By Jeffrey Hedquist
Every advertiser would love to reach out and magically give each prospect the experience of visiting, shopping, buying and enjoying the benefits of what they offer. Of course this is impossible. Or is it?
With radio, we can use the listener’s imagination to help him experience these things through his five senses. How do you create a sensory experience for your audience? Recreate an event, as if the listener were there in the midst of it.
Ask yourself: Who is the prospect? What senses would best convey the prospect’s problem, pain or aspiration? What senses would best convey the advertiser’s solution or benefit?
Some senses naturally compliment certain types of advertisers. Here are a few suggestions:
Sound: music, concerts, clubs, noise-canceling headphones, amusement parks, travel, hearing aids.
Sight: publications, beauty, vacations, amusement, media, home & garden, photography, art, fashion.
Taste: restaurants, bakeries, food, beverages.
Touch: bodywork, fitness, diets, tanning, hairstyles, yoga, dancing, athletics, clothing – anything involving touch or the body.
Smell: restaurants, food, beverages cleaning, resorts, fragrances.
This list is only a starting point. There’s almost no limit to the types of advertisers you’ll find for each sense.
Depending on the product or service, activate your listener’s imagination with sense triggers about problems, then solutions. For instance, for your touch-oriented advertisers you may want to craft a problem scenario with words and sound design about heat, cold, stinging, muscle aches, bruises or itches. Then a relief solution depicting temperature changing, soothing, releasing or healing,
Here are some general tips:
• Use a search engine or thesaurus to find synonyms or qualities for each sense. This will give you some copy ideas and words to use.
• Try writing your commercial emphasizing one sense only, then another, and another. You’ll quickly find which one(s) works best.
• Involve as many senses as possible. If you’re describing food, of course you’ll want to think about what you taste, but also what you smell, see, hear and touch as well as feelings of relaxation, enjoyment, excitement, etc.
Remember, if you make radio a sensual experience for listeners, it can be a financially rewarding one for you and your client.
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