Media Watch

If you're in retail business, don't make the mistake of thinking you're in the entertainment business in your marketing. Awards don't sell snow blowers. Be cautious not to use cute ideas for cute-sake. Grab attention in an unfamiliar, attention-getting way, but remember to bridge your opening line in a believable way, and support the opening and bridge in your copy. Opening example: "Now would be a horrible time for a flat tire!" If you've placed this ad during morning drive, at the height of morning rush hour, you now have seized the attention of every driver on the road at that moment, and each are now imagining what a flat tire would do to their day. The ad doesn't have to be about tires or tire repair. In fact, that would be too obvious an opening even for a towing service. But now that you have their attention, carefully craft your bridge to bring people into your story. Bridge example: "You don't have any spare time today and there a...

I recently saw part of a silent television commercial for a local car dealer, and I'm frankly surprised I even noticed it. I missed at least the first half of it because I was enthralled by a piece of lint that was hovering in the air at that fleeting moment. Then my advertising brain took note of the spectacle before me. As a broadcaster for more than twenty-five years, I've learned the power of sounds in advertising. I'm a huge believer that the right sounds are capable of longer life in the mind than a visual. I'd never let a client of mine waste that moment. It was reminiscent of that cable TV channel that's dedicated to placard advertising with some generic music in the background. Back to the car ad. It was clearly trying to be clever in its silence, but failed miserably in the message, which unsurprisingly I cannot relay to you. A silent television ad may as well go into a newspaper or on a web site. Use clever audio to get attention if you think it...

Click to Play Billy McGuigan is as comfortable playing Beatles or Buddy Holly music and he demonstrates the ease as he sat down with Larry Cotlar on Cotlar & Company on KXnO.  Billy's next stage progect involves Beatles music, which you can see him play here.

Click to Play HTML clipboardMichael Gartner was the "Designated Bonnie" Monday, September 29 with Van Harden on WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa.  Michael is a past president of the Iowa Board of Regents; was a sports reporter and eventual president of the Des Moines Register, executive of Gannett and USA Today; writer for the Wall Street Journal and USA Today is currently Chairman of Racoon Baseball, owner of the Iowa Cubs.

Click to Play Erin Kiernan guest-hosted the WHO Radio morning show along with Van Harden as "Designated Bonnie".  Erin is the co-anchor for Channel 13 News at 5, 6, & 10 -- and is married to Des Moines City Council Member Michael Kiernan.

Click to Play Stacy Keach in Des Moines for his part in the theatrical production Frost Nixon at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines through October 5, 2008.  He visited the WHO Radio studios and talked with morning show host Van Harden about the performance, golf, favorite leading ladies and recent project.

A paper note was issued to students today referencing the firearm incident: Dear East High Community, I want to make sure you are aware of an incident which occurred at school on Monday September 29th, 2008. While conducting a routine investigation into another matter, it was discovered that a student had inadvertently left a small caliber target rifle in their vehicle. The weapon was not loaded and was cased. There was no ammunition found. There was no evidence of any sort of threat against a student or staff member. However, we take any incident involving the possession of a weapon on school grounds very seriously, and students who violate the school district's weapons policy are subject to disciplinary action, which may include expulsion. I am thankful to our staff at East High School who worked on this situation, and I want to make sure that you heard from us first hand about what happened. The safety of our students is always a top priority. If you have any questions, ple...