Thursday, February 28, 2013

For God's Sake, Let a Promo Person Produce the Oscars

I love the Oscars.  I love the Super Bowl, the Emmys and the Tonys...but mostly I love the Oscars...and James Bond.  I'm not a big fan of Seth McFarlane.  While I acknowledge his talent and his quickness, I find him vulgar and a little too "hey, hey, look at me! I can do voices of children and animals saying shocking things."  Still, I've no qualm with him. 

But that's not what I'm writing about today.  Let's all put our producer's hats on, shall we?  Imagine ourselves in pre-pro and then in the booth with the director and finally relaxing with the crew after a (thankless) job well done.  After all, over a billion people are watching and as a producer, you have access to the world's greatest movies, the biggest stars and greatest editors available to your bidding.    All you need is a great idea.

The Olympics began with James Bond and the Queen parachuting into the stadium.  Wow!  How did the Oscars begin?  Twenty minutes of jokes and a William Shatner bit that was fun...for the first two minutes.

I'm sure Neil Meron and Craig Zadan are nice guys, and the task is daunting, but come on, guys!  These two guys produced the movie versions of Chicago and Hairspray.  Both of those movies started with a bang and never let up.

Did you feel your clothes going out of style in the first half hour?  To learn how to start a show, take a page from The Grammys...or the Tonys.  If you're going to salute music, get to it fast...and if you're going to salute 50 years of James Bond, you only have one golden anniversary.  You get one shot at this.

Here's how it might have gone:
*  Announcer welcomes us to the Oscars
*  Opening 2012 movie montage of no more than 60 seconds.  It ends with Skyfall clips.  Enter Adele
    from center stage, singing the Skyfall theme.  Don't announce her.  She's the hottest singer in the world
   (we know who she is).  The audience will go crazy.
*  Follow her with Shirley Bassey singing "Goldfinger."  Don't announce her on, just add a lower-third.
    The song (and she) are classics.  The audience will go crazy.
*  Bring out one or all of the five James Bonds.  They intro Seth McFarlane.
*  Seth McFarlane enters in a 1964 Aston Martin.  The audience will go crazy.

We're ten minutes into the show and we've had a montage, two killer performances everyone will talk about and...we're...off and running.  Lots of surprises.

Did the James Bond montage seem a bit...bland?  With fifty years of bigger than life stars, explosions, iconic lines ("shaken not stirred,"  "no, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die") and beautiful women, and theme songs that we all know.  It should have lifted us out of our seats.

Check out this masterpiece by Kees van Dijkhuizen, a 19 year-old producer who really gets it:
 http://www.etonline.com/movies/131040_James_Bond_50th_Anniversary_Montage/

The In Memoriam montage?  How about Andy Griffith, Larry Hagman and Phyllis Diller?   They blew it again.

The best thing is that we have a whole year to pick apart what they did wrong.  The stars looked great and I loved the set, but the pacing and edited pieces needed to be crisper and more emotional.

They'll no doubt get another shot next year, but for God's sake, this is the Oscars.  The whole world is watching, so put a promo person in charge of something.  We know how to do it.  We do it every day with a lot less.

Put me in coach!
--Rich Brase
redrich24@yahoo.com

 If you live by The Promo Code,  please share this post with friends, colleagues and groups.  You can even use it to show civilians what your profession is really like.




Monday, February 25, 2013

Keep Calm and Try More Music

Music can make or break a spot.  Even if a track fits perfectly, it can be overused, rendering it toxic.  Improper staging can also doom an otherwise great spot, as can the resistance to using multiple cuts.  Hiring a composer may be considered a luxury in these budget-conscious times (how's that for a euphemism?), but one noted composer has some advice that just may dial your next spot up to 11. 

Perhaps nobody knows more about using and creating music for promos than FOTPC (Friend of The Promo Code) David Cebert. The owner of Cue 11 has been writing music for networks and scoring films for decades.  In a Promo Code exclusive, he shares his wisdom, all in the name of better promos.


The Three Most Important Factors

If a promo is creatively inspired by a certain song, you'll need to make sure you can afford the use of that song before investing in the spot. If you ignore that advice and are caught with a spot cut to music you are unable to license, seek professional help from a composer that is able to "borrow its spirit."


Library Love

Most promos are copy- and clip-driven, so a good library cue (or multiple cues) is normally a sufficient solution. There is an abundance of these libraries and cost is very reasonable. As a rule, try not to go to the same well too often; familiarize yourself with lesser known libraries and challenge yourself to try new cuts that don't immediately jump out at you.

After you've cut on the spot and listened to the cue 1000 times, "demo love" will be firmly entrenched.
I suggest looking in the opposite direction occasionally. A comedy spot can work well with very dramatic music, an over-the-top dramatic spot can be propelled with a very minimalist track and some cool sound FX. If you think Coldplay is perfect, put some AC/DC on it to gain some perspective. 

Believe it or not, sometimes the best solution... is silence.

And don't rule out jingles.  Subway has sold multiple tons of "5 dollar footlooooooongs."


Getting in Tune with a Composer

From the composer side (in my case anyway), musical examples are the best way to get across your vision. If you have no examples and trust the composer's instincts, make sure to communicate the demo you're trying to reach and the emotional content you're wishing to accomplish (which should be apparent by the copy itself).

I always request a written copy of the spot if it has not been cut, and I am pre-scoring.  It helps frame the subject, convey the producer's vision and can spark some really good options.


Golf Plus Gospel Equals Gold

I always look at a spot and try to avoid the obvious.  For example, a few years ago, I was asked to create a piece of music that encapsulated the I Am a Golfer positioning statement for TaylorMade. Most would go to the obligatory "acoustic guitar, sophisticated James Taylor," contemporary "we're hip" or dreaded "mandolin/ukulele Apple" vibe.

It was a cattle call for several composers, so I conceptualized (a useful habit, if you have the luxury), given the freedom they gave me. Where I landed was two basic truths....serious golfers are some of the least hip individuals on the planet, but their dedication to the sport rivals true religion.  

I composed the antithesis of the music that would be normally associated with The Golfer.  I used gospel soul music over a hip-hop beat, brought in a small gospel choir and the rest was magic. At first, the agency hated it and I thought I was out; two months later, they called and said that no one could imagine the spot being cut to any other piece of music.



Bonus Track... Your "Spinal Tap" Guide to Composers

When choosing a composer, make sure you know what type you are hiring. Here is a helpful "Spinal Tap" guide:

A "guitarist" composer will always demand that his/her female singer girlfriend/male singer boyfriend be somehow involved in the spot, if not to sing it, to ultimately direct your creative.

A "percussionist/drummer" composer will always prefer a spot that tends to slow down its edits though the duration of the spot as it plays to their "I'm not really a tempo drummer/percussionist" mentality.

A "keyboardist" composer will inevitably complain that your decision to make sure the VO and nat sound are clearly distinguishable from the music track is "dumb" and that the music should always be the loudest thing in the mix....even if you can't understand the end tag.

A "bass-playing" composer will be impossible to find as they are far too successful as singer/songwriters to bother with composing music for spots.


Major props go out to David for sharing his insights, advice and musician's sense of humor.  Cue 11 is at http://cue11.com 509-464-0062.

I can only imagine what's on his playlist.

-Ed


If you live by The Promo Code,  please share this post with friends, colleagues and groups.  You can even use it to show civilians what your profession is really like.
 

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Fighting for Your Creative

You know the assignment inside and out.  You know what has worked and what has failed.  Better yet, you know exactly what the new spot should be.  You can visualize the :30, complete with tight copy, compelling imagery, a twist that nobody saw coming, and an aha! moment that will have viewers rewinding their DVR to see it again.  Heck, even the cut-downs work.

The bad news is... nobody is buying into your vision.  ("They just don't get it!")  What now?

Whether you're dealing with your general manager, CSD, supervisor or client, selling creative is just as important as developing it.  Before you try this at home, I urge you to consider the following.

Scratch that.  Do try this at home.

Stop.  Truth is, you've been wrong before.  Remember that campaign 10 years ago that you moved heaven and earth for and is now cringe-worthy?  Chances are, you already started making some room on your shelf for new hardware.  But, in retrospect, the creative wasn't that strong, and although it made air, maybe the GM was right after all.

Think.  Does this really support the brand, or is this just clever for clever's sake?  Yeah, it would be a really cool sequence with ironic copy and retro music that is absolutely perfect.  But if it doesn't sell your station/show and speak to your audience, you're just fooling yourself.

Consider.  How could this spot be better, both creatively and strategically?  Just because your original idea hit you like a thunderbolt, that doesn't mean it can't be improved.

Prepare.  This is the section about having back-ups and alts.  Buyers of creative like to feel involved and not be force-fed one solution.  Have options ready.  But beware The Straw Man.  Invariably, he is chosen and your hero goes bye-bye.

Now, on to the pitch:

Listen.  Has anything changed since the assignment was given?  If you don't know, you'll soon find out when you lay out the premise of the spot before presenting it.  At this point, you acknowledge that this new information can be incorporated into the concept (if it can). OR Go ahead and present as is, confident in your ability to adapt in real time (i.e., tap dance).

Include.  It's always about "we," never about "I."  This holds true for the relationship among your group as well as non-creatives you're pitching.  This is a team, a partnership, whether you like it or not.

Exude.  Be proud of your creative.  Apologizing due to restraints is a non-starter.  Even if it's a straight-ahead concept, be confident in the strength of the idea.  (If you're not, go back to Consider.)

Push.  At every level, clients/supervisors want you to fight for your idea.  They want to know that you care about this spot as much as they do.  More often than not, they don't disagree; they just want to make sure you've thought this through and have their best interest at heart.  Note: This doesn't mean digging in and being antagonistic.  Just show you care.

Compromise.  This is the tough one.  Up to this point, you're both on the same page, but then the client gets a brainstorm:  If it's awful, you bring up reasons why it may not fit with the premise.  If it's great, admit it's great.  Chances are, it's somewhere in-between.  This is where the partnership thing pays off.  Putting egos aside, keep the focus on the spot, not on personalities.  Remember, even though you've been hired for your expertise, you've been wrong before.

Summarize.  Always, always, always sum up what was agreed to in the meeting.  Active Listening 101. First, verbally, then follow up with an e-mail.  Sometimes the latter will include an additional idea, especially if you were in the compromise zone.  Selling creative is an ongoing process requiring both parties to stay involved.

Finally, even if you do everything here, you're not going to win every fight.  Nor should you, quite frankly.  But you can strive to do the best creative possible and help make the experience a collaborative one.

Fight on...
-Ed
      

      


Thursday, February 21, 2013

We Don't Have Fun Anymore

Admit it.  One of the big reasons we got into promotion and marketing was because they always seemed to be having so much damn fun down in the creative services department.  Are we still having fun?

We all got into the promo biz from different departments.  I started out as a floor director, while a producer I had in South Carolina started in sales.  We all "came in from the cold" in different ways.  Some of us are writers, some producers and some strategists.  The best of us can do all three of these things well, but the thing we all do best is have fun.  I've had drunks, drug addicts and just plain untalented people working for me, but we all had fun.

When I started in promotion at WTOL in Toledo, my boss, the promo coordinator and I spent every weekend in the summer putting up tents, hauling helium tanks and schmoozing with the news talent at county fairs to get people to watch us.  Six to seven days a week of work.  How did I do it?  I know I wouldn't change it for anything.

The media business has certainly changed over the years, but we all work in the environment of today.  It seems that our stress levels have never been higher, and the days of independent owners have gone the way of documentary units.  But that doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate working in the one area of the business other departments would kill in which to work.

The days of heading off to PROMAX, NATPE or the affiliate conventions may have gone, and the bloom might be off the rose when it comes to the dominance of local television, but it is simply evolving...as are we.

We're not curing cancer or even making political policy, but we're still influencing thousands of people with our message.  Unlike journalists, our work can be laced with beautiful graphics, flowery imagery or emotional impact.  Our messages do not have to be all about "breaking news."  It can be all about the fun and great things the comprise living in a strong, vibrant and interesting city, seen through the big monitor on the wall (or table).  It's "Hello, Pittsburgh" 2013 style.

Remember that inside your station or building, you are the Chief Fun Officer, and while a general manager, news director or sales manager might find that to be a trivial thing, we know that we have the power to see the joy in our syndicated product, the power of our news department and how great clients make for great...and fun...campaigns all at the same time.  The ability to move your audience and motivate your station staff is strong.

So, while you're struggling to create another dry-as-toast topical, think of the guy laying asphalt in the heat, or serving your food every day in a restaurant.  That's work!  What we do is fun, even on our worst days.

When I graduated from college, my mother asked "where are you going to get a job where you watch television all day?"  Surprise!  I got my dream job.  She never did.

Maybe we all don't have as much fun as we did even five years ago, but it's up to us to make our stations fun and rejoice in a wonderful corner of a fantastic business.  That's the heart of the Promo Code--having fun and making everyone around us have fun, too.  We work with cool people.  Let's celebrate that.

So, don't forget to have fun today.

--Rich

   

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

A Better Way to Direct Voice Talent

Everybody and their cousin wants to do voiceover.  Seems simple enough.  All you have to do is practice, "In a world..."  and "Next" and you're in, baby!  Oh, and don't forget, "The Loooooove Boat."   Get that down and your vacation home is practically paid for.

The reality, of course, is very different, as only a chosen few make it big.  (Yes, I know, many make a living at it, but it's usually supplemented by a "real job.")  Success comes from having the pipes and ability to interpret a script (and persistence and luck).  But there's more...

Enter the producer who directs the talent.  A good one will bring out the talent's inner hero.  A bad one, ah... not so much.  In fact, there are tell-tale signs that a producer is headed toward Nowheresville.  Conversations go like this:

Producer:  We're looking for attitude.
Talent:  What kind?
Producer:  You know, attitude, like you don't take any crap.

Producer:    I want Voice of God.
Talent:   Straight ahead or ironic?
Producer:  Just make it big, over-the-top.

Producer:   You play a young girl.
Talent:  How old?
Producer:  I don't know, about 9.
Talent:  What kind of girl?
Producer:  You know, a regular girl.  Happy.
Talent:  Where is she from?  Any dialect?  Quirks?
Producer:  Well... why don't we try a few different ways and see where it goes.

In each of these examples, the producer has only the faintest of ideas and it shows.  They may think they were fooling the talent, but believe me, the tap dancing was audible.

Sometimes, the talent fights back, usually in a passive-aggressive manner.  The ultimate example is this classic exchange between DLF and a producer. 

Producer:   That take was perfect.  Let's just get one more for safe.
DLF:    Oh, you want a backup?
Producer:  Yes, please.
DLF:   And the last one was perfect?
Producer:  Yep, just like that.
DLF:  Then use that one... and make a copy.

Very few announcers could get away with that, and no producer should put up with that.  More often, though, the producer's desire to squeeze out every last take rules the day, you know, just in case. 

Producer:  OK, this is take 52.  We're just about there.
Talent:  (out loud)  Great.
Talent:  (in his head)  I know you're gonna use something from the first three takes.

So, how can v/o sessions be more productive and enjoyable?  Glad you asked...

- Give actual direction.  This requires thinking about the spot before entering the room.  Make sure you convey that to the talent.  And if it's a straight-ahead announcer spot, try to make the read more conversational.  People prefer to be talked to, not at.

- Don't be afraid to explore.  Once you get the base read, work with alternatives that you may, or never considered.  Be open to your talent's ideas, but don't feel obligated.  You're running the show.

- Don't overdo it.  If you're 100% sure you got what you wanted, don't turn the session into a marathon, especially if you work regularly together.  Three reads of tags may be more than enough; next week, you may be trying to knock :06 out of your copy on the fly.

- Collaborate, don't dictate.  When reading characters, in particular, it's important to allow talent to interpret.  And for them to hear the producer's input and expand beyond their own preconceived notions.  Give and take goes a lot further than being dogmatic.

- Know when to cut bait.  Sometimes, it just doesn't work and you must make that determination.  Get as close as you can, but if it ain't happenin', it ain't happenin'.   

Now, let's get ready to v/oooooooooooooooooooooooo...

-Ed        






Sunday, February 17, 2013

Chapter 9: Winning The Long Game

If you work at a local broadcast station or network (it doesn't matter which one), you know you'll eventually have your big event, your place in the Sun, so to speak.

At some point or other, you'll have The Grammys, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the Oscars or The World Series, complete with lots of eyeballs on your screens.  These are like trains hurtling toward you at 100 miles an hour...and you're standing on the tracks.  Whether or not you're in a sweep or the dead of summer, this is your chance to shine.

The big question is--will your boss let you?

I've worked for some great general managers in my career, and the best ones were true visionaries and leaders in the station's journey.  Of course, they were the guardians of the famed Bottom Line, but the best ones push you harder than you push yourself and really see the forest...and the trees.  They know that a spot is worth X inside the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, but that the value to his or her own station brand can be invaluable.  Promoting your own station is winning the "long game," so to speak.

There are still a few of those managers who think of their promotion departments as bottom feeders who only deserve unsold inventory, and the used car dealer with a $5 stapled to his head can bump you because it's $5 they didn't have last week.  That's the "short game" and it always loses.  Always.

Two of the biggest influences in my career were Bill Bolster and Ron Longinotti.  Both were winners at both the short and long games.  Both were masters at building a brand and making the most of big events.  They both saw the value in investing heavily in the station brand for every event that was guaranteed to spike for that night or fortnight.

Dominant stations all have these things in common to take advantage of what seldom comes around in the course of a year for folks sitting in our chairs:

*  They maintain a detailed calendar of all big events one year in advance (your rep firm has all this for you).
*  The director of sales and promotion director collaborate on what avails will be available to the station, but
    be prepared to fight for what you deserve.
*  The GM and news director have a clear vision of what the three to four spots in the campaign should be. 
*  They have a promotion director who is prepared to fight for having at least one :30 an hour.
*  A promotion team which will create all new campaigns for each event.
*  A promotion leader who knows how to continue the campaign AFTER the big event to keep the
    momentum going. 
*  A promotion leader who will start writing and conceptualizing your campaign at least three months before
    the event.  Your news director and GM deserve a big hand in what you're doing.  Just don't let them
    "dumb it down" by turning each spot into a glorified topical.

It's almost Oscar night, and I hope my ABC pals have at least three spots in the big broadcast next Sunday.
Then comes March Madness and The Masters on CBS, The World Series on FOX and before you know it, the Winter Olympics next Feb.  I hope you're planning already, because the train is coming.

Everybody is going to be watching you, especially your GM and news director.  Don't disappoint them with the same old topicals or air the tired old image spots you've already had on the air for a year. Now is the time to be bold, brash and new.

Here in Portland, we really geared up for the Olympics.  It was all hands on deck three months before the opening ceremony and everyone in the department was writing and producing.  Everyone had a voice.  It was a long process, but with from six to eight new spots in the Games each time, each one was high concept and aimed at a specific need for the news brand.

While I really liked my news director, when I told him the new spots were going to be fresh and different, he actually said "I HATE different."  Ooh, tough room.  Hardly inspired me to do my best, but too bad for him.

The Number two, three and four stations in each market will sell that big spot before kickoff to the local car dealer.  The dominant station will give it to you and understand that your Brand is the most important thing (in this case).  It is forever.  Bill Bolster and Ron Longinotti knew this and were masters at taking advantage of the Big Event.

Now is the time to think ahead, really understand what your station's needs are, and deliver a campaign they will never forget.  The audience can't take their eyes off you. 

Even if it's a year from now, let's give 'em something to talk about.  

--Rich Brase

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Promo: The Accidental Profession

Here's the thing about people in promo (or entertainment advertising, if you will):  Nobody ever plans to be in promo.  We all fall into it.  Or discover it while pursuing something else.  Or even have it thrust upon us.

Nobody goes to school to learn it.  It's not a major in Radio-Television-Film departments.  Courses aren't even offered in it.  In fact, you can't even earn a certificate from an online pseudo-university in it.
 
It's a wonder, then, that so many of us have so much in common.

Promo people usually get their B.A. in liberal arts or communications, have a good sense of humor, share opinions about world events, follow politics, are cynical, know tons of useless facts, think they should be doing more with their lives, and love a good sandwich.

But there is something even greater that unites us:  We embrace constant stimulation.

And Promo World certainly complies - with short turnarounds (from one hour to one month), a constant stream of episodics/topicals, and revisions as far as the eye can see.  If you're done with those, there are always last-minute emergencies, programming notes, and scheduling changes.

Still have time on your hands?  Let's get going on ideas for the next sweeps, start laying out next week's shoot, and do cut-downs.  Then there are the big projects:  Come up with concepts for the new image campaign, explore new formats for those episodics/topicals, and experiment with new color palettes.

And we love it.

The constant stimulation keeps our juices going, always ready to tackle a new challenge right around the corner.  Being plugged into the world outside of promo provides us with a never-ending parade of catalysts.

This space consists of world events, music, art, literature, politics, retro TV, sports, food, family, the Internet...  the list goes on and on.

And being in promo gives us the outlet.  In no other profession is it considered beneficial to know that Ann Sothern was the voice of the car in "My Mother, the Car," Elvis' "It's Now or Never" is really "O Sole Mio," Rihanna is back with Chris Brown, AND the difference between "its," "it's," and "its'."

So when we finally stumble into promo, we know we're in the right place.  There's an immediate rapport, we speak the same language, and we all feel fortunate to have found each other.

Most importantly, we all agree: We've got to find a new place for lunch.

-Ed
 


   

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

This ain't your father's networking

Thanks to our FPCs (Friends of The Promo Code), we're fortunate to present real-life insight into the real time-consuming world of networking.

First, Larry Melnick, who knows everybody.  The owner of Hunter Business Development, Larry coaches advertising and marketing services firms on the finer points of reaching out.  In his own words...


Business networking today is certainly different from generations past. Then, it meant getting out of the office once in a while to a lunch with other like-minded individuals. In addition to wondering about the presentation and presenter and trying to remember your elevator pitch, the big question was what kind of bad chicken they’d be serving.
Today, you don’t even have to leave your office and the opportunity to network is happening almost 24/7. Still, as much as networking has changed most of the core principles remain. Here are some tips for better connecting in today’s social environment
  1. Be transparent – Don’t mask. This includes things like having a photograph on your LinkedIn profile and correspondence (invitations and inmails). Without transparency, there is no trust. Just ask Manti Te’o.
  2. Communicate your intentions – Don’t ever just send LinkedIn’s default invitation. That’s like walking up to a stranger at a live networking event and saying, “I’m (insert your name) and I'd like to add you to my professional network” and nothing more. Identify yourself upfront (see #1) and give them a meaningful reason(s) from their perspective about why it makes sense to connect. If you can’t come up with at least one that’s meaningful, don’t waste your time (or theirs).
  3. Give first – be generous in what you share (insights and content) and then you shall receive.
  4. Quality trumps quantity - otherwise, it's just blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.
  5. Less push and more pull – Adjust your mindset to increase ‘helping’ and decrease ‘selling’
  6. Get involved in other conversations – look to contribute to other discussions. Jump in to the conversation, “like” and/or share.
  7. Take a stand – Don’t be shy about expressing your point of view. At the same time, be respectful.
  8. Be consistent – Establish a realistic pace for networking that’s comfortable for you and stay with it.
  9. Be patient – Relationships develop from trust that’s typically developed over time. Rush trust and you risk breaking it.
Want to learn more about better connecting? http://hunterbizdev.com/approach/
And then there's Marty Iker, of MI Creative Group. http://ikercreative.com
A veteran entertainment marketer, Marty outlines five things you must keep in mind while networking.  Heed his words, for he is wise:

•Networking is a two-way street: give as good as you get.


•Networking is a proactive process—you’ve got to keep the pump primed or you’ll come up dry when you need help the most.


•Be nice to everyone. You never know where they will end up, and if they think highly of you, where
you’ll end up.

•Don’t just think of networking as a career resource. It is also very useful as a creative, collaborative and strategic (or problem-solving) resource.


•LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media play an important role in networking and can really expand it, but don’t stop there. Nothing is more effective than meeting people face to face at industry events and keeping in touch with them over the phone.

  
And now that we all know that networking is extremely personal... I say it's time for a party at Larry's house... and an after-party at Marty's!
-Ed 

Friday, February 8, 2013

Why is This Funny?

I spilled spot remover on my dog.  Now he's gone. - Steven Wright
I bought a perfect second car... a tow truck. - Rodney Dangerfield
Why do they put Braille on drive-thru ATMs? - George Carlin

There's more to these jokes than meet the eye.  And like everything in The Promo Code, it relates to what we do.

Look closely at these one-liners.  They all have something in common - they force you to put the joke together.  Consequently, you reward yourself for putting it together, almost as though you wrote it yourself.  That's the genius.

It's not easy to restrain, indeed, to bring the listener to the water's edge without overdoing it by adding the obvious punchline. The extra line implies the listener is not smart enough to get it.

My good friend, Dana Precious, calls this heavy handedness "putting a clown nose on it."  Dana is spot on, appropriately enough.

In less capable hands, Steven Wright's joke could be, "I spilled spot remover on my dog.  Now he's gone.  I shouldn't have named him Spot."  Still a decent joke, but the clown nose takes it down a notch.

Same with Carlin's joke.  Could easily have been, "Why do they put Braille on drive-thru ATMs. I mean, are blind people driving now?"  Again, much stronger when the listener puts the thought together.

Utilizing this technique in our spots more actively engages viewers.  Let them subconsciously believe that the intended takeaway message was theirs, and they will be co-opted (in a good way, I mean).

Nike is great at this.  Universally acknowledged as being "cool," they never say they are cool.  But everything they do leads you to this conclusion.  Ironically, companies that brand themselves as cool are never perceived as such.

The spots for NFL.com apparel also do a great job of this.  Here's an example 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2a0Nlmyt-k

As well as this great one for, well, you'll see...
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGikNBqiNyE

This is why claims of "best" and "funniest" and "#1" alone do not stick with viewers.  Aside from being overused, they don't allow viewers to draw that conclusion.

The same goes for "value" and "quality."  Waste of time and space if shouted from the mountain tops.  Invaluable if inferred by the viewer.
 
So, hold back one step from your intended takeaway and resist the clown nose. 
For comedy.  News.  Entertainment.

Your viewers will thank themselves.   

-Ed

 


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Chapter 8: Making the Leap

I've been "swimming in the creative services pool" for a long time.  In fact, CBS' "Catch the Brightest Stars on CBS" campaign (you can look up the year) was my first and the great Jack Sander was my first boss.  Jack's retired now, but I'm still beating the drum for those of us who love promos, promoting stations and believe in the power of what a station means to its local community.  But, as our jobs have changed, our commitment to our communities has not.

Still, it's so common for promosapiens to get discouraged and look for greener pastures outside of television.  The reasons are simple:  more money, more respect and February, May and Novembers off.

Perhaps you've made the leap into a new marketing or creative career yourself, or are thinking about it.
I'm sure we've all done this during our careers.

"I don't need this crap.  I'm going into medical transcription.  At least I'll get sweeps off."

I certainly understand how you feel.  The same sweep stories,  the belligerent news director who feels they are an expert in marketing, the micro-managing general manager and the sales manager who needs you to produce that commercial yesterday.

But consider this about your colleagues--reporters report, engineers keep you on the air, videographers shoot and salespeople sell.  There is no one in your building who can do what you, which is everything else--and do it so well.  An old announcer friend of mind used to describe us as "The Department of What's Happening Now."  That about says it.

I don't know about you, but I can strategize, analyze, write, produce, direct, light, announce and help push any turd of a newscast to a number one position.  I'll bet you can, too.

In short, promotion people are valuable, but don't let anyone devalue you.  It's because you're a creative type and they are wannabees.  You have skills most of your peers wish they had.  But are those skills transferable to other industries?

I would love to tell you that being able to do so much with so little will be recognized and applauded by other companies that might interest you.  Medical?  Sports?  Non-profit?  All are interesting fields and ones in which you would thrive.  If you can market a newscast or image of a station that is doing better than it should, could you market a hospital, store or corporation?  Of course.  You are nothing if not versatile.

But will these other businesses you're interested in be able to "make the leap" from what they need and what you can do?  Doubtful.

When asked about my job, I describe it as "I run the in-house advertising agency, and I only have one client."
This is a concept that is foreign to a lot of businesses, specifically ad agencies, which take months to create one spot for $100,000.   The fact that you do over a thousand spots a year at a budgt of $1,000 will not make them see clearly enough to hire you.  They will NOT admire you for it.

So, what to do?  If you're ready to leave television or radio, be prepared with a pitch that really boils your skills down so you can spoon-feed your potential new employer.  You know a lot of stuff, but it might take a lot to make this apparent to someone who's never been in a station or even thought of how television promotion seeps into their minds without their even knowing it.  They've probably seen a lot of your work--they just don't know it.

If you're thinking about working at an agency or in corporate marketing, have a chat with someone in that business about what they need and want and are looking for.  Don't expect them to know what you do.  It will go right over their heads.

When you're this versatile and talented, it shouldn't be so hard to get someone outside of our industry to notice it.  The problem is that television and radio promotion is very stealth.  We get you to watch or listen to our stations without your even knowing why.  Now, that's a talent.  After thirty years, my mother still asks me "now, what do you do?"

So, go forth, but have your guns loaded.  Be ready to explain why you can do their job, because odds are, they won't see it.  I've made the leap into non-profits, and it wasn't an easy journey to a job that pays less.

If you can convince viewers that another TSR of "Killer Fish" in your newscast is a reason to watch, you can make the leap into another career.  Beware the corporate alligators, though.  They are untalented and fear what they don't understand.

They'll hire an untalented hack who comes from their field before they take a chance on you.  Hold their hands and help them live the Promo Code by making the leap together.

--RB

  

Monday, February 4, 2013

For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a complete story - with a beginning, middle and end - in 10 words or less.  He grabbed a napkin and scribbled, "For sale.  Baby shoes.  Never worn."

He won the bet.

There's no way you can read the story without a lump in your throat and a tingle down your spine.  And yet, it's almost all in your mind.  He led you to the water.  You drank. And chances are this story will stay with you for days.

If this is possible for a novel (albeit flash fiction) , there's no reason for :30 promos to be so wordy.  And you don't have to be Hemingway to make shorter better.

My Promo Code colleague, Rich Brase, often rails against verbosity as though he were tilting against windmills. In his insightful post, The Death of Promospeak, he writes of the insane amount of well-worn copy that is horseshoed into spots.  Pity the copywriter who wants to create original messages with fewer words and greater demands.

http://promocoderichanded.blogspot.com/2013/01/episode-4-death-of-promospeak-ive-been.html

There are many ways to write a great spot.  Wall-to-wall copy is rarely one of them.

When others demand the maximum words per second, they get episodics and topicals that tell the whole story (instead of tease), as well as image spots that include all the key research hot buttons (related or not), none of which resonate with the viewer.

If a story can be told in fewer words, it should be.  This requires rewrite after rewrite or even a little inspiration.  "Baby Shoes" might hit you in the shower, while you're driving, or watching a music video.  Jot it down.  Done deal.

Let's show them how fewer words can have more impact.  Go ahead, raise the bar. Look at copy you wrote today and see what you can remove.  Chances are, you will find more than you would care to admit.

And sometimes, you just have to toss the whole script and write your own "Baby Shoes."

-Ed