Radio Can Learn From Super Bowl Commercials

Advertising trends relate directly to the mood and mindset of your radio audience. Before creating a Super Bowl commercial, major companies and advertising agencies spend mega-dollars researching and assessing the country’s current attitudes. Big brands can’t afford a misfire since the average cost of a spot in the Super Bowl is well over $5 million! According to AdAge, humor will rule the day with most Super Bowl ads. Their research reveals that 81% of respondents want funny commercials while only 11% want ads that are political or social. Inclusivity and personalization will also be prevalent in the commercials. Three Radio Takeaways:

1. Humor

   Why humor? The divide in our country is massive on politics, social movements, and even the COVID-19 pandemic. Few, if any brands will take a provocative approach according to Jason Schragger, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, who handles Toyota’s Super Bowl ad, “America is raw, vulnerable and sensitive right now.”

   • Not everyone on radio can be funny; although, you can have fun, laugh, and be amusing. Your show can easily add humor by running late-night highlights and comedic clips. They’ll likely be less political now that the election is over. Just look how the Bernie inauguration memes exploded this week.
   • Pop culture clips punctuate and add fun to stories and discussions.
   • Most music morning shows are thriving by being the feel-good show. In the right competitive situation, it makes sense to use a form of feel-good in the imaging.
2. Inclusivity

   We will see openness and people diversity in the commercials. Except for the comedy, the stories and scenarios will be more authentic and compassionate.

   • Radio personalities thrive on authenticity, empathy, and companionship. Minimize the “I” word and focus on inclusive language like you, your, our, we, and us.
   • Make your show easy to follow by clearly and concisely setting up and resetting content and guests.
3. Personalization

   From an advertising viewpoint, personalization is about tailoring the experiences and communication in marketing to their customers. In your case, it’s about acknowledging and relating to what your listeners are feeling and doing.

   • Sharing your life experiences and engaging listeners on-air and online will prompt listeners to do the same.
   • Beyond the show, most successful personality brands demonstrate what they stand for in their communities. We have clients who are active year-round highlighting and promoting causes including children’s hospitals, the Ronald McDonald House, and breast cancer.