Author Archives: Rod Schwartz

About Rod Schwartz

Rod Schwartz backed into a lifelong career in radio advertising in 1973 in Springfield, Illinois. He joined the Pullman (Wash.) Radio Group in 1979, where he worked until his retirement at the end of 2022. From 1991 to March 2024, Rod and his family operated Grace Broadcast Sales, providing short-form syndicated radio features to radio and TV stations across the U.S. and Canada. Rod currently operates an independent advertising, marketing, and media consultancy for radio stations, independent business owners and busy professionals, and he continues providing syndicated audio features to radio and TV station clients. More information is available at RodSchwartz.com. An avid photographer, Rod shares some of his favorite images at PalousePics.com and on his Viewbug gallery. See Links for details.

How to Amplify Your Word-of-Mouth (Guaranteed)

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Rod Schwartz

You prize good word-of-mouth don’t you? We all do. Word-of-mouth may not create business, but it helps create a preference for your business or brand in the heart of the hearer. Good radio advertising can have the same effect, only multiplied and amplified. … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Business, Client-voiced commercials, Communication, Consistency, Copy, Copywriting, Internet, Magazine, Newspaper, Pay-per-click, Positioning, Print, Productivity, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Sales, Sales & Marketing, Slogans and taglines, Storytelling, Voice Acting | Tagged print, Radio, results, ROI, speech, word-of-mouth, word-of-mouth advertising | 2 Comments

The Speech Therapist In Your Pocket

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Rod Schwartz

You and I take the sounds of our words for granted. We don’t even give them a second thought. Having learned our alphabet as kids (to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, possibly our earliest exposure to the power of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged app, children, defect, foreign, Gemiini Educational Systems, impediment, international, Keri Jones, language, pathology, Pullman Regional Hospital, speech, therapy | Leave a comment

Putting Your Phone Number in a Radio Ad is a Bad Idea. Here’s Why.

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Rod Schwartz

You’re not one of those advertisers who puts their telephone number into their radio ads, are you? Good. Didn’t think so. Because you know better. You chuckle at the mental image of somebody pulling over as they’re driving down the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Business, Copy, Copywriting, Jingles, Professional Services Advertising, Proofreading, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Slogans and taglines, Storytelling, Uncategorized | Tagged 1-800-FLOWERS, ad, Advertising, Commercial, Dissmore's, Geico, Home Depot, Howard Hughes, jingle, Ken Paulson, McDonald's, phone, phone number, Sam Dial, telephone, WalMart, Yellow Pages | Leave a comment

The Picture-Perfect Palouse

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Rod Schwartz

The Picture-perfect Palouse – a slideshow featuring photos of the Palouse, captured while on drives and walks in Palouse Country throughout the year. First-time visitors to the Palouse region describe our unique Palouse landscapes as peaceful, tranquil, different from any other … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged landscapes, Palouse, Palouse images, Palouse landscapes, Palouse photography, PalousePics, photography | 3 Comments

A Modest Proposal for Radio

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Rod Schwartz

Do Most Radio Ads Suck? Jeff Sexton is an ad writer, and a damn good one. He occasionally teaches ad writing at Wizard Academy and is himself one of the Wizard of Ads® Partners. I subscribe to Jeff’s blog and … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Business, Casting Talent, Client-voiced commercials, Communication, Consistency, Copy, Copywriting, Problem-solving, Professional Services Advertising, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Radio Sales Cafe, Sales, Sales & Marketing, Storytelling, Uncategorized, Voice Acting, Voiceover | Tagged ad, Advertising, copy, copywriting, Production, quality, Radio, suck, TV, writing | Leave a comment

Thoroughbred Radio Ad Campaign Races into Hall of Fame

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Rod Schwartz

One of my very favorite advertising campaigns of all time has to do with horse racing. And life, laughter, and modern culture. It’s DeVito/Verdi’s brilliant “And They’re Off…” campaign, winner of multiple advertising awards over the years, including their induction … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Awards, Branding, Business, Communication, Consistency, Copywriting, Positioning, Print, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Slogans and taglines, Storytelling, Voice Acting | Tagged ad, Award, campaign, Clio, Commercial, DeVito/Verdi, horse, Mercury, NTRA, racing, Radio, theater-of-the-mind | Leave a comment

Testimonial Ads Earn High Marks from the Wizard of Ads®

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Rod Schwartz

Most people reading this blog know who Roy H. Williams is. The Wizard of Ads®, founder of Wizard Academy and the American Small Business Institute, author of the best-selling Wizard of Ads® trilogy and co-author with partners Jeffrey and Bryan … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "Roy H. Williams", ad, Advertising, Clearview Eye Clinic, Commercial, Dr David Leach, Radio, testimonial, Wizard, Wizard of Ads | Leave a comment

Help Wanted: Have a Job to Fill? Attract More, Better Applicants with Radio Advertising

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Rod Schwartz

What’s the best way to attract your next superstar? Hire your local radio station. Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Business, Client-voiced commercials, Copywriting, Internet, Newspaper, Print, Problem-solving, Professional Services Advertising, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Recruitment | Tagged Advertising, employee, employment, help wanted, hiring, job, Radio, Recruitment | Leave a comment

For All Your [Fill-in-the-Blank] Needs

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Rod Schwartz

cli·ché (noun) – a phrase that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought Just for fun sometime, make a mental note of all the ads you encounter that contain these five words: “for all your __________ needs.” Every time … Continue reading →

Posted in Branding, Business, Client-voiced commercials, Copy, Copywriting, Ogilvy, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production | Tagged Advertising, cliche, print, Radio, TV | Leave a comment

Tom Bodett, Still Kickin’ Butt for Motel 6

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Rod Schwartz

In 1992, Tom Bodett’s “Singing Phone Number” spot for Motel 6 took the $100,000 Grand Prize in that year’s Radio Mercury Awards. Since then, his radio spots have been Mercury finalists or winners 22 more times, with another Grand Prize … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment