Hey radio broadcasters, here is a concise list of things that will make me immediately and instinctively change to another preset radio station:
- A commercial with an 800 number. Because i know they will repeat it at least three times, and that fast repetition is annoying.
- Dead air for more than 3 or 4 seconds. It’s taboo in your business, for a reason…
- Repeating a band name 9 times in 30 seconds. Bad ad dialogue or payola, it doesn’t matter to me one bit. Bonus points (faster change) when its a gimmick name and mediocre music (e.g., “Five Finger Death Punch”)
- A bad commercial. If it is annoying, even for 3 seconds, why listen? Yes radio station, they pay you, but they can get your listeners to move on that fast. I’m not sure what happened, but years ago it seems as if the people who write commercials completely lost sight of who they are marketing their product to.
- A caller that can’t be heard. Turning volume up to hear them promptly makes the announcer deafening. It’s 2010, are audio and telco equipment really that far behind, that equalized sound can’t be found?
- An ad with a legal disclaimer, spoken very fast, yet still longer than the pitch. If your product is that dangerous, disappointing, or comes with so many caveats, I don’t want to hear it. It makes me turn away from the radio station as much as the product.