We Won !

Last Saturday, we heard news that productions by Airforce have won, for the third year in a row, another Vox award.

'Hornby', produced for our client Spirit FM won the 'Best Retail Radio Commercial' category in the 2013 Vox Awards.

Other Airforce productions Celebrate Without Drama's 'Dizzy Lizzy' produced for our client Wessex FM was also nominated in the 'Best Public Service' category, Travel Dorset's 'Sharing to Work' produced again for Wessex FM was a finalist in the 'Best Music' category and Tanya Rich for her performance in 'Dizzy Lizzy' was  nominated in the 'Best Female Voiceover' category. In all, we received more finalist nominations than any other entrant.

We broke the news to our client today, and everyone is delighted.

'Hornby' was one in a series of 3 commercials created for The Engine Shed, a massive store in Sussex specialising in Model Railways, Scalextric, Airfix models and much more besides.

Airforce was called in by Spririt FM to bring a new dynamic to the Engine Shed's radio advertising. Their previous commercials were 'what you would expect from a model shop'. Our task was to 'bring alive' the store in a more contemporary manner and introduce it to those outside the model-making and train set community.

We devised the theme 'lose yourself in the Engine Shed'. This line not only gives an indication of the scale of the store, but tells the audience that the goods they sell are so lifelike, you'll actually feel you're there on the rail rack, in an aeroplane or in a racing car. Each of the 3 radio commercials we produced featured a child 'losing themselves' when playing with model railways, cars or planes.

You can hear all 3 radio adverts, including the award-winning 'Hornby' here.

John Calvert

We're onto a winner ?

The Vox Awards are back.

And we're proud to say, 4 productions by Airforce are nominated for prizes. In fact, we have more nominations than any other entrant.

The Engine Shed's 'Hornby' produced for our client Spirit FM features in the 'Best Retail' category, Celebrate Without Drama's 'Dizzy Lizzy' produced for out client Wessex FM features in the 'Best Public Service' category, Travel Dorset's 'Sharing to Work' produced again for Wessex FM features in the 'Best Music' category and Tanya Rich for her performance in 'Dizzy Lizzy' has been nominated in the 'Best Female Voiceover' category.

Last year, Airforce won the the 'Best Retail' category. The year before, our productions won the 'Best Male Voiceover' and 'Best Female Voiceover' categories, so in 2013, we'd really like to win the hat trick.

To win a Vox Award, our entries need votes. And lots of them !  The voting process is mildly convoluted, but if you have a spare five minutes, visit this website. And follow the process. They will ask you for your phone number, but it is not used for any dubious purposes.

Voting closes on the 18th, so we would really appreciate your help !

Many thanks.

John
Airforce

Why Radio Stations Can Learn From the Horsemeat Scandal

There are a lot of folks blaming each other for the mess recently created by the horsemeat scandal.

In my view, a large percentage of the accusative finger should be pointed at some of the supermarkets. In their never-ending quest to buy their stock at the cheapest possible prices, it's not surprising some suppliers have resorted to below-the-belt tactics to make ends meet (Or should it be 'make ends meat' ?) by replacing beef with the cheaper horsemeat.

I am in no way condoning the suppliers behaviour, but when a supermarket is asking you to reduce your prices, it's obvious that the product quality won't be as good. Corners will always be cut.

A few weeks ago, I read a blog from a radio commercial production company who decided to part company with a group of radio stations because they couldn't agree on a fair price to produce radio ads. In a nutshell, the radio stations wanted their commercials produced for '£X' and the production company said their price will be a higher '£Y'. The production company concerned felt that they simply couldn't make radio commercials for the '£X' price and so they pulled out of the deal. Those who read the blog (Including myself) were in full support of the production company's withdrawal. Sure, we all want our prices to be accessible, but when if a product is going to be seriously compromised, for the sake of your own company's reputation, it is best to walk away.

In the current economic climate, there's a huge amount of undercutting going on. I have seen online production companies offering their services for just £45 !

So what will you get for your £45 ? Well, you'll get a radio ad, but what has gone into it - or most worryingly,  not ?

I wouldn't be surprised if the 'writer' is an ex-DJ, a swing jock or someone 'in-between jobs'. Note: Just because the person creating your radio ad 'works in radio'; that does not mean he or she is an expert in creating radio advertising.

The same warning goes to people who own a recording studio. There is no connection between 'owning a recording studio' and being a fully-fledged Radio Commercial Producer. Choose your studio wisely.

And so to the production. What kind of music will they be using for £45 ? It's unlikely to be MCPS production music. The cost for just one 30 second cut is about £80, so some folks will say that's too expensive. The radio station commissioning the production may have an MCPS blanket licence - which helps, but many stations don't have one. About a year ago, a group of radio stations invited Airforce to tender for a production contract. We declined because they wouldn't invest in the Blanket Licence. A lot of MCPS production music is of extremely high quality and can actually make some low-cost productions sound quite decent. But if you resort to the Royalty Free stuff, the musical integrity is often quite limited, American-sounding, iffy or all three.

If it's a jingle you're after, then lots of companies will punch a catchy tune out for less than £250. But the people performing on your track are unlikely to be 'proper' session musicians or singers. When you add things up; A couple of great session singers, a half decent studio, a composer with a successful track record in producing advertising music, some proper session musicians etc etc; £250 will barely scratch the surface. Again, it wouldn't surprise me if the 'singer' is the producer's girlfriend and/or sister who sometimes performs down the pub on Karaoke night. Or it will be the producer himself.

I could dismantle the prices even more, but the fact is: Cheap is not good.

Cheap gives you poorly-written scripts. Cheap gives you poor production values. Cheap gives you badly-cast voices. Cheap gives you naff music. Cheap gives you jingles that annoy the hell out of the listener. Cheap employs part-time singers and musicians.  Cheap will never present your brand in the right light. Cheap lowers the quality of radio station output. Cheap makes everything sound the same. Cheap doesn't give radio advertisers the choice, service and attention they deserve. Cheap is putting a square peg into a round hole. Cheap isn't proper radio advertising.

This is why some radio stations should learn from  the Horsemeat Scandal. Instead of looking for a producer who will do things for less, use someone who will bring to the table tasty things that contain great ingredients and will have advertisers wanting second, third and fourth helpings.

We have radio station clients who understand this. But alas, they are not the norm.

JOHN CALVERT

You don't have to get your radio station to make your radio commercials, radio adverts and jingles. For free initial script ideas, get in touch here.

The Radio Listener is Unforgiving

About 6 weeks ago, I got a call from someone I hadn't seen for at least 8 years.

The last time we spoke was when we were both working for a commercial radio station. He was a Sales Manager, I was the Commercial Producer. His relationship with Airforce stretches back many many years and he is a huge fan of our work.

To cut a long story short, I got the call because this chap had been called in to turn an ailing radio station around and he wanted us to improve the station's commercial output.

This is a small station with a poor track record. So the challenge of clearing up the mess from the past is going to be hard one. But this guy WANTS to make it work, the station's owners want to make it work and so do all the staff. In a few weeks, the station has re-branded and reformatted. To attract more 'national' revenue it will be going into RAJAR soon. Already the signs are good. Staff Morale is good, average order values are up and the audience is responding favourably to the new sound. Having said that, the station is very aware it has a long way to go. But no problem, they are on the case.

My job is to focus on improving the sound of the commercials. I am in regular contact with the sales team and doing everything I can to assist them. Such as accompanying them on sales calls. Even on projects that just require 'everyday' commercial production, I am trying to make a point of being there. If other businesses hear half-decent ads on the station, chances are they will want a slice of the action.

We're calling the initiative 'A New Creative Attitude'. My deal with the station is that we will provide free creative training, instigate at our own cost an on air creative strategy to attract new advertisers and embed a better creative mind-set in the sales team. In return Airforce will get new business leads. We win, the station wins, the advertisers win and the audience wins.

And while all that is happening, I get emails from 2 community radio stations asking how much Airforce charge to make radio ads. I gave them an indication and BOTH responded by saying words to the effect of: 'Those costs are too high, we're only a community station'.

Look: Just because you're a Community radio station, it doesn't mean the audience is going to be happy with your naff commercial output. Remember what Advertising Guru David Ogilvy once said ? 'The consumer is not a Moron, she is your wife'. Imagine you are the marketing manager of Ford cars. You are instigating a poster campaign. One poster site is in a small village with a population of 500 people. Just because it's 'only' 500 people, does that mean Ford would be happy to put up a sub standard poster up in that village ? Of course not. They will do the job properly and ensure that the product is ALWAYS presented in the best possible light regardless of the size of audience. Whether you're a national radio station, a regional station, a local station or a community station: The audience is unforgiving. They will ALWAYS opt for someone that comes across better than someone who sounds tatty and amateurish.

If a radio station believes businesses will only pay tuppence for radio advert production, tuppence is all you will get. But if you're a station that believes that it's worth forking out a few more quid to get things right, then your clients will believe that too. Last week another Community station called and asked Airforce to help out. So far we've worked on 2 projects (One directly, one indirectly)and on both occasions, clients have invested significantly more money in their sound because we helped them understood the value of doing so.

And all that links back to the station we're helping to turn round. OK, the station we're helping is just a wee bit larger than the community stations, but the principal is the same....

It's all about mindset. We have 2 stations that don't believe and we have 2 stations that do.

...Which of these stations do you think will ultimately be most successful ?

John Calvert.
Whether you're a radio station or a radio advertiser, let us help to turn things round. Contact us here.

Success for Airforce radio commercials at Vox 2011

For Vox 2011, productions created by Airforce were nominated in no less than 4 categories.

We're pleased to say 2 were won !

In 'Best Male Voiceover Performance', Guy Harris picked up the award for his performance in our radio commercial 'Mr Intoxico' produced for Dorset Police.

Guy was thrilled and we are thrilled for him too. Not only is he an all-round good egg, but he is hugely talented too.

And if that wasn't enough: In the 'Best Female Voiceover Performance', Laura Shavin picked up an award for her performance in our commercial 'The Message', produced for Lincoln Furniture Warehouse

Recognise Laura's name ? Listen to 'The Now Show' on BBC Radio 4 and you'll hear her regular contributions. A highly in-demand voice, Laura's tones regularly appear on our productions and it's terrific her talent has been recognised by industry professionals.

We are particularly pleased because this year, commercials by Airforce picked up more awards than anyone other entrant. In addition, Airforce commercials received more nominations than anyone else too !

You can hear Laura's ad here.

You can hear Guy's ad here.

If you're unfamiliar with 'Vox'...

It is a yearly gathering of voiceover professionals and producers from production companies and radio stations. Due to the 'down the line' technology that exists, many of us don't actually work with voices face to face in the studio. So Vox gives us the chance to put a face to the voice.

One of our favourite voices is Gina Mellotte. Gina's voice also featured in the 'Mr Intoxico' commercial. We've worked with her for ages, but Vox 2011 was the first time I actually met her in the flesh !

You will hear Gina's voice on many high-profile TV productions. ITV, BAFTA, Radio 2 and many more.

It was also a great opportunity to catch up with some people we haven't seen for an age. Many were discussing how the recession had effected their business. Many are doing well, some had seen revenues go down rapidly. Scary stuff. But it does teach me that marketing marketing marketing is the way to get new business. This year we're spending more on it than ever before.

A huge gathering of people who use their voices to earn a living is a deafening experience. But I am thankful to be working in an industry where everyone is an absolute delight.

There are some amazingly professional people out there, all willing to give their all to even the lower-budget work. All these people look like ordinary members of the public, but every day their voices and their productions guide us, inspire us and inform us in great creative ways. Amateurs are never cost-effective substitutes, they simply make your business sound...Amateurish ! Always employ professionals with a proven track record in their field. In the long run, it will be the best investment you'll ever make in your marketing.

Congratulations to everyone who won at Vox 2011. We're happy, but not contented. Next year, we'll enter more work and push you harder to vote for it all to win !

For award-winning radio commercials and radio advert production featuring award winning voices, call us now ! Click here to contact Airforce.

Airforce is in the finals of the Vox Awards

The finalists have been announced for the 2011 Vox Awards and we're delighted to see that productions by Airforce feature in 4 of the 7 main categories.

'Cabinet' in the 'Best Retail' category, produced for Lincoln Furniture Warehouse.
'The Dream' in the 'Best Services' category, produced for Tanbridge House School.
'Mr Intoxixo' featuring Guy Harris in the 'Best Male Voiceover performance' category, produced for Dorset Police.
'The Message' featuring Laura Shavin in the 'Best Female Voiceover performance' category, produced for Lincoln Furniture Warehouse.

We're naturally delighted to have so many commercials featured in the finals. The winners will be decided by votes so we need
your help !

To hear all the finalist commercials and cast your vote, visit the Vox Awards website here and follow the instructions.

You have until May 19th to vote, so vote NOW !

Many thanks.

JOHN CALVERT
www.airforce.co.uk

How Powerful are Your Words ?

I am grateful to my Facebook friend Clive Dickens for posting this wonderful short film.

Whatever kind of advertising medium you favour, this film reminds us that that it is always possible to add powerful meaning to even the most ordinary of propositions.

That doesn't mean you need to spend squillions on your advertising campaign. For local and regional radio advertisers, all it takes is a little bit of extra thought.

...Which for some reason, only a small amount of local and regional radio advertisers tend to do !

Let it be known that constantly spending your advertising money on telling listeners you've cut your prices is flawed strategy. In this day an age, it is essential that radio advertisers invest in attracting new believers. And to do that, you have to 'frame' your proposition in a completely different way to your competitors. The film Clive posted is a perfect example of that.

Come on. Challenge Airforce to take your proposition and present it from a completely different angle.

You can listen to examples of our radio commercials, radio adverts & jingles here.

John Calvert