Welcome to “AdTips” This is where we share thoughts about all kinds of creative and advertising issues, peeves, things to do, and things not to do. We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions.
Just e-mail us at adtips@creative-com.com. We’ll do our best to answer.

Today, we’re going to dissect our little piece of artwork and discuss some of the attitudes it represents.

First, the one we’ve heard most often, ”I TRIED RADIO BUT IT DIDN’T WORK…”

This line is usually shouted loudly from the back of a store at some poor defenseless young radio rep, or said firmly but authoritatively from behind a desk in some advertising manager’s office. Either way, it is certain to invoke an interesting response from the radio rep, ranging from a nifty little tap dance segment performed without musical accompaniment, to a complete physical and/or mental breakdown in which either bodily fluids are released or the radio rep ends up curling into fetal position under the nearest table, sucking his or her thumb until closing time.

Not a real good scene.

Whether you’re a radio rep listening to this blast or you’re the one creating this big blast, do this:
Listen to any radio station on the dial. Every one of them has stuff on it that someone paid to have broadcast. Most stations have dozens of advertisers spending their hard-earned money. In fact, billions of dollars are spent on radio advertising each year. Now, either those advertisers are idiots; accustomed to throwing away large sums of money week after week, month after month, year after year, or their advertising is working for them. Okay, it’s working for them but it didn’t for you? Huh? Well, how come is that?

In the AdTips that follow, we’ll look at some of the reasons that your radio advertising didn’t work. And we’ll share the “3 Really Simple Secrets of Really Successful Radio Advertisers” ©.

Stay tuned.