Hum-drum commercials give radio a bad name, says Ron Kruse. Here’s some tips for standing out from the crowd.
As I travel around the country, I’m barraged by what I refer to as ?Them-They Laundry List? commercials. The commercials are produced by one of the station staffers referring to the store as ?them? and ?they? with constant references to ?rings, pendants and earrings?. They all sound the same and it is easy to understand why jewelers often say … ?I just don’t know if radio works.? The truth is, for such stores, it probably doesn’t.
But radio can be extremely effective for jewelers. You just have to know how to use it properly. Here are a few tips for creating commercials that sell:
TIP#1. Get someone other than one of the radio station’s personalities to voice your commercials. The radio station’s on-air personalities are doing commercials for dozens of businesses. An outside voice will stand out and get attention. And because he or she does commercials only for you … you can dispense with impersonal words like ?them? and ?they?.
TIP#2. Stop selling ?laundry lists? of products. Telling the listener that you sell rings, pendants and earrings only tells the listener you are a jewelry store. There are lots of them. Create commercials that make the listener want to choose your store over all those others.
TIP#3. Don’t sell price. All you will attract is price shoppers and there is always someone who can sell poorer quality for a lower price.
TIP#4. Limit the number of sale events to no more than one a year. When you subscribe to the ?sale of the month? mentality, you are training potential customers to only buy when prices are low and profits are minimal.
TIP#5. Create commercials that sell the romance and emotions that drive consumers to buy those beautiful pieces in your display cases. Write them a bit short to allow time for an effective delivery by the announcer.
Your commercials must set your store apart from the crowd. You can do that by making sure that each commercial you air tells a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. A story filled with beautiful imagery, emotion and romance. Here’s an example of the kind of commercial that can set you apart and make the listener pay attention to the message.
Title: The Spark: 60 seconds.
?It began with a spark. And who knows what ignited it. Love is a mystery. Something … some chemistry between you created that spark … that became an ember … that kindled the flame … that became a fire. A love that began with a spark will now be affirmed with the promise … of a diamond … from Alan and Sons Fine Jewelers. And how appropriate that this … most important diamond … should come from Alan and Sons. Each diamond from Alan and Sons is breathtakingly beautiful. Astonishingly brilliant. Completely captivating. Diamonds of rare beauty and unquestionable value. And inside each of our impeccably cut diamonds … is a spark … that becomes an ember … that kindles a flame … that becomes a fire. Alan and Sons Fine Jewelers … 1234 Main Street in Glendale. For a diamond this important … the right choice is Alan And Sons.?
It takes a lot more effort to set yourself apart from your competitors. But believe us, the rewards be beyond your most optimistic expectations.