The BV Blog

People who own DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) and access television programming online watch fewer commercials. A lot fewer, according to an Adweek article by Brian Morrissey:

“The TV industry often touts the fact that DVR owners watch more TV than those with only ‘live’ programming. Yet DVR viewers frequently skip the commercials. Over 50 percent of respondents said they ‘always’ fast-forward through commercials, and another 36 percent said they skip them at least three-quarters of the time. Fully 85 percent of respondents said they watch fewer commercials since they got their DVRs.”

Traditional radio is struggling with the same problem. Satellite radio and music services, along with the iPod and similar devices, have made it much easier for listeners to actively avoid, not just radio advertising, but its programming as well.

These examples serve as another argument for intensifying the focus of your marketing messages on existing customers. Concentrate your marketing efforts on an audience that’s more open to what you have to say, not those trying to avoid your message. Those folks already in your database don’t need to be convinced that you’re a fine, upstanding company. They already know it.

Chances are good, though, they don’t know everything you can do for them. So work to educate them about all that you offer with the intent of increasing customer share, not market share. You can do this easily with On Hold Marketing, TeleGreeting and Point-Of-Purchase Audio. These tools allow you to communicate cost-effectively with your captive audiences - those that can’t change channels or fast forward: your callers on hold and the shoppers in your store.

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Dennis Staples died on Monday. He was a radio man who spent most of his broadcasting career here in Toledo, Ohio. For a few years, he was also one of our voice talents at BusinessVoice. I didn’t know Dennis well, but I sure did respect his talent.

I first met him at a local recording studio, probably 15 years ago. We were both cast to cut a radio spot for a local company. He was playing Santa; I was supposed to be a young, smart-aleck kid. I remember struggling with how to approach the read, which twist to put on my voice, and just how cocky I should make this character. I never did figure it out to my satisfaction, even after many takes.

But Dennis knew exactly what he was doing. To this day I can hear him “becoming” Santa Claus in my headphones. He wasn’t doing a hack impression of a stereotype like I was. He had created a personality and a point-of-view and knew just how to interpret the copy. By the time we started recording, Dennis WAS Santa Claus. I was sitting four feet from him! I could see him, but he WAS Santa Claus. It was one of the most exciting moments I’ve ever had as a voice talent, being a part of that exchange and working with someone so good.

Back in 1997, Dennis recorded “A Visit From St. Nicholas” for us as part of a larger project. Click here to listen. We present it as a holiday treat for you and yours, and as a final tribute to a wonderfully talented and very nice man.

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Is it just me or does the audio from a typical TV commercial pod sound more like what’s on my iPod? Armed recently with an old school pad of paper and pen, I was able to jot down - from memory - 10 current TV spots that rely heavily on a famous tune, but hardly at all on the spoken word.

I’ll need another 10 or 12 years before I can separate the sound of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” from my mind’s eye image of a Cadillac kicking up desert dust. But that’s the point. You may not ordinarily think of Cadillac on any given day, but now, if you hear “Rock and Roll” on the local classic rock station during the drive home, I’ll bet you a cheese danish that an image of an Escalade pops into your head. That connection can be so strong that Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” isn’t just “Rock and Roll” anymore–it’s “that Cadillac song.”

More proof. What products do you think of when you think of these songs? “Like A Rock” by Bob Seger; “I’m Free” by the Rolling Stones; “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League. All of these tunes have a positive connection with Chevy Trucks, Chase Visa, and those chunky Chips Ahoy, respectively. Some companies have even elected to use lesser-known music to form an almost mutually exclusive relationship between the piece and the product. Most folks wouldn’t know Aaron Copeland’s “Rodeo: Hoe-Down” by name, but when it’s set to the sweeping images of families enjoying hunks of meat and paired with the tagline “Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner!” it becomes instantly recognizable.

Tapping into the powerful alignment of music and a famous spokesperson, American Express rolled several slices of sounds into one commerical. During the famous “Ellen’s Dance” spot, dog-dealer Ellen DeGeneres dances her way through the day to such tunes as “Car Wash,” “Respect,” and “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).” Clever, American Express, clever - conveying energy by capitalizing on just seconds of famous songs.

Aligning your business with music, whether through advertisements or in your environment, affects how your customers and prospects perceive your company. Do it right, and you can achieve top-of-mind awareness every time “your” song hits the airwaves.

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