Episode 69: Creating Great Radio With Oink Ink

Brandstorm

What’s the secret to a great radio campaign? If anyone knows it is today’s guest. Having written, directed and produced more than 1,000 award-winning national and international radio spots, Dan Price is the president, owner and partner at Oink Ink Radio, the oldest and largest radio ad agency in the U.S.

Oink Ink Radio

What’s the story behind the name Oink Ink Radio. Honestly, Dan wishes it was funnier. When Dan left a New York-based production company to join another in Los Angeles, both companies got into a heated legal battle over him. Dan decided to go on his own with the name “Ham Radio.” The Internet was barely invented at the time, so he was initially unaware that there was another company, also based in New York, doing the same thing with the same name. Having already created the artwork, logo and rubber pig noses to promote his new company, Dan realized their company name had to be at least pig-related. Hence, Oink Ink Radio.

Impact of Technology on Radio

Dan says the newest technology impacting what they do is short form and dynamic radio. The short form forces the writer to create an ad so simple, it can easily be understood in 5- to 15-seconds.

Dynamic radio is a little more complicated. It’s the real-time compilation of an audio spot on the fly using data points like weather, time of day, or day of the week. It can be highly targeted depending on who is listening, on what device, the activities they are participating in or the music they enjoy. New, highly customized spots are created by selecting pieces of audio with these various recorded data points and assembling them together instantly. Dan says it’s an incredible way to be more relevant and is something that traditional radio is not yet able to do.

Other new audio platforms include streaming, podcasting, sonic branding and soon-to-be voice command and in-car. In Dan’s opinion, traditional radio will never die, but it will be consumed differently.

Four Elements to Great Radio Copy

No radio spot should ever be produced without achieving the following:

1. It needs to immediately gain the attention of the listener.
2. It must tell a relatable story to engage the listener.
3. It should solve a problem using the product or service.
4. Must reward the listener for the time they gave the ad in a creative or clever way.

Dan provides three radio spots that demonstrate the effective use of these elements.

Talent is also critical. Oink has a rule that all scripts are written to the half-second before they go into a studio to record. Most scripts come in much shorter than standard spot times, so that more time is spent with the talent and less on trying to cut precious seconds to make the copy fit.

Ad Budgets

While Dan works with larger brands that do not have as many concerns over budget, Dan believes clients should invest more on the front end creating the radio spots, perhaps spending 15 percent of the media budget instead of 5 percent. This is particularly true when the client is spending a lot of money on the backend to advertise.

The State of Radio

Dan says radio is here to stay and is arguably the hottest medium at the moment. Radio is intimate, personal and very powerful. If he was to predict the next advances in audio advertising, Dan thinks it will involve interactive voice command and connected home.

Connect with Oink Ink Radio

Oink Ink Radio Twitter: twitter.com/OinkInk

Oink Ink Radio Facebook: facebook.com/OinkInkRadio/

Oink Ink Radio LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/oink-ink-radio/

Dan Price Facebook: facebook.com/dan.price.940

Dan Price LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danpriceoinkink/

Dan Price Email: [e-mail]

Dan Price Phone: [phone]