U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

HOMETOWN U.S.A. commercial clinic How to Get Jingle Impact At Production Line Prices The (oiucpl ol iiias>) iModuction has come to the singing comniercial. Today, a growing number of firms spe(iali/e in high vohnne produttion ol low cost connnerc ials. As a resuh, many small independent advertisers throughout the coimtry are now in the position to use ])ersonali/ecl jingles over the local radio stations, at prices within iheir budgets. How can a compam do it? As an example, Mort \'.ui Brink, president ol ihe Jingle Mill, an outfit which has jjroduced over 12,000 jingles in the j)ast three years, explains how his organization works. ■ We have about (JOO pre-recorded tapes on file from which jingles can be drawn. When we receive an order for a jingle, we are provided with a data sheet Ironi the advertiser lisiint^ the salient copx points and any additional inlormation he would hke to include. He also tells us the tyjx' ol music he would like, whether it be a wait/ or a cha cha cha. \V'hen available, we can pick the music liom our files. Or we write new music to fit the situation. In the latter case, the jingle goes into our file of pre-recorded taj)es so that the nuisic can be used again." Working on this basis, writers at the jingle Mill can produce as manv as 15 to 20 commercials a clay (and will probably finish 10,000 jingles this year). As a result, a single jingle, with five voices and a 30-piece orcliestra, can be sold for as little as §68. A package sale can bring the price down to S48, depending on the size of the market. The company, says lis president, can present a completed jingle within 21 days after the order is received. Turning to a subject on which there is divided opinion among jingle producers, Mr. Van Brink believes that many advertisers tend to over-emphasize the importance of (he originaliiN ol ihe nuisic in a jingle. "The main job of a commercial is to sell," he says. "The effectiveness ol the jingle depends not so much on its originality as on its memorability. One piece ot music can be used to sell several types ol l)roducis. For example, a march might be just as appropriate for an ice ( ream produc i oi a men's toiletry line as it could be for a sporting event or a political candidate. We might be using the same music ioi four different products in four different sections ol the coimtry. Each conunercial will be doing an effective job so long as the salient points are included and the nuisit (an be easilv identified with the product. Custom -Tailored "The lyric, on the other hand, must be custom-tailored to the advertiser. In addition 'to the copy points, many advertisers request theii names, addresses or company slogans. This can be included in the jingle, which then becomes more personally identified with the sponsor." .Natuially. an advertiser may want to know whether any other firm in his area will be using the same jingle. For example, a supermarket may not want its name linked to a jeweler selling to the same tune in the same city. To prevent this from happening, the fingle Mill uses a coding system which eliminates the p(jssibility ol the same jingle being heard in one listening area to sell two different products. Every tune in the shop is coded and plotted on a map of the United States. When a jingle is sold, the area in wliich it will be heard is circled. The company then knows tliat it cannot use that music for any other advertiser or any station whose listening area falls within the circle. As the tune is ordered by advertisers in diliereiii sections ol the country, the circled areas progressively cover the map. \Vhcn the entire country is covered, the tunc is retired. Work Through Stations While some ol the [ingle Mill's (onimercials are clone for acbertising agencies and regional advertisers, most of the selling is done through radio stations. "W^e have six salesmen covering stations throughout the country," Mr. \'an lirink says. "(ieneially, we comract with jl station for a given nundjer of commercials a year. The staticm then goes out to potential sponsors, with sample tapes in hand, to try and sell time with the concept of a personalized jingle as a selling point. When he has interested the advertiser, he collects the necessary data and sends the order on to us to be created and produced." A good part of the business is devoted to servicing local advertisers, according to Mr. \'an Brink. .Another portion of the work consists of producing station identifications for the siaiicjns themselves. At present, virtually all of the 1,000 to 1,200 stations with wiiich the Jingle Mill is working, have had nuisical identifications created by the firm. " This is an area in which promotion-minded stations have been greatly expanding their activity," Mr. \'an Blink stales. "After all, radio stations are continually pointing up the importance of advertising as a sales tool. By the same token, ad\ertising can jjromote the station's own image in the minds of listeners. I believe that more and more stations are recognizing that they should have the same high standards in material used to promote their images as their advertisers demand in commercials designed to sell their products or services." • • • • 1 U. S. RADIO August lOfiO