Audience Feedback - My Radio Advertisement

Now that I have finished my radio advertisement I have asked 10 teenage girls between the ages of 13-17 for their feedback on my radio advertisement, below are a list of comments that they have put forward.

“I really like the way that this radio advert is done, I like that its someone using a personal story, it makes me want to buy the magazine more” – Sarah age 14

“Although it is poor quality the message given is one that people would instantly pay attention to, it’s a really good idea doing it this way” – Lola age 13

“By not having a jingle or music it makes the advert sound more serious, therefore gaining more attention from the audience” – Marissa age 16

“The advert sounds quite bland, some music or jingles would make it cheerier” – Pippa age 17

“This advert is really hard hitting, someone sharing personal story and how the magazine helped them through a difficult time is really uplifting to hear, it will encourage others in similar situations to purchase the magazine” – Lucy age 15

“The advert sounds good, I like how the speaks tone changes from sad to happy when talking about the magazine, it makes it more real” – Ellie age 13

“This radio advertisement is really effective in the way the speaker is telling a story, I’m glad that there isn’t any music because I think that that would ruin it” – Samantha age 17

“This advert is effective because it tells teenage girls that they are not alone when suffering from anxiety etc, I think this is a really good and positive topic to do because no one else has done it yet which makes it stand out from other radio adverts” – Jess age 14

“This is a good advert but I think it needs livening up a bit, some music would help with that, but still even without the music I think that this is a really good advert” – Kate age 13

“I think that this radio advert is a really good way of advertising the final product because it explains what the magazine can do for people therefore explaining why they should buy it, I think that the way it is told in a story is really effective as well because it lets others know they are not alone” – Amanda age 16

I am reasonably happy with the feedback from my target audience, they seemed to like my radio advertisement, a lot of people commented on how it was a good idea to tell the story of someone therefore my target audience can relate to it, this is exactly why I have don’t my advertisement this way and I am happy that my audience understood that, the only areas for improvement was to add some music or a jingle, however the reason that I never did this in  the first place was so that it didn’t distract away from the meaning and what was being said.

To gather more information about what my target audience think of my radio advertisement I have asked the following three questions. I have presented the responses to these questions in a pie chart so that the information is clear and easy to translate.

 

I am reasonably happy with the answers to these questions, they are positive as the majority have gone with the product being good as it is, 80% said they would by the magazine after hearing the advertisement which is exactly the purpose of why I have done a radio advertisement. Also the majority agreed that a jingle wouldn’t be best for the advertisement

 

My Radio Advertisement Evaluation

My finished radio advertisement turned out to be 35 seconds long, a little longer than I hoped for, and the quality is very poor because I had no access to equipment so it had to be recorded by placing my thumb over the webcam and recording it on my laptop.

However the message given I was very happy with. I decided to tell the story of a young girl named Jenny, who is 17 years old suffering from anxiety who read Teen Unique magazine and it gave her that confidence boost that she needed. This way I think my target audience will be able to relate to the situation also through the use of a female voice, and therefore be more inclined to purchase my final product. The tone of voice from the speaker also changes from a sad tone when talking about her anxiety, to a happier tone when talking about the magazine, therefore encouraging the audience to buy this as the change in tone reflects her change on confidence.

In my advertisement I have managed to explain what the purpose of the magazine is, why people should buy it, and when it is available for purchase, the only thing that I forgot to include was the price.

Through my radio advertising research I discovered all of the things that I should and shouldn’t include, which really helped me when planning my advertisement, from listening the More! Magazine radio advertisement it gave me the idea of having one speaker throughout my advertisement.

I hope through my radio advertisement I have captured the true purpose behind my magazine, reinstalling confidence in those who need it.

My Radio Advertisement

This is my finalised radio advertisement, unfortunately it is poor quality due to lack of equipment it had to be recorded on my laptop so the sound is not perfect. However I am happy with the message it gives.

Third and Final Draft for my Radio Advertisement

“Hello I’m Jenny, I’m 17 years old and suffer from anxiety. It started off gradually I suppose, I’m a little larger than the rest of my friends, and I hated going out because I hated the way that I looked and eventually became dependant on staying indoors. Then my mum bought my Teen Unique magazine, it taught me all about being comfortable in my own skin and being happy by accepting who I am, so now I’m going to a party with my friends next weekend and I can’t wait! Slowly but surely I’m gaining my confidence back thanks to Teen Unique Magazine.
 Teen unique available March 20^th in all major retailers and off licences.”

This is the third and final draft of the speech for my radio advertisement. The length is 33seconds.

Second Draft for my Radio Advertisement

“Hello I’m Jenny, I’m 17 years old and suffer from anxiety. It started off gradually I suppose, I’m a little larger than the rest of my friends,  and I hated going out in large groups of people, where I knew I was going to bump into someone, I hated the way that I looked and eventually became dependant on staying indoors. Then my mum bought my Teen Unique magazine, it taught me all about being comfortable in my own skin and being happy by accepting who I am, so now I’m going to a party with my friends next weekend and I can’t wait! Slowly but surely I’m gaining my confidence back thanks to Teen Unique. Teen unique available March 20^th in all major retailers and off licences.”

This is the second draft of the speech for my radio advertisement. The length is 34 seconds.

First Draft for my Radio Advertisement

“Hello my name is jenny, I’m 17 years old and suffer with anxiety. At first I didn’t realise what was going on, it started gradually, I’m a little larger than the rest of my friends, hated going out in large groups of people, to somewhere where I knew I was going to bump into someone I knew, I hated the way that I looked and eventually became dependant on staying indoors. Then my mum bought my Teen Unique magazine, it taught me all about being comfortable in my own skin and being happy by accepting who I am, so now I’m going to a party with my friends next weekend and I can’t wait! Slowly but surely I’m gaining my confidence back thanks to Teen Unique.
Teen unique out March 20^th, available in all major retailers and off licences.”

This is the first draft of the speech for my radio advertisement. The length is 41 seconds.

Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton has become a source of inspiration to millions through her story of faith, determination, and hope. Born into a family of surfers on February 8, 1990, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, Bethany began surfing at a young age. At the age of eight, Bethany entered her first surf competition, where she won both the short and long board divisions. This sparked a love for surf competition within her spirit. At the age of thirteen, on October 31, 2003, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore. The attack left Bethany with a severed left arm. After losing over 60% of her blood, and making it through several surgeries without infection, Bethany was on her way to recovery with an unbelievably positive attitude. Lifeguards and doctors believe her strong water sense and faith in God helped get her through the traumatic ordeal.

Miraculously, just one month after the attack, Bethany returned to the water to continue pursuing her goal to become a professional surfer. In January of 2004, Bethany made her return to surf competition; placing 5th in the Open Women’s division of that contest. With no intention of stopping, Bethany continued to enter and excel in competition. Just over a year after the attack she took 1st place in the Explorer Women’s division of the 2005 NSSA National Championships – winning her first National Title. In 2007, Bethany realized her dream and turned pro. Bethany has since participated in numerous ASP and World Tour Events with a major highlight being a second place finish in the ASP 2009 World Junior Championships.

Since losing her arm, Bethany’s story has been told in hundreds of media outlets and she has been recognized with numerous awards, public appearances, and various speaking engagements. In October 2004, Bethany shared her life story in her autobiography entitled Soul Surfer. Seven years later, the book was made into a film bearing the same title which released in 2011. Further, Bethany was the inspiration behind Becky Baumgartner’s 2007 documentary entitled Heart of a Soul Surfer.

Out of the water, Bethany has grown from a young teenage girl with aspirations of becoming a professional surfer into a twenty-three-year old professional surfer with aspirations of becoming a beacon of inspiration and hope. Through the platform of professional sport, Bethany has been able to touch a large number of people with her message, charitable efforts, and overall spirit. Bethany is involved in numerous charitable efforts, including her own foundation, Friends of Bethany, which supports shark attack survivors, amputees, and serves to inspire others through her life story.

Bethany is a true inspiration for girls with disabilities, the determination and struggle has bought confidence to girls with similar disabilities and reinstate the thought that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. This is the same genre of reinstating confidence that I want to portray in my magazine.

 

The Use of a Celebrity Voice

By using the voice of a female celebrity will automatically grab attention for my radio advert and with their involvement with the magazine will encourage my target audience to buy it. They could perhaps speaking of an experience that they have gone through that is relatable to my target audience such as:

·         Lack of confidence

·         An eating disorder

·         Low self-esteem

·         Anxiety

·         Depression

Then they could go on to talk about how they have overcome this experience, and how they wished that they had a magazine similar to this to help them get through and let them know that they are not alone.

However I do not know a celebrity so perhaps a soothing calming female voice instead.

The Four W’s – Why, What, Where and When

Using the four W’s in my radio advertisement lets my target audience know why they should buy the magazine, what it is about, and where they can buy it from.

Why – you should buy this magazine because it will hopefully give you that extra boost in self confidence that you need.

What – the sole purpose of the magazine is to show girls that everyone is unique, no one is the same, and you should embrace yourself and your personality and accept yourself for who you are, you shouldn’t feel pressured by society to act and look a certain way, so just be yourself.

Where and When – you will be able to purchase this magazine from all major retailers and off-licences from March 2014

The use of Rhetorical Questions

By using rhetorical questions I believe that I can successfully engage my target audience, these questions will be aimed at them so that the audience feels as though it is targeted to them independently, this way you create a type of relationship with the audience as it will make them feel important and wanted, therefore they will buy the magazine.

Possible questions:

·         Do you feel pressured by society to look and act a certain way?

·         Do you want to stay inside and hide away?

·         Do you feel accepted by society for who you are?

·         Are skinny and unhealthy models your idea of perfection?

·         Are you constantly feeling down about the way that you look?

·         Do you ever just want to scream at the world for no reason?

·         Do you need that extra boost in confidence?

·         Do you feel that there is no point in you getting out of bed in the morning?

·         Will you leave the comfort of your house with no make-up on?

What to Include in my Radio Advertisment

Below is a list I have made of things that my radio advertisement should include, this way I am able to check that I have included everything I planned to so that my radio advertisement reaches its best potential.

·         Time length – 30 seconds

·         Rhetorical questions to engage the audience

·         Strong opening

·         Date of release

·         Name of magazine

·         Price

·         Where it can be purchased

·         Website

·         Catchy and memorable hook line

·         Why they should buy the magazine

·         What the magazine is about

Planning my Radio Advertisement

Whilst researching radio advertisement I looked at the 5 do’s and don’ts, one of the main things I discovered was the best way to a successful radio advertisement was to plan.

By planning it gives me the opportunity to write various speeches for my advertisement, and change them if required.  I also have the opportunity to gather feedback on them and see what it is exactly my target audience want to hear.

Radio Advertisement Research Evaluation

The research that I have conducted into radio advertisement has shown me the best way to create and plan my radio advertisement. I have looked into the history of radio advertisement to see how long radio adverts have been around for and to see if they are still an effective way of advertising my product. I have decided that as many teenage girls usually listen to the radio in the morning and when they get home from school the best time slot for my advertisement should be between 6 and 8.30am and then between 4 and 8pm, therefore the advertisement will not be played during the week when my target audience are at school or college where they would have less chance of hearing it.

Through my research of radio advertisement I have found out that my advert should be around 30 seconds long and as the jig saw study has shown it is more likely to be remembered with it being this length. My advert should speak directly to my audience and even their parents in case they object to their daughters reading my final product. I want to grab my target audience attention through the use of voice, I most probably will not use a jingle as sometimes it can sound tacky which would put my target audience off the idea of my magazine.

Looking at the 5 do’s and don’ts of radio advertising has made it clear what not to include in my advert, for example, I don’t want to over complicate my advert and give information that is not needed about my product however I do want to present a professional image by giving the right information about my magazine.

Now that I have finished my research I am ready to start planning and creating a radio advertisement of my own for my teen magazine.

More! Magazine Radio Advertisement

This is a radio advertisement for More! Magazine that I found on YouTube, as I am also advertising a magazine I thought it would be a really good insight to see how other publications have advertised theirs through radio.

The advert is around 30 seconds long, the average length of a radio advert, and consists of two women having a conversation about a work party with one stressing out over what to wear, the other suggests she tries out this new nail polish that she got free with More! Magazine, hence the advertisement was using the freebie to promote the magazine.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah was born in rural Mississippi in a small low-income family where she had a troubled childhood of rape, abuse, child pregnancy and tragedy. Through sheer grit and determination she overcame all odds, fighting her way through school and college to end up with a career in communication. Her talk show, the Oprah Winfrey show is possibly the most popular in the world and it is all due to her honest personality, straightforward style and general likability.

 

Oprah has overcome the odds and become a woman that a lot of women look up to and aspire to, therefore her story from hell to fame is the confidence young girls who have suffered similarly that things do get better, which is exactly the message I want my magazine to portray.

Tesco Radio Advert

This is a radio advertisement for Tesco supermarket advertising their price drop. They have used the famous voices of Chris Clarkson and Julie Walters to attract attention. The advertisement has no jingle but the slogan “Every Little Helps” is well known regionally. The speed that Chris Clarkson was talking was unusually fast for a radio advertisement and was difficult to understand throughout, however this was effective because it emphasized the fact that lots of items have been reduced. The advertisement was 24 seconds long, which is the average length of a radio advertisement.

The 5 Do's of Radio Advertising

1. Plan your marketing activities. Remember that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Planning is essential for your product to be successful, it is also good to do tests on members of the public to see what they prefer, as it will be them listening to it at the end of the day.

2. Take pride in your Product/Service and make sure that your marketing activities always reflect them in the best light. Identify what is special about them and stress what makes them different from your competitors. This way you will be able to persuade customers that yours is best.

3. Present a professional image. Customers need to trust your business and have confidence in your Product/Service. Also, always remember that Customer Care is not a cost to your business, it is the most undervalued asset. The more customers feel valued the more likely they are to give you a good review to their friends and family, essentially generating more business.

4. Know your market. Ask your customers what they think of both your Product/Service and your company. Ask how you might enhance their buying experience. Asking costs nothing.

5. Experiment in your marketing activity. In the case of Radio Advertising, vary the message by using different wording and approaches (humour/shock/comforting) - you’ll never know if something works or not until you try it.

The 5 Don't's of Radio Advertising

1. Never copy the type of marketing carried out by competitors. Nobody likes copy-cats, especially consumers and your product will always look a poor second – be original and make your product/service unique.

2. Never overcomplicate your message. Keep it simple –don’t say in 100 words what you can say just as well in 50. At the same time be careful not to oversimplify and insult your customers by treating them like idiots.

3. Never over-exaggerate your Product/Service. It is important that you set your customers’ expectations and then also meet them, if your customer is to feel satisfied, otherwise it will generate bad publicity for your product.

4. Never talk about what your Product/Service can do – talk about what it can do for the customer. How can it make life better for them? People buy benefits not features, your product is more likely to be a success this way.

5. Never think that a good marketing strategy can sell a poor Product/Service. If what you are advertising is rubbish then all the marketing strategies in the world wont save it.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore shot to fame as the little girl in E.T. and shortly after experienced a number of personal setbacks with drugs and alcohol in her early teens. Unlike most others with her background, she overcame all her personal problems to emerge as a top-notch film star, director and producer, greatly respected in the film fraternity.

The number of teenage girls doing drugs and drinking alcohol is rising rapidly with many becoming addicted and seeing no life worth living past the addiction, Drew is the shining example young girls in this or similar situations need, a glimmer of hope that the sober life is much better than the path they are taking, I hope by publishing an article such as this it will reach out to my selected target audience.

Jingles

A jingle is a short tune used in radio advertising so that the tune becomes instantly recognizable to the audience and they are more likely to remember it. Jingles that are most effective and the ones that the audience will find most annoying as they are more likely to remember them and tell people about them, therefore advertising the product through word of mouth. A jingle contains one or more hook and are a form of sound branding.

Time Slots

The best way to reach your target audience is by making sure your radio advertisement is played at the right time during the day for them to hear it, otherwise if they don't hear the advertisement then the whole point of it is a waste of time and resources.

For example, my target audience are teenage girls so Monday – Friday they will be at school from around 8.30am to around 4pm, so the best time slot for my advertisement should be between 6am-8.30am whilst they are getting ready for school, and from around 4.30pm-8pm when they are at home from school and studying. On the weekends however it wouldn’t matter what time the radio advertisement was played.

The Jigsaw Study

In 1994 Bournemouth University conducted a piece of research into the consumer’s (the audience) relationship with the radio called the Jigsaw Study, and interestingly seemed to conclude when examining radio commercials:

·         Commercial length: there was a greater chance of higher recall with 40 second commercials

·         Word Count: the total number of words gave no indicator of recall

The study generally concluded that the most successful ads employed drama, a story, and simple situations or relationships and distinctive voices, and the least successful were information-led ads, results regardless of the respondent’s age, gender or class.

Giving Commercial Radio a Voice

The Radio Advertising Bureau is an organisation funded by the UK’s commercial radio stations to help advertising agencies advertise effectively on the radio. In 2006 the Radio Advertising Bureau merged with the Commercial Radio Companies Association to form Radio Center, the industry body for commercial radio in the UK.

Radio Center gives UK commercial radio a voice, working with the government, policy makers and regulators as well as providing a forum for industry-wide debate and discussion. In recent years Radio Center have lobbied successfully to provide stations with more freedom in how and where they produce content; deregulation of commercial messages; tighter rules on the prominence of commercial brands on the BBC; and the removal of local media ownership rules. 

Getting Attention

Great radio advertisements grab and hold attention, usually through humor. They may also use sounds, compelling music or unusual voices to grab attention. The advertisement must tell stories or present situations the target audience can relate to. To keep an audience listening to the advertisement month after month, make them part of an ongoing campaign theme. The audience will listen for the newest versions, helping to extend a message more successfully than if you were to run unrelated advertisements. For maximum results, make a phone number or web address easy to remember and tie it in with your company name or message.

History of Commercial Radio

In 1973, some 18 years after the BBC faced its first commercial competition in television, commercial radio was launched. Stations were licensed by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and were local, generally covering cities or counties. There was only one station per area, except in London, where there were two with different remits: Capital, broadcasting entertainment, and LBC, broadcasting news and information. The rest of the commercial local stations around the country offered a broad range of programming – from news and chat, through pop music to classical music and religion - and were all locally owned and run. Localness has, therefore, been an important feature of commercial radio since its inception.

By 1988, there were 69 local commercial stations, each broadcasting on both MW (AM) and VHF (FM). In that year, the Government permitted local commercial stations to offer different services on their MW and VHF frequencies. Following this liberalisation, a number of different formats were experimented with on MW by the commercial radio companies, but by far the most commonly adopted was the ‘Gold’ format, majoring on chart hits from the 1960s and 70s. The overall number of stations increased dramatically as a result.

In 1990, the IBA began to award licences for stations in areas already served by an existing commercial station. The aim was to increase the range of programming available to listeners. Early examples included Jazz FM and Kiss in London, designed to appeal to a different audience from Capital or LBC.

In 1991, the Radio Authority replaced the IBA as the commercial radio regulator and followed a policy of licensing stations to fill in the gaps in existing coverage, to offer smaller stations in areas already covered by large commercial stations and to offer regional stations, which could extend the range of programming available to audiences

National commercial radio began in 1992. Three stations were licensed, and their formats were, to some extent, decreed by Parliament – one had to offer music other than pop music, one had to have at least 50% speech content. These stations were Classic FM, Talk Radio (now talk SPORT) and Virgin Radio.

The general trend in regulation of commercial radio has been gradually to lessen the regulatory burden on radio stations as the competition for revenues and the choice for listeners increases.

The BBC launched DAB digital radio in 1995, and now offers eleven UK-wide digital radio stations (including five only available nationally on digital, and the World Service).

Since then, commercial operators have also made significant investments in digital radio. A national commercial multiplex licence was awarded to Digital One in 1998. Digital One launched its first national commercial services in 1999 and now offers eight services, including five available only on digital. Local DAB commercial services are now available from 46 local DAB digital radio multiplexes around the UK. Digital versions of the relevant BBC Local Radio or nations’ services are also carried on the appropriate local commercial multiplex.

BBC do not advertise on their radio stations unless it for programmes of events held by their company, so that means they are not a commercial radio station, for my radio advertisement clearly I would need to advertise it on a commercial radio station that is popular with my target audience, for example a station such as KISS or Capital FM.

Radio Advertisement Research

One of the ancillary tasks for my A2 portfolio is to create a radio advertisement for my magazine. A radio advertisement is perfect for advertising my magazine as my target audience are typically regular listeners to radio stations, whilst doing revision, in the car, or listening to podcasts on their mobile phones.

By researching radio advertisements I will be able to create the right advertisement for my magazine to raise awareness for my final product.