Category Archives: Advertising (General)

Finding and Keeping a Great Salesman

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

In a March 2012 blog post, Seth Godin noted the difference between the perception and the reality among professionals regarding their allocation of time in operating their business.  He used professional photographers to illustrate his point that managing time and … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Business, Communication, Copy, Copywriting, Management, Problem-solving, Productivity, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Sales, Sales & Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

An Advertising Slogan We’d Love to See – Casino

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

Drove past this billboard some years ago and had to snap a picture of it. “Where winning happens,” the casino’s headline cheerfully proclaims. And winning does happen, of course. Occasionally. I wonder if they’d entertain an alternate headline: “What Have You Got … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Communication, Copy, Copywriting, Positioning, Sales & Marketing, Slogans and taglines | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Freebie for an Independent Florist

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

I was hired recently to write and produce a radio spot encouraging folks wanting to send flowers to do business with a local florist in the recipient’s neighborhood, rather than going through one of the “1-800”  number services. The client, owner … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Copywriting, Grace Broadcast Sales, Problem-solving, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Sales & Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jim Williams on Using Demo Tapes to Sell Radio Advertising

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

HIS NAME WAS JIM WILLIAMS. He was radio’s first serious sales trainer. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of radio advertising salespeople across America acquired their unshakeable belief in the power of radio advertising from Jim. By way of introduction, this post is … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Audio Equipment, Client-voiced commercials, Communication, Copy, Copywriting, Grace Broadcast Sales, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Radio Sales Cafe, Sales & Marketing, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Context Matters

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

Whenever I meet with a new advertising client or prospect, one of the first items of business is to come to a meeting of the minds concerning the singular importance of: The Message. What-the-ad-says has more to do with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Communication, Copy, Copywriting, editor, graphic design, Newspaper, Print, Problem-solving, Professional Services Advertising, Promotions, Proofreading, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Sales & Marketing, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Your Brand a Joke?

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

I enjoy a funny story as much as anyone.  But not every joke is worth telling, certainly not in all places, at all times. Just because you can tell it doesn’t mean that you should. Context matters, it really does.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Communication, Copywriting, Print, Professional Services Advertising, Promotions, Sales & Marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Best-Selling Wizard of Ads Trilogy…FREE!

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

If Roy H. Williams has advertised this elsewhere, I’ve not seen it.  But earlier this week, as I was poking around the Wizard’s website, I happened to notice that he’s making available FREE (for how long?) all three of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Communication, Problem-solving, Professional Services Advertising, Promotions, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Sales & Marketing, Storytelling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

David Ogilvy on Writing and the Spoken Word

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Rod Schwartz

From Brain Pickings… On September 7th, 1982, Ogilvy sent an internal memo to all agency employees, titled “How to Write:” The better you write, the higher you go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well. Woolly minded … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Client-voiced commercials, Communication, Madison Avenue, Ogilvy, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Sales & Marketing, Storytelling, Voice Acting, Voiceover | 1 Comment

“WORD-OF-MOUTH IS MY BEST ADVERTISING.”

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Rod Schwartz

“I don’t need to advertise.  I rely on word-of-mouth. My customers tell their friends.”   How often have you heard those words? Personal referrals and recommendations are powerful, especially when we’re considering the purchase of a product or service from a … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Client-voiced commercials, Communication, Problem-solving, Professional Services Advertising, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Copywriting, Radio Production, Sales & Marketing, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

RADIO (Still) Gets Results!

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Rod Schwartz

The fact that I retrieved this presentation from a cassette tape tells you something about how long ago I put it together. (Hint: it was before we recorded onto flash memory cards, before we emailed MP3 files, even before we burned CD’s. Seinfeld was … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising (General), Branding, Client-voiced commercials, Professional Services Advertising, Radio Advertising, Radio Commercials, Radio Production, Sales & Marketing, Storytelling | Leave a comment