As I’ve said often, advertising on local TV means business. Local businesses looking to advertise on TV stations, and their various platforms, don’t usually have ad agencies to handle their marketing, advertising, commercial production and media buying. Some businesses might have a budget just big enough to buy some TV time, so most stations, regardless […]
As I’ve said often, advertising on local TV means business.
Local businesses looking to advertise on TV stations, and their various platforms, don’t usually have ad agencies to handle their marketing, advertising, commercial production and media buying.
Some businesses might have a budget just big enough to buy some TV time, so most stations, regardless of the market size, offer low-cost or no cost creative and video production to get their clients’ commercials made.
It’s an invaluable service for the station to offer, because even though the client might spread its advertising dollars around to the other stations in the markets, the station that created the ad usually gets a higher percentage of the buy.
But that’s not the only benefit. The process of creating the local client’s commercials establishes a relationship between the station and the client that goes beyond dollars and cents. Clients become comfortable and confident dealing with the station’s sales team, and like the interaction dealing with the station’s creative and video production people that make the ads.
Done right, this can lead to the station controlling the clients’ advertising business for years.
Automotive advertising is the second largest category for ad spending in the country, and accounts for about 35% of a station’s overall billing, on average.
So gain a local car dealership’s confidence and help it advertise effectively and you might have a satisfied customer for years.
But it’s a challenge to create stand-out ads for dealerships. Some of the problems stem from the dealerships themselves, who insist on the same creative all the time, usually themselves on camera yelling frenetically about their cars, prices and deals.
But once in a while, you might get a dealership that asks for something different, like what the Dan Cummins Chevrolet and Buick dealerships asked Gray’s CBS affiliate WKYT Lexington, Ky., to create.
“I want a commercial that doesn’t look like a car commercial,” said Sam McGhee, characterizing what the folks at Dan Cummins told him.
“I don’t want a regular car commercial, I want a commercial that makes people feel good,” they told him.
McGhee is WKYT’s creative services producer who creates 90% of the station’s commercials.
McGhee said he created a 30-second commercial, and the client loved it.
However, “I thought this doesn’t seem like enough time, so I made a 60-second version,” said McGhee.
The client loved it more. So much, “that he took all of his funds from the other stations, and gave all of it to [WKYT],” said McGhee.
Got a successful sales story to share? Happy client, effective ad, TV/digital combo solution, great creative and production?
I’m looking to share creative, memorable and effective local TV commercials that have been produced by stations across the country.
Got good commercials and sales stories you want to share? Contact me at 817-578-6324 or [email protected].
Click here to read how a campaign of funny commercials between a mom and son spelled success for WXYZ in Detroit and the client.
Click here to see how WAVE Louisville, Ky., turned doctors into rock stars.
Click here to see how WFIE Evansville, Ind., showed why donuts can make anyone into a hero.
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