some beg to be burned. Here’s our list of One Hit Wonders featuring favorites from the RDR Staff. Just in case you missed them.

COME ON EILEEN by Dexy’s Midnight Runners - A one-hit wonder that lives on forever…at least for me.  Very 80s, when overalls were big, and I still can’t make out most of the lyrics, but I could play it over and over and have.  A huge retro-80s hit that reminds me of dollar pitchers and playing sit-down Mrs. Pac Man and Galaga for beers during its retro return in the 90s.  Aaah, memories.

96 TEARS by Question Mark & the Mysterians - Who were these guys?  They sounded like the Rolling Stones with an organ player. Big in the summer of 1966, 96 Tears is known for its signature organ licks and bare-bones lyrics, and it has been widely-recognized as one of the first garage band hits and has even been given credit for starting the punk rock movement.

SUMMER SUN by Jamestown Massacre - This one-hit wonder band hit the pop charts with a song that many people mistook for Chicago.  Bright happy guitars, punctuated by a peppy horn section dance around lead vocals reminiscent of Chicago keyboardist Robert Lamm.  It’s pure 70s pop dripping with sunshine and carefree head-bopping.  Give a listen!

BARBIE GIRL by Aqua - This song came out, I believe, the summer of 1997; possibly one the best summers of my life and my first summer in the Hamptons. I was driving my first ever convertible that year–a red Chrysler Sebring. I played Barbie Girl on the drive out to Southampton with the top down. I’ll never forget the guy who pulled up next to me on Route 27 and flashed a card that had “10″ on it. For that moment I was Barbie.

JUST A FRIEND by Biz Markie - This is the only successful single for the rapper, reaching #9 on Billboard.  Sampling the 1968 Freddie Scott song “You Got What I Need,” he alternates between rapping and singing out of tune and stays true to his genre of comedic hip-hop.  If you’re expecting a harmonious and moving song, you’re out of luck but I bet you won’t be able to stop yourself from singing along…out of tune.

THE WAY by Fastball - The band released this one breakout hit in 1998 receiving significant radio play. The band, which hails from Austin Texas, were originally called Magneto U.S.A, but changed their name to Fastball after being signed to Hollywood Records.

VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR by The Buggles - The song describes the end and pending death of the radio era overtaken by the new fresh introduction of the Video era.   The song itself was not a chart topper but the song’s video is best remembered for introducing the world to MTV Music Television on August 1, 1981.  It but featured an unknown Geoff Downes who would later go on to fame and fortune as the keyboardist for super group Asia in 1982 and a little known vocalist/bassist who once recorded with Yes (only for 1980’s Drama album) named Trevor Horn.  Horn would later go on to become a much sought after record producer eventually producing albums for Yes (90125) in 1984 as well as Seal’s debut in 1991, Tom Petty and others.

LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) by Climie Fisher - Climie Fisher were a UK pop duo formed by vocalist Simon Climie and former Naked Eyes keyboardist Rob Fisher. Love Changes (Everything) features peppy vocals with a catchy hook. From the “first strange feeling” of young love to finally finding “the one” it’s pure 80s pop. Bonus points: It was the closing song to the 1989 romantic comedy “How I Got Into College” which starred a young Anthony Edwards and an even younger Lara Flynn Boyle. Check out the video.

DAYS GO BY by Dirty Vegas - This song was a big hit in 2002 and went on to be in a commercial for the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The music video, more than the song, was what made this stick with me. Not another peep from them in popular media outlets. The classic electronic/dance one-hit wonder in the same category with Darude for his 1999 hit “Sandstorm”.

They come. They go. They leave behind a legacy of pop culture in song ranging from Seasons in the Sun to She Blinded Me With Science.

Some are wonderful. Some beg to be burned. Here’s our list of One Hit Wonders featuring favorites from the RDR Staff. Just in case you missed them.

MR. JONES by Counting Crows - This little diddy hit the pop charts in early 1994 helping the album, August and Everything After sell four million copies, the highest the band has sold to date. The infectious tune about becoming ‘big stars’ was easy to sing along to because of the chorus’ ’sha la la la la la’.

I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU by Londonbeat -  A 90s one-hit wonder that brings back the good ol’ college days.  Even though it’s total dance music, it seemed sooo deep back in the day.  Could’ve have been the brewskis.

RAPPERS DELIGHT by Sugarhill Gang - More notable for its place in history than for the song itself, it’s the first ever rap song to crack the Top 40. It is also credited as the “first rap song” as it brought rap to mainstream radio. The song uses the instrumental track from “Good Times” by Chic as its foundation. The Sugarhill Gang never again topped the charts, though they had a few minor hits, such as “Apache” and “Eighth Wonder.”

MY EVER CHANGING MOODS by Style Council - This Aussie band was the opening act at Live Aid and had a modest, crossover hit with this uptempo, jazzy track.  I still remember the Program Director at WMGK/Philadelphia calling me into his office and shutting the door to play this song for me when it was released.  We cranked up the volume and sighed, realizing we could never play such a cool, funky track on our sleepy Soft Rock station.

BECAUSE I GOT HIGH by Afroman - I couldn’t go anywhere in 2001 without hearing this song. Mindless to say the least, but I could still probably sing the majority of this song today. Think Cheech and Chong from the hood.

NATIVE NEW YORKER by Odyssey - Though this song came out at height of the Disco era, it was pretty regular on New York radio’s WKTU playlist in the late 1990s. I will never forget driving into Manhattan to sign the lease for my first NYC apartment on a beautiful September afternoon and it came on the radio just as I was turning on to east 83rd Street–the street named in the song. I was sure it was sign from God that being a native New Yorker was my destiny.

DOUBLE SHOT OF MY BABYS LOVE by The Swinging Medallions - When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I was in a garage band in Overbrook, called The Barracudas and this was one of the first songs we learned.  It was also one of the most popular and requested by the kids standing outside of Anthony’s garage on Lebanon Avenue listening to us rehearse in the summer of 1966.  Double Shot was always a fun song to sing.  Apparently Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty think so too, having, many times, brought down the house with their cover versions in concert.

MICKEY by Toni Basil - Known primarily for her stage choreography for Broadway shows, Toni Basil will forever be associated with the cheesiest of cheese from the 1980s.  This benchmark 80s song and video with the monster hook was all over MTV is remembered most for the peculiar cheerleaders, no one really knew for sure whether they were a mix of men and women all dressed as women or truly all female cheerleaders.  The song spent several weeks at #1 in 1982.

HOW DO YOU TALK TO AN ANGEL by The Heights - This was the theme song for the early 90s (and naturally, Aaron Spelling-produced) TV series called The Heights.  The show was about - you guessed it - a band called The Heights.  Jamie Walters played the lead singer of the fictitious band and recorded the “How Do You Talk to an Angel” for the show.  Only 13 episodes aired and this song hit #1 on the Billboard charts one week after the show was cancelled.

(Part Two of One Hit Wonders will appear on Monday, April 13th.)

Stop! Don’t do it! Do NOT use the same generic phone number from your print and direct mail ads on radio.

It will cost you money.

Sure, who wouldn’t want 1-800-FLOWERS as a perfectly branded, perfectly memorable phone number. But let’s not kid ourselves, 1-800-COOKIES and 1-800-CAR-LOAN have long since been spoken for. So now what?

Search online. There are a number of online tools to will help you find “radio friendly” phone numbers that WILL improve your response rate and your top line sales.

Search by words or numbers. Outsmart the system. If you’re a Ford dealer, look for numbers that end in Ford (888-525-FORD) and numbers that start with Ford (888-FORD-525). Dangle a letter off the end (888-50-50-FORD) or add a word to try a new set of numbers (888-DRIVE-FORD).

Picture yourself behind the wheel, driving to work. A radio commercial tells you to dial 888-374-8673. The next one tells you to dial 888-DRIVE-FORD. Same number. Except one will get remembered and one will not.

Here at RDR, we’ve seen radio campaigns saved by a simple switch to a listener-friendly phone number. 800 numbers are best, but rare and hard to come by. 888 numbers are your best chance to find a good, memorable phone number. 877 and 866 should be avoided, unless you can find an awesome seven numbers or letters to follow.

We also have a time-sensitive bias against 877 numbers, as the number seven, when spoken, is the only two-syllable integer (seh-ven) in the family from one to nine. And those syllables add up when you’re touting a number four times and robbing yourself of three seconds of air time just to say “seh-ven.”

But don’t take my word for it. Search, find and secure one GOOD toll-free number and strip it into your current radio commercial. Change nothing else. Not the copy, nor the announcer, nor the production values. Run the new spot for at least two weeks and compare and contrast the results.

Unlike mail or print, you just can’t rip and save the call-to-action phone number on radio. You can only make it simple enough to remember and dial or jot down for future use.

So keep it simple. And radio-friendly.

Mark Lipsky, President & CEO

Radio promotions are the perfect marketing tool because you can create a concept around any anniversary or “special day” and somehow tie it back to your product or brand. As long as it targets the radio station’s demographic, it can be up and running in a matter of weeks.

How would you celebrate Prince’s birthday on June 7^th? Create a one-week Prince trivia contest where the daily prizes are a gift certificate to shop online or in-store for your newest product. Or, if you’re a bank, a destination in the Caribbean or even a casino, simply give people $1,999 so they can “party like it’s 1999” on YOU at your place. After all, it doesn’t matter what year it is, it’s all about the prize.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen turn 23 on June 13^th. Create a twins or pairs promotion where you give away two of your product or pairs of tickets to a show, baseball game or concert. Maybe you can offer a trip to Los Angeles or New York to party all night long like the Olsen’s are known to do, all courtesy of your brand.

June 23^rd is “Let It Go” day. Have radio stations ask listeners to call in and vent about something and then promise to forget about it. In return, you reward them with your product or service.

There are many other anniversaries in June that you can use as an excuse to promote your brand. Here are a few. Call us for even more suggestions.

• June 7^th - National Headache Awareness Week
• June 11^th - Superman Celebration Weekend
• June 14^th - Family History Day
• June 15^th - Meet A Mate Week (I didn’t make this one up)
• June 20^th - Jaws Film Release Anniversary and Lionel Richie Turns 60
• June 21^st - Father’s Day
• June 25^th - Carly Simon Turns 64
• June 26^th - Take Your Dog To Work Day

Barbra Tabnick, Senior Account Manager