Radio Advertising Research

WIKIPEDIA :

THE FIRST RADIO ADVERT :

The first radio broadcasts aired in the early 1900’s. However, it wasn’t until 1919 that radio stations began to broadcast continuously, similar to what we know today. In the United States, on November 2, 1920, KDKA aired the first commercial broadcast. As more stations began operating on a continuous basis, station owners were increasingly faced with the issue of how to maintain their stations financially, because operating a radio station was a significant expense.

In February 1922, AT&T announced they would begin selling “toll broadcasting” to advertisers, in which businesses would underwrite or finance a broadcast, in exchange for being mentioned on the radio. WEAF of New York is credited with airing the first paid radio commercial, on August 28, 1922, for the Queensboro Corporation, advertising an apartment complex. However, it appears other radio stations may actually have sold advertising before WEAF. As early as May 1920, an amateur radio broadcaster leased out his “station” in exchange for $35 per week for twice-weekly broadcasts. And, in Seattle, Washington, Remick’s Music Store purchased a large ad in the local newspaper advertising radio station KFC, in exchange for sponsorship of a weekly program, in March 1922. Additionally, on April 4, 1922, a car dealer, Alvin T. Fuller, purchased time on WGI of Medford Hillside, Massachusetts, in exchanges for mentions. So, although WEAF is credited with the first advertisement, it appears other radio stations ran advertisements prior to August 1922.

During radio’s Golden Age, advertisers sponsored entire programs, usually with some sort of message like “We thank our sponsors for making this program possible”, airing at the beginning or end of a program. While radio had the obvious limitation of being restricted to sound, as the industry developed, large stations began to experiment with different formats. The “visual” portion of the broadcast was supplied by the listener’s boundless imagination. Comedian and voice actor Stan Freberg demonstrated this point on his radio show in 1957, using sound effects to dramatize the towing of a 10-ton maraschino cherry by theRoyal Canadian Air Force, who dropped it onto a 700-ft. mountain of whipped cream floating in hot-chocolate filled Lake Michigan, to the cheering of 25,000 extras. The bit was later used by the USA's Radio Advertising Bureau to promote radio commercials.

The radio industry has changed significantly since that first broadcast in 1920, and radio is big business today. Although other media and new technologies now place more demands on consumer’s time, 95% of people still listen to the radio every week. Internet radio listening is also growing, with 13 percent of the U.S. population listening via this method. Although consumers have more choices today, 92 percent of listeners stay tuned in when commercials break into their programming.

FORMATS :

In terms of commercial content, some ads include a call to action, designed to elicit a response within a specified time period. A call-to-action allows an advertiser to measure and track listener’s response to their radio schedule. Examples of direct response advertising include asking listeners to call a certain business or phone number, log onto the business’ website or come by a certain location by a certain time. The more typical radio advertisement is the general ad that’s designed to let the listener know about a good, service, promotion or event.

EFFICACY :

More than eight out of ten Americans feel listening to commercials in exchange for free radio is a “fair deal”. Thus, radio advertising can be an effective, low-cost medium through which a business can reach their target consumer. Studies show that radio ads create emotional reactions in listeners. In turn, consumers perceive the ads as more relevant to them personally, which can lead to increased market awareness and sales for businesses running ad schedules. Twenty-five percent of listeners say they’re more interested in a product or business when they hear about it on their preferred station.

NSPCC Cartoon - Close Analysis

This is another example of a child abuse advert which uses the idea of having a cartoon representing the child in focus. This technique was designed to add comedy to the advert to get the audiences attention and also reach to children. However, as the advert develops, the seriousness of the issue raised becomes clear and the comical tone of the advert becomes more serious as the viewer realises that it is not meant to be funny as these are real life scenarios that happen on a day to day basis. At the end of the advert, the cartoon boy turns into a real boy and is left at the end of the stairs filmed from a high angle to show the weakness of the child and how vulnerable and helpless he actually is. The fact that his abuser is still at the top of the stairs and looking down at the child connotes that the has power over the child and the child is inferior to him. 

Taken from - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/jun/06/advertising.society

A gut-wrenching NSPCC commercial showing a cartoon boy being violently attacked by his father has escaped a TV ban despite receiving 127 complaints.

The independent television commission has decided not to uphold complaints, including 12 from victims of child abuse, which claimed the ad was upsetting, shocking and had "overstepped the mark".

In its latest quarterly report on TV advertising complaints, the ITC described the ad, made by Saatchi & Saatchi, as "extremely hard hitting".

In the film, a cartoon character bounces back from his father's attacks. But when he is thrown down the stairs, the body of a real boy lies in his place. The endline reads: "Real children don't bounce back."

But the ITC agreed with the NSPCC's defence that the imagery was "an effective means of communicating the seriousness of the issue and moving people to take action if they were concerned about a child".

Five viewers said the ad suggested only men abuse children and several other viewers said that, while raising awareness of child abuse was important, they felt the film's treatment of the issue had overstepped the mark.

Although it acknowleged the ad was more hard-hitting than any of the NSPCC's previous campaigns, the ITC acknowledged the charity had "taken a great deal of care" to minimise distress in its film, which was only shown after the 9pm watershed.

The NSPCC and the ITC sympathised with viewers who found the ad upsetting - particularly those with personal experience of abuse - but felt that it was justified.

Keira Knightley Domestic Violence Banned Advert - Close Analysis

This is an example of a domestic violence advert from the Woman's Aid campaign. The images shown were too graphic to be shown on TV so it was banned. The advert shows the life of a normal woman and how she is beaten by her partner when she gets home. From the start of the advert there are no signs of violence which are yet to be shown which creates suspense and shock amongst the audience. Midway through the advert as she pulls up to her house a siluet of  man standing in a window watching her is shot from a low angle to emphasise his power and strength over her. He looks like a dark mysterious figure, this adds a sense of fear amongst the viewer and we are then shown a close up of her facial expression which is shot from a high angle to reinforce the power he has over her, watching her. Broken glass and blood are shown in the flat indicating danger and the tone of the female protagonists voice changes to a more scared tone along with her facial expressions which show fear in her. Throughout the conversation between her and her partner, the camera is fixed behind the shoulder of the man focussing on the females facial expressions and reactions making her the focus of the advert. Towards the end of the advert, the camera tracks backwards showing that they are on a set that is empty. The lighting used is dark around the set making the focus on the woman being beaten. The fact that they are on a set means it is not real however the empty set denotes that they are alone and she cannot call for help. 

"Advertising censors have branded an anti-domestic violence advert starring Keira Knightley too shocking for TV, and are refusing to allow it to be broadcast unless key scenes are cut.

The gripping ad shows the actress returning home from a film set, where she is confronted by a violent boyfriend who accuses her of having an affair with a co-star, before launching into a vicious attack. The disturbing footage ends with Knightley left sprawled on the floor, being repeatedly kicked." - Taken from -

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/too-violent-knightley-advert-banned-from-tv-1674393.html


Taken from - http://news.softpedia.com/news/Keira-Knightley-s-Anti-Domestic-Violence-Ad-Banned-from-TV-110255.shtml


Directed by John Wright, the advert was something that Keira did voluntarily for the Women’s Aid organization, to raise awareness on the fact that as many as two women die every week from injuries sustained at the hands of their partners. Because of this, she too felt that the ad needed to be as close to real as possible, meaning, to show her lying on the floor, trying to protect herself from being kicked in the stomach by her onscreen boyfriend. 

As it happens, it was precisely this scene that bothered Ofcom, as well as the one in which the boyfriend slapped Keira so hard she hit the floor. What’s more disturbing, the media watchdog says, is that, as the camera pans out, the viewer has more than enough time to take the scene in – with Keira on the floor, being brutally kicked in the abdomen. Should Women’s Aid and the advertising agency Grey London agree to take out the most violent scenes, then perhaps the ad would stand a chance of getting air time on British television, it has been hinted. 

Nevertheless, that would mean compromising and not sending the message across, a spokesperson from Grey London Advertising Agency tells the aforementioned publication. The entire ad is about violence against women, and taking the violence out of it would make the entire campaign redundant. Moreover, the idea behind the campaign was to create controversy and, in this sense, it has more than done its job, especially now that the ad has been banned. 

“The reason we are still in conversation with Clearcast about it is because it is too violent. Part of the campaign is to raise awareness about domestic violence, and spark debate, which the advert has done, even if it doesn’t make it on television.” Chris Hirst, managing director of the agency behind “The Cut,” says. The ad continues to be available online, both on the official website of Women’s Aid and on countless other outlets.

NSPCC Child's Voice Appeal TV advert - Close Analysis

This is an example of a child abuse advert which i am going to use to research what to use in my advert. This advert is an example of child abuse produced by the NSPCC, a foundation which focuses of helping children at rick of child abuse. The message being put accross in the advert is that children go unheard and that they are too scared to speak out for help. This advert is targeted at adults, more specifically parents of children to raise awareness that their children may have issues which they are too scared to speak up about. The advert consists of shots of children on their own that have been abused and how they meet up with adults at the end but stay quiet. The overall message is that they are too afraid to ask for help so it informs parents or guardians to speak to their children as they are too afraid to make the first step themselves.

Television Commercials: Codes and Conventions

From : http://www.saskschools.ca/~ischool/media20/unit_4/tvcodes.htm


A.  Categories:
The basic categories of TV commercials are:

1. Mini-dramas:  In TV, this kind of commercial is a full-range 30-60 second drama that presents characters, conflict, and resolution at breakneck speed.  When done for national agencies, these commercials are at the very top of production lavishness and can be incredibly expensive.  The "ring around the collar" commercial is a good example of the compression of all the elements of drama into a short space.  The wife's peace is shattered by the embarrassment of being discovered with a husband suffering from "those dirty rings".  This develops characterization and conflict.  The wife is undecided.  She needs to find the right detergent.   At this point, the proper detergent is introduced.  The rings disappear in the resolution, and the husband and wife continue their trouble-free life.
2. Spokesperson Presentation:  This type of commercial often involves a celebrity using his or her actual identity, or it can be an implied identity, using someone who is recognizable as a character, but not necessarily himself.  The spokesperson needs to have an authoritative presence, and an honest, convincing delivery.
3. Pitch Presentation:  This type of commercial resembles the old days of television when the "pitchman" would deliver a message about a product.  The difference between a pitchman and a spokesperson is that the former is neither a celebrity or a known character.  The product is of prime importance and the pitchman simply supplies the information.
4. Voice-Over:  Many commercials use a voice-over.  The performer who reads the copy is not seen in a voice-over commercial.  Rather, the performer's voice is heard as a major component of the sound track.

B.  Length:
Originally commercials  were 60 seconds in length.   However, sponsors were using the commercials to tie-in products.  This means that they were actually advertising two or more products under the guise of one advert.  To eliminate this, ads were shortened. Most modern commercials are 30 seconds in length, but more recently the 15-second ad was developed.  When creating a commercial, the time element has to be exact.
The 15 has a format of its own.  The approach is minimalist:  uncluttered sets, few people, and a static camera technique.  The internal pacing of the 15 is slowed down from the 30.
C.  Compression of Story Line
D.  Brand/Product Identification:
The brand/product must be visible in the commercial.  Generally speaking the product is identified very early in the ad or at the very end of the ad as a surprise tactic.
D.  Techno-Effects:
camera angles, camera shots, music, audio, visual, voice-over, special effects
E.  Commercials as an Art Form:

So much creative process goes into the making, directing, and shooting of commercials that many people consider commercials as an art form.  Awards have been given to commercials for the following categories:

art direction music acting

story set design animation

costumes technical

choreography special effects

The above categories emphasize the many codes and conventions of advertisements, as well as, the decisions to be made about advertising constructions.
Once upon a time, television viewers zapped through commercials, but now, a whole new brand of television viewer exists.  Many people actually watch commercials for entertainment value. Whether it be the choreography, the special effects, the story line, or the humor, some viewers have become quite enchanted with commercials.    Some commercials have become so popular that certain lines have become a part of everyday vocabulary.  Some examples would include:  Wendy's, "Where's the beef", or Budweiser's "Wazzzup!". 

Research : The first TV advert

WIKIPEDIA:


The first television advertisement was broadcast in the United States on July 1, 1941. The watchmaker Bulova paid $9 for a placement on New York station WNBT before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. The 20-second spot displayed a picture of a clock superimposed on a map of the United States, accompanied by the voice-over "America runs on Bulova time." The first TV ad broadcast in the UK was on ITV on 21 September 1955, advertising Gibbs SR toothpaste. The first TV Ad broadcast in the Philippines was on ABS-CBN in 1960, advertising Tide detergent powder. Until the early 1990s, advertising on television had only been affordable for large companies willing to make a significant investment, but the advent of desktop video allowed many small and local businesses to produce television ads for airing on local cable TV services.

From : http://www.turnipnet.com/whirligig/tv/adverts/commercials.htm

The first commercial shown on TV in Britain was for Gibbs S R Toothpaste and was transmitted at 8.12 pm on Sept 22 1955 during a variety show hosted by Jack Jackson.

Viewers saw a tube of toothpaste embedded in a block of ice and a woman called Meg Smith brushing her teeth in the approved manner, "up and down and round the gums". The immaculate tones of Alex Macintosh delivered the newly-minted slogan: "It's tingling fresh. It's fresh as ice. It's Gibbs SR toothpaste."

The commercial owed its prime placing to chance. The Gibbs advertisement had come first in a lottery drawn with 23 other advertisements, including those for Guinness, Surf, National Benzole, Brown & Polson Custard and Summer County Margarine.

Things To Research

 - Whether advertising works or not - Theories on how it functions
 - Is TV advertising dying out? - it is the most powerful form , a growing industry - web product placement
 - It does work - people have a misconception - establishing brand - ChildLine
 - How an advert is put together from brief to advert going out
 - Sponsorship sequences and how they work
 - Radio adverts - how you use sound
 - Advertising agencies
 - How you have created synergy throughout your advert
 - Restrictions - understand what you can and cant do
 - Concept of consumption - reception theory
 - Prime time or niche - where are they going to feature
 - Who they are made for and where they end up
 - Audience and market research 
    - Interests and hobbies, ideological things - not so much demographics
    - Qualitative questions - to find out more about audience 
    - How you have met the needs of your target audience

Advertising Research from ' Oligy On Advertising'

TIPS :

• Brand Identification

Research has demonstrated that a shocking percentage of viewers remember your commercial, but forget the name of your product. All too often they attribute your commercial to a competing brand.

Many copywriters think it crass to belabor the name of the product. However, for the benefit of those who are more interested in selling than entertaining, here are two ways to register your brand name :

 - use the name within the first 10 seconds. 

 - play games with the name - spell it

When you advertise a new product, you have to teach people its name on television.

• Close Ups

It is a good thing to use close ups when your product is the hero of your commercial. The closer you get on the candy bar, the more you make peoples mouths water.

• Open With Fire

You have only 30 seconds. If you grab attention in the first frame with a visual surprise, you stand a better chance of holding the viewer.

people screen out a lot of commercials because they open with something dull. You know that great things are about to happen, but the viewer doesn't. 

• Sound Effects

While music does not add to the selling power of commercials, sound effects - such as sausages sizzling on a frying pan can make a positive difference. 

• Voice-Over or On Camera ?

Research shows that it is more difficult to hold your audience if you use voice-over. It is better to have the actors talk on camera.

Advertising Research from 'The Advertising Handbook'

For many years, creatives have worked to a behavioural model known as AIDA: Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action. The purpose of advertising in this model is to raise awareness, then stimulate interest which would lead to desire and eventually action. 

Raising Awareness

Advertisements have to compete with other advertisers in the media, often with editorial, and with the resistance of consumers. Because of this, creatives see the most important job as grabbing the consumers attention. Some creatives assume that because interests and social life are so heavily gendered you can most easily raise the attention of women through using animals, royalty, weddings, babies fashion and astrology; to get through to a man you use sport, sex, politics, wars and disasters. This is often done by involving readers in the ad, or shocking them to take notice. To do this advertisers use similar communications values to news journalists. News is an extremely powerful discourse in advertising. 

Fear, Guilt and Insecurities

Some ads play on anxieties - problems with spots, keeping your boyfriend or girlfriend, fears about career failure, not fitting in, loss of respect, esteem and status, loss of faith, loss of material wealth - and then come in to rescue them through the brand. At the turn of the nineteenth century, advertisers increasingly began to focus on guilt and fear of low social esteem. Magazines and periodicals increasingly acted as coping mechanisms providing advice and information for people who no longer had the social networks to give them help.