MassMedia: Advertising & PR: The A.I.D.A. Formula for Writing Commercials (W12-P3) [VID] Fa16

Below is a clip from the film, Glengary Glen Ross, about four real estate salesmen and  the challenge set before them.

The A.I.D.A marketing formula is something that can help you in your own marketing efforts.

You want to be successful in your media career?  No matter your career path, you will be "marketing" something, "selling" something, "promoting" something, if only that something is yourself.   To be successful, it would be good to know key marketing techniques.

One of those key marketing techniques is the A.I.D.A. formula.  For details, see below.


Did you notice what I just did?  

==================

The A.I.D.A. formula is a common format used in the writing of commercials.

• Parts of A.I.D.A. Commercial
1. Attention: Get audience’s attention
2. Interest: Keep interest expand attention, tell benefits, use “you,” etc.
3. Desire: Create desire in audience.  Develop some need in the audience members that the product meets.
4. Action: Tell audience what to do. Go to an address, go to web site or call now.

Take a look at the following TV commercial script.  See the parts of the A.I.D.A formula?  What's the need addressed?

A typical commercial script follows a two column format with the video on left and audio on right.  The video column describes what the viewer sees in each part of the commercial and the audio column describes what the audio will hear.

Source: Hillman


There are three major formats of commercials and the A.I.D.A. formula best fits the format called the straight sell.

Format of Commercials

• Straight Sell
• Main “character” is a pitchman who tries to sell product to you.
• Testimonial
• A personal story is told to sell the product. “I use the product. It works for me. So,…”
• Dramatization
• Tell a quick story/mini-drama to sell product.
• Get attention
• Create suspense by creating a problem/need for a character
• Solve the problem/need.  Very often it is the product that solves the problem or meets the need.

The idea of a product meeting a need is mentioned above a few times.  It is important.  There are a variety of ways of talking about human needs, but the classic is Maslow's Heirachy of Needs (see below).

We need the things above.  With this in mind, how would you write a commercial to sell a product?

Take a look at the following, recent commercial.  Does it use A.I.D.A.?  What format?  What need(s)?



What about this one?







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Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Advertising & PR: Public Relations & Press Releases (W12-P1) [VID] Fa16

Public relations is what an organization does that “helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between an organization and its publics” (Harlow).

If a toy company sold a product that was found to be harmful to children, what four groups (publics) would they want to be sure to work with?


Four key publics that an organization/company works with: (1) consumers, (2) government, (3) mass media, and (4) employees (internally).


What do PR people do?

• Writing and Editing
• Press releases, newsletters, reports
• Media Relations
• working with journalists, etc.
• Special events
• Speaking
• Production of company media
• Research and gather data for planning
• Etc.

An important task that a public relations person would take on would be the writing of press releases.

"A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy" (Wikipedia).

The idea here is that, if a journalist does find the press release newsworthy, they will mention it in their newspaper, magazine, news program, etc.  Ideally the press release writer would like to see their press release repeated verbatim in the news.  Really?  Why?

Is it good that some journalist may just take all or major chunks of a press release and present this as news?  See our earlier discussion on VNRs (or video news releases).

***

How to write a press release?  What are the major elements of a press release?

What do the major elements of a press release look like when put all together to be released to the media?

If you are curious, you may want to check out PRWeb's list of recent press releases put out by various companies and organizations.


Press Release Source: Rich, Writing and Reporting News.



Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Entertainment: How to Write a Joke (W11-P4) Fa16

“A good joke idea is raw potential and can be used in an almost unlimited number of contexts” (Sankey). Jokes can be used in stand-up comedy, commercials, cartoons, radio shows, a humor column in a newspaper/blog, TV sitcoms, etc. Jokes are the heart of comedy writing.

What is a joke?

• A funny story.
• Typically has two parts, the setup and then the punchline.
• May have an additional part, a tag, which is an additional funny line that follows the punchline.

The Setup:

• Sometimes called a premise.
• “A set-up is the information the comic gives to the crowd to establish an initial subject, context and perspective.”
• Compare this to the Setup in a 3 act film.
• Henny Youngman’s old joke
• The setup: “Women are crazy today.”

The Punchline:

• “the final information the comic gives to the crowd; it alters the meaning of already given information in a surprising fashion.”
• Compare punchlines to plot points.
• Henny Youngman’s old joke
• The punchline: “Take my wife………please”

Do you spot the setups and punchlines in the following Bud Light commercials? Spot the tags in some? Don't need to watch them all, just a few will do.  Watch responsibly.

Bud Light commercials deserve some ideological criticism?

Now, let's take a look at the joke structure in a situation comedy.  Just check out the first minute or so. How many jokes in the first minute?  Wonder how many jokes in a typical sitcom?  Could you write for a sitcom? Can you write a joke?



What do your recall about the show?  What was it about?  Who were some of the key characters?
Now, let's take a look at scene from one of the episodes and look specifically at the series of set-ups and punchlines in this comedy.

Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Advertising & PR: The A.I.D.A. Formula for Writing Commercials (W12-P2) [VID] Fa15

Below is a clip from the film, Glengary Glen Ross, about four real estate salesmen and  the challenge set before them.


The A.I.D.A marketing formula is something that can help you in your own marketing efforts.

You want to be successful in your media career?  No matter your career path, you will be "marketing" something, "selling" something, "promoting" something, if only that something is yourself.   To be successful, it would be good to know key marketing techniques.

One of those key marketing techniques is the A.I.D.A. formula.  For details, see below.


Did you notice what I just did?  

==================

The A.I.D.A. formula is a common format used in the writing of commercials.

• Parts of A.I.D.A. Commercial
1. Attention: Get audience’s attention
2. Interest: Keep interest expand attention, tell benefits, use “you,” etc.
3. Desire: Create desire in audience.  Develop some need in the audience members that the product meets.
4. Action: Tell audience what to do. Go to an address, go to web site or call now.

Take a look at the following TV commercial script.  See the parts of the A.I.D.A formula?  What's the need addressed?

A typical commercial script follows a two column format with the video on left and audio on right.  The video column describes what the viewer sees in each part of the commercial and the audio column describes what the audio will hear.

Source: Hillman


There are three major formats of commercials and the A.I.D.A. formula best fits the format called the straight sell.

Format of Commercials

• Straight Sell
• Main “character” is a pitchman who tries to sell product to you.
• Testimonial
• A personal story is told to sell the product. “I use the product. It works for me. So,…”
• Dramatization
• Tell a quick story/mini-drama to sell product.
• Get attention
• Create suspense by creating a problem/need for a character
• Solve the problem/need.  Very often it is the product that solves the problem or meets the need.

The idea of a product meeting a need is mentioned above a few times.  It is important.  There are a variety of ways of talking about human needs, but the classic is Maslow's Heirachy of Needs (see below).

We need the things above.  With this in mind, how would you write a commercial to sell a product?

Take a look at the following, recent commercial.  Does it use A.I.D.A.?  What format?  What need(s)?



What about this one?







Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Advertising & PR: Public Relations & Press Releases (W12-P1) [VID] Fa15

Public relations is what an organization does that “helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between an organization and its publics” (Harlow).

If a toy company sold a product that was found to be harmful to children, what four groups (publics) would they want to be sure to work with?


Four key publics that an organization/company works with: (1) consumers, (2) government, (3) mass media, and (4) employees (internally).


What do PR people do?

• Writing and Editing
• Press releases, newsletters, reports
• Media Relations
• working with journalists, etc.
• Special events
• Speaking
• Production of company media
• Research and gather data for planning
• Etc.

An important task that a public relations person would take on would be the writing of press releases.

"A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy" (Wikipedia).

The idea here is that, if a journalist does find the press release newsworthy, they will mention it in their newspaper, magazine, news program, etc.  Ideally the press release writer would like to see their press release repeated verbatim in the news.  Really?  Why?

Is it good that some journalist may just take all or major chunks of a press release and present this as news?  See our earlier discussion on VNRs (or video news releases).

***

How to write a press release?  What are the major elements of a press release?

What do the major elements of a press release look like when put all together to be released to the media?

If you are curious, you may want to check out PRWeb's list of recent press releases put out by various companies and organizations.


Press Release Source: Rich, Writing and Reporting News.



Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Entertainment: How to Write a Joke (W11-P3) Fa15

“A good joke idea is raw potential and can be used in an almost unlimited number of contexts” (Sankey). Jokes can be used in stand-up comedy, commercials, cartoons, radio shows, a humor column in a newspaper/blog, TV sitcoms, etc. Jokes are the heart of comedy writing.

What is a joke?

• A funny story.
• Typically has two parts, the setup and then the punchline.
• May have an additional part, a tag, which is an additional funny line that follows the punchline.

The Setup:

• Sometimes called a premise.
• “A set-up is the information the comic gives to the crowd to establish an initial subject, context and perspective.”
• Compare this to the Setup in a 3 act film.
• Henny Youngman’s old joke
• The setup: “Women are crazy today.”

The Punchline:

• “the final information the comic gives to the crowd; it alters the meaning of already given information in a surprising fashion.”
• Compare punchlines to plot points.
• Henny Youngman’s old joke
• The punchline: “Take my wife………please”

Do you spot the setups and punchlines in the following Bud Light commercials? Spot the tags in some? Don't need to watch them all, just a few will do.  Watch responsibly.

Bud Light commercials deserve some ideological criticism?

Now, let's take a look at the joke structure in a situation comedy.  Just check out the first minute or so. How many jokes in the first minute?  Wonder how many jokes in a typical sitcom?  Could you write for a sitcom? Can you write a joke?

Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Advertising & PR: The A.I.D.A. Formula for Writing Commercials (U8-P2) [VID] Fa14

The A.I.D.A. formula is a common format used in the writing of commercials.

• Parts of A.I.D.A. Commercial
1. Attention: Get audience’s attention
2. Interest: Keep interest expand attention, tell benefits, use “you,” etc.
3. Desire: Create desire in audience.  Develop some need in the audience members that the product meets.
4. Action: Tell audience what to do. Go to an address, go to web site or call now.

Take a look at the following TV commercial script.  See the parts of the A.I.D.A formula?  What's the need addressed?

A typical commercial script follows a two column format with the video on left and audio on right.  The video column describes what the viewer sees in each part of the commercial and the audio column describes what the audio will hear.

Source: Hillman


There are three major formats of commercials and the A.I.D.A. formula best fits the format called the straight sell.

Format of Commercials

• Straight Sell
• Main “character” is a pitchman who tries to sell product to you.
• Testimonial
• A personal story is told to sell the product. “I use the product. It works for me. So,…”
• Dramatization
• Tell a quick story/mini-drama to sell product.
• Get attention
• Create suspense by creating a problem/need for a character
• Solve the problem/need.  Very often it is the product that solves the problem or meets the need.

The idea of a product meeting a need is mentioned above a few times.  It is important.  There are a variety of ways of talking about human needs, but the classic is Maslow's Heirachy of Needs (see below).

We need the things above.  With this in mind, how would you write a commercial to sell a product?

Take a look at the following, recent commercial.  Does it use A.I.D.A.?  What format?  What need(s)?





Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Advertising & PR: Public Relations & Press Releases (U8-P1) [VID] Fa14

Public relations is what an organization does that “helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between an organization and its publics” (Harlow).

If a toy company sold a product that was found to be harmful to children, what four groups (publics) would they want to be sure to work with?

Four key publics that an organization/company works with: (1) consumers, (2) government, (3) mass media, and (4) employees (internally).

What do PR people do?

• Writing and Editing
• Press releases, newsletters, reports
• Media Relations
• working with journalists, etc.
• Special events
• Speaking
• Production of company media
• Research and gather data for planning
• Etc.

An important task that a public relations person would take on would be the writing of press releases.

"A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy" (Wikipedia).

How to write a press release?  What are the major elements of a press release?

What do the major elements of a press release look like when put all together to be released to the media?

If you are curious, you may want to check out PRWeb's list of recent press releases put out by various companies and organizations.


Press Release Source: Rich, Writing and Reporting News.




Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MassMedia: Entertainment: How to Write a Joke (U7-P3) Fa14

“A good joke idea is raw potential and can be used in an almost unlimited number of contexts” (Sankey). Jokes can be used in stand-up comedy, commercials, cartoons, radio shows, a humor column in a newspaper/blog, TV sitcoms, etc. Jokes are the heart of comedy writing.

What is a joke?

• A funny story.
• Typically has two parts, the setup and then the punchline.
• May have an additional part, a tag, which is an additional funny line that follows the punchline.

The Setup:

• Sometimes called a premise.
• “A set-up is the information the comic gives to the crowd to establish an initial subject, context and perspective.”
• Compare this to the Setup in a 3 act film.
• Henny Youngman’s old joke
• The setup: “Women are crazy today.”

The Punchline:

• “the final information the comic gives to the crowd; it alters the meaning of already given information in a surprising fashion.”
• Compare punchlines to plot points.
• Henny Youngman’s old joke
• The punchline: “Take my wife………please”

Do you spot the setups and punchlines in the following Bud Light commercials? Spot the tags in some? Don't need to watch them all, just a few will do.  Watch responsibly.

Bud Light commercials deserve some ideological criticism?

Now, let's take a look at the joke structure in a situation comedy.  Just check out the first minute or so. How many jokes in the first minute?  Wonder how many jokes in a typical sitcom?  Could you write for a sitcom? Can you write a joke?

Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.