EndorsementRadio.com

I’ve heard some really big brands using endorsement radio lately, including Mobil, Home Depot and Bayer on hosts like Dan Patrick and Dennis Miller.

It is very evident which advertisers (or their agencies) listen to the shows in which they are advertising and those that have created all-purpose copy.

People! You use endorsement radio for two main reason: to access the credibility of the host and also to tie into the content of the show! Why pay the talent fee and the premiums if you are just going to give the host the same copy that you’d produce for a voiceover actor?

That’s why I say – don’t let your ad agency write the endorsement copy, unless the copywriter is a listener to the show. Ads I heard for Bayer and Home Depot were totally generic and unmemorable. Total background ads: we’re the best, we make your life better, blah blah blah.

I really like Dan Patrick’s Mobil 1 ad, though. It integrates really nicely into Dan Patrick’s show and personality. I don’t have the exact wording, but it basically starts out like this: “If you know me you know I have my passions – sports, beer, my hair, and my awesome Corvette 64 Stingray” and then goes into the fact that he only trusts Mobil 1 on his passion. It gets a little generic after that and there is no real clear direct response mechanism to get me to go that minute to buy Mobil, but the ad totally got me.

I can’t remember the Bayer and Home Depot ads, but I think that’s the point. I heard that Mobil 1 ad a few weeks ago and it stuck. The writers knew Dan Patrick and wrote with his personality in mind.

So Big Brands, do yourself a favor and listen to the show…then write your own ads. Whatever you come up with is going to be better than what the Mad Men come up with. Otherwise, save some money and buy more frequency with your agency’s ad.

Another great endorsement from Rush; this time for Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters. Premiere Radio is really delivering here for the advertiser. You have very little idea you’re in the middle of an ad until about halfway through. Although there’s no real transition from content to advertising (he goes from politics straight into home water heating)…the way he delivers this is exactly the way he would talk about, say, the election.

Listen: Rush for Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters:

Mike Gallagher LegalZoom endorsement

Here’s a guy who’s not just reading bullet points. I love the passion (from 2006). Talks about Wills and forming your corporation. Beautiful job, Michael Gallagher.

Bill Bennett endorsed LegalZoom.com in January 2007

This was from January of 2007.

The man that brings us “The Moral Compass” and “Book of Virtues” tells us why we should use LegalZoom.com for Wills, Incorporations, Trademarks and LLCs.

I love John Hamm’s (Mad Men) endorsement of John Ham. Companies should come up with products that mirror star radio hosts names. Glenn “Beck” is an obvious one. How about: “Rush’s Rush Job Delivery” or “Jim Rome’s Italian Vacations”. Oh, oh, how about “Dennis Miller Time” or “Bill Handel’s Bill Handler”.

I love it when hosts do this.

Rush Limbaugh goes from an article about identity theft right into an ad for LifeLock. This is an advertiser’s dream.

You get no tune-out (the listener doesn’t know you’ve hit the ad pod yet), the copy is absolutely relevant, the product is a solution to an important problem, and you get what radio stations and networks are always promising: “we want to be your partner, not just a vendor”.

Awesome job, LifeLock. You came out of nowhere and now rule the identify theft world. I know you’ve got TV and event sponsorship in there, but you built this thing on the back of radio: congratulations.

Take a listen to this ad. Wow.

It’s from Astelin, which is a nasal spray and I’m assuming a pretty good one. But how the company is going to sell any spray through this endorsement is beyond me.

Let’s see how many rules of radio they violated:
Pack way too much information in the ad? Check
Put in terms that nobody uses? check
Use complex medical terms when they don’t need to? check
Make an ad that should take a minute and thirty to read only 60 seconds? check
Mention that you’re advertising somewhere else to seem bigger? check
Have a name that is hard to spell (and don’t spell it for people)? check
Let the lawyers take over the copy (“as little as fifteen to forty-five minutes” Um, I think you can just say “as little as fifteen minutes”)? check
Make the side effects sound worse than the symptoms that the product is trying to relieve? check
Ask the listener if they are part of their target as opposed to assuming they are? check
Use an endorser but not have them say they use the product? check
Have a URL that’s hard to spell? check
don’t have an offer? check

Wow, it’s like the perfect storm of bad ads!

If you can’t hear the ad, here is what my army of beautiful secretaries transcribed:
“…you got allergies? Then this message is for you. Your nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy or running nose and post-nasal drip could be due to a mix of both seasonal allergic rhinitis and something called non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis. Non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis. Now what’s that? It’s when you’re sensitive to stuff like cigar smoke, cold air, cologne, even cleaning products. As many as 50% of all seasonal allergy sufferers may have a mix of both seasonal allergic rhinitis and non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis. You could be one of them. Ask your doctor about Astelin Nasal Spray with Asal Astine Hydrocholoride. Prescription Astelin. It’s approved for the treatment of nasal symptoms from seasonal allergic rhinitis and non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis. With Astelin you can start to feel relief as early as fifteen to forty-five minutes. Astelin is for people 12 and over. Common side effects may include bitter taste, headache, nasal inflammation or burning, and drowsiness. Visit Astelin.com. Call 1-866-Number or find information in InTouch Magazine. Don’t delay. Ask your doctor for allergy relief with Astelin today.

Here’s what I would have written (Astelin can have this one for free):

“It’s springtime and you are miserable: you’ve got nasal congestion, you’re sneezy, you’ve got an itchy throat or constantly running nose. You can’t get rid of it no matter what you do. Let’s face it, this isn’t just seasonal anymore…cold air, cleaning products, pet hair, even cigar smoke can give you the same symptoms all year round. I’ve got to tell you about Astelin, A-S-T-E-L-I-N. Astelin treats both the seasonal and non-seasonal allergic symptoms that drive you nuts. I live by this stuff…Astelin has drastically improved my life, and it starts working in about 15 minutes. It’s been my best kept secret for a while now.

I can breath better, no more itchy throat or constantly wiping my nose. No more frequent sneezing in important meetings. Well, I’ve got to let you in on this secret.

You’ve

got to try Astelin. That’s Astelin. It’s a prescription so you’ve got to ask your doctor. Ask for Astelin Nasal Spray.

You’ll be glad you did. For more information, including any side affects, go to icanbreathe.com*.

Astelin. A-S-T-E-L-I-N. I just had to tell you about it because it’s made my life so much better. And if you go to icanbreathe.com right now, you can even download a free guide to common things in most peoples’ houses that drive their eyes, nose and throat crazy! So stop being miserable. Start breathing like a normal human being. Get your Astelin today.”

Ok, I’ve got to admit that I wrote that in about four minutes but it’s so much better than what they have. It needs to be cut down a bit and we could probably hit some specific points harder. But it would sell some Astelin for sure. Imagine if we had a half hour to write this.

Achoo.

I think I heard one of the best endorsements ever today. It was Bill Handel’s endorsement of Elmore Toyota in Southern California. Man was it great:

1. He used (bought) the product
2. He talks about why this Toyota dealership is different than all others (Toyota dealers and any other auto). The gist: they’re not looking to squeeze you for all you’re worth on one auto purchase…they want you for life, as well as your kids and their kids — so they’re going to provide excellent value each and every time.
3. He provides consequences if Elmore doesn’t live up to their end of the deal: he says “call me…and I’m going to give you the cellphone number of the president over there”.

Fantastic job. I never particularly cared for Toyotas…but that endorsement might send me down I-5 for a gander.

I love the new ad that Dan Patrick is doing for Snapper lawnmowers. Actually, Patrick is endorsing an endorser.

In the ad, he’s really talking about how Brett Favre loves the product. Brett, despite his riches and his ability to afford 7,000 gardners every day, loves to mow his own grass.

And he only mows that grass on a Snapper.

So not only does big sports broadcaster Dan Patrick love Snapper, one of the most famous QBs in history loves it, too.

It immediately raises Snapper above the competition in terms of ad messaging – especially for their demo.

I might have to get me one of them.

I may get a hernia in life. I may have chronic heartburn. But it looks like I can avoid identity theft.

Rush Limbaugh is doing a great job for LifeLock. LifeLock, as I understand it, allows you to register your SSN and then they guard it like pitbulls. In order for your SSN to be used to apply for credit, open accounts, etc., you have to give permission to allow it. In other words, nothing happens to your identity without your say-so.

I love their non-endorsement commercials (though I haven’t heard them in a while…hmmmmm). The founder of the company starts the spot and gives his actual SSN in the commercial, presumably so confident in LifeLock’s system and promise that no-one will be able to do jack with his number.

Obviously, Rush ain’t gonna give his “soshe” out over the airwaves. But he really nails the value proposition, as he typically does. But the real gem is adding a real customer testimonial that equally talks about how great Rush is (finishing with a “God bless you”) as how great the product is.

It’s like double credibility: I love the product and I love the person talking about the product.

Aside from that, the testimonial that Rush reads is great. This customer literally signed up with LifeLock a few days before somebody tried to use her SSN.

Pretty scary stuff. I’ve very rarely taken action on a radio endorsement, despite my passion for this blog. But this is one that I’ve got to do. My dad took 7 years untangling himself from an identity fraud problem originating with someone nabbing his SSN, and it looks like I can avoid all that.

Hernias and heartburn…that’s different.