I was cutting a radio commercial for a client today when I ran into a bit of a dilemma. The dilemma: In the first read-through, I’d said everything that needed to be said in 22 seconds.
It didn’t take me long to figure out what the problem was: me.
The commercial didn’t need more of my voice, more words.
The same can be said of something that I noticed while out at a Valley League baseball game over the weekend. My wife pointed out to me that she couldn’t read the messages on the banners lining the outfield fence.
The problem: too many words.
To accommodate the extra verbiage, the logos were made so small that we couldn’t tell what was being promoted.
Dial it back a bit. A few key words will stick more than a lengthy message. That goes for radio, TV, newspapers and magazines, event banners, what have you.
Get in, and get out.
Chris Graham is the president and CEO of Augusta Free Press LLC, a full-service web- and graphic-design and marketing-services firm based in Waynesboro, Va. Email him at [email protected]. More online at www.AFPBusiness.com.
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Chris Graham
