Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1943)

Use Logic. Make a statement and build your commercial around it in a convincing manner. Take it for granted that listeners, even though they may be of low mentality, know intuitively whether what you are saying is true or just so much ballyhoo. Examples: Comfort is the keynote of smart dressing in the summertime. You men will enjoy life a lot more this summer in a Blank Tailors tropical worsted suit. Get ready for those torrid days ahead, etc. When you buy where your business is appreciated, you get better service. That's why it's smart to buy your clothes at Blank Tailors. You're not hurried from one petty detail to another, you're not subjected to high-pre3sure sales talks, etc. Adapt the Commercial. Make it fit the program or the product. If the program features march music, make the commercials spirited and full of pep; if the program consists of hymns, make your copy meditative and philosophical. Give it just the right slant. Examples: MARCHING ON — with the Eilert Brewing Company! Here comes the band with a great transcribed march! Get into the parade — increase your pep, renew your energy with some of that fine Eilert's Old German Beer. Eilert's Old German is the beer for live appetites . . . for many, it makes the plainest of meals delicious and satisfying! Can you imagine a glass of Eilert's rich, flavorful Old German brew with a braised sirloin steak and all the trimmin's? It's marvelous! But why imagine it — taste Eilert's Old German Beer — have it with your meals — see how it can make every bite doubly good! (Organ music in b.g. ) The SUNDAY HOUR — brought to you by the Jones Brothers Funeral Home. . . . The peaceful, homelike, atmosphere of the Jones Brothers Home is comforting to those who need solace in times of deep sorrow. . . . Here they have the satisfaction and consolation of knowing . . . that the services for dear, departed ones will be unfaltering . . . and appropriate. Here there are complete facilities for the conduct of services in all walks of life . . . facilities to meet individual requirements. Under the direction of Jones Brothers Funeral Home, a funeral becomes a cherished, priceless memory. Avoid Obvious Falsehoods. One of the surest ways to reduce the value of your commercial to the zero level is to make exceedingly tall statements, such as might be made by a hawker or vendor at a carnival. These sentences, which even children recognize as falsehoods, have a negative effect. The listener reaction to them is indifference, contempt, or general disbelief, as expressed in the "Oh yeah?" attitude. Examples: You have never seen a finer refrigerator . . . You'll enjoy the flavor of this coffee more than any you've ever tried . . . It's impossible to find a better vacuum cleaner. Concentrate On One Product. By trying to sell a lot of things or ideas in one commercial, you may sell none of them. By plugging one thing consistently, you can do a lot of good. Emphasize the desirability of your product, and repeat its name clearly and simply. Avoid too much repetition and too many disconnected ideas. Coin phrases that stick in the mind, and develop new sales arguments. Avoid Overworn Phrases. A good way to kill the effect of any continuity is to use words and phrases which have become hackneyed and trite. They are easily recognizable, but many writers put them in their continuity unconsciously. Examples: Remember . . . Here's important news . . . This offer is good for a limited time only . . . The supply is limited, so get your's now . . . Take advantage of this bargain . . . A sale like this comes only once in a lifetime . . . Maintain the Proper Attitude. Never beg the listener to do or buy anything. To sell in a radio commercial, one must show the listener why buying would be to his advantage. A request that he buy "as a favor" or merely as a trial sounds woefully weak. Don't say "please get one" or "won't you buy this"— say positively, "get one," or words to that effect. Tell the audience, in inoffensive language, luhat to buy, where to buy it, and why, but never when. A quick, sure way to irritate many listeners is to say "buy it this afternoon" or "get one today." Some, however, don't notice or object to the time element. It is a point of contention, and many sponsors demand it in their copy, but it would seem desirable to eliminate it. Remember the Mixed Audience. When writing a commercial for a product used exclusively by women, address it to the women or bring that fact out early in the continuity. Do the same when writing for men or children or other consumer classifications. Imagine men, women, and children listening to 82 RADIO SHOWM ANSH IP