Commercial Copy for Careworn Consumers
By Holland Cooke
Constulant
Why I love going on sales calls with station reps: Meeting retailers, who have SUCH a feel for their customers’ (our listeners’) mindset. Following-up last week’s column exploring the societal angst we are living through, this week’s will recommend technique for scripting in what psychologists call the Age of Outrage Fatigue.
Emotional bandwidth is down. Skepticism is up. And the old tricks – hyperbole, urgency, shouty headlines – are backfiring. People aren’t just tuning-out content they disagree with; they’re tuning-out tone. They crave calm. Clarity. Credibility.
To cut-through:
— Clear beats clever. Instead of “Don’t sweat it – we’ve got your ducts in a row!” Try “Get your AC fixed today, and sleep comfortably tonight.”
— Ditch the drama. Instead of: “Drowning in debt?” Try: “Make a fresh start.”
— Frame your offer as an upgrade, not a fix for failure. Instead of: “Will you EVER be able to retire?” Try: “Plan your next chapter, on your terms.”
— Empathize, don’t exaggerate. People trust what feels human. Empty hype gets filtered out fast. “There’s never been a better time to buy a car!” goes in-one-ear-and-out-the-other.
— Earn attention quickly. The first sentence matters more than ever. Make it a question that includes “you” and/or “your” which describes the consumer situation that your advertiser can cure. “Is your money doing what you want it to?”
— Use specifics, not superlatives. “Best ever!” means nothing. Numbers and proof points build confidence.
— If you’re scripting with AI, rewrite to weed-out clichés. Restaurant spots that tout “a relaxing atmosphere” are verbal Styrofoam.
— Respect their time. Use short sentences. Bullet points. Clear next steps. Happy outcomes.
Today’s most effective copywriting calms the reader. It offers clarity in a crowded, chaotic world.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a media consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke
role is vital to bringing our brand to life through on-air, digital, and community engagement initiatives. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy working with people, and bring creative energy to our promotions and marketing efforts. 
event will benefit The WABC Radio Foundation, The Tunnel To Towers Foundation, The Police Athletic League (PAL), and Shriners Children’s. The evening will feature performances of patriotic songs including WABC Saturday evening personality and singer Tony Orlando performing “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree”; Lee Greenwood performing “God Bless the USA” and America’s tenor Christopher Maccio will sing the National Anthem. Additionally, WABC personality Joe Piscopo will perform Frank Sinatra classics and station host Vinnie Medugno will sing oldies. The gala event will be hosted by 77WABC legendary air personality Bruce “Cousin Brucie” Morrow. Distinguished guests will include United States and New York area politicians, business leaders, and community heroes. 
Score” in March as the result of a social media rant against a critic was his fault. He says, “I own my mistakes. This was the culmination of a slow, rolling mental health crisis.” Bernstein recently began working with Hubbard’s 312 Sports platform on the daily podcast “Dan Bernstein: Unfiltered” with co-host Matt Abbatacola. He says, “I learned a lot in therapy, and I’m continuing to learn a lot about the dopamine outrage cycle and how real that is and how my brain chemistry works.” He adds, “I think I’ll be better served by the pace and tone of podcasting.” 
“justice for the injured… Bradshaw & Bryant.” Key takeaways from the blog include: 1) Through its longterm use of AM/FM radio advertising, Bradshaw & Bryant dominates unaided brand awareness; Across all stages of the consumer journey, Bradshaw & Bryant leads the market; 2) Bradshaw & Bryant offers Madison Avenue a master class on creating future demand and how building a brand is the main driver of longterm growth and profit; 3) Every advertiser has two jobs: Creating future demand and converting existing demand; Bradshaw & Bryant excels at creating future demand; and 4) AM/FM radio advertising works: Among AM/FM radio listeners, Bradshaw & Bryant’s awareness is +19% greater than in the overall market. 
U.S. Other takeaways include: Listeners aged 18-34 spend 32% of their daily ad-supported audio time with podcasts; and podcasts consistently drive top funnel advertising impact. Nielsen says its Podcast Brand Impact Database draws on nearly 2,000 case studies and shows that podcast ads continue to drive strong brand awareness, motivate listeners to learn more, and purchase products. 
would go their separate ways when his current contract ends later this year. The Yahoo story says, “A source affirmed that everything is a done deal in this regard, and all previous reports of him exiting the company were pure fallacy, per RadarOnline. The man of the hour himself also dropped a big hint on his social media, teasing an answer to all the questions hovering around his career very soon.” Stern’s own Instagram account posted the following: “Now we can reveal that all the questions will be answered. All the truths will be told by the one man truly on the inside: Howard Stern will speak. Tuesday, September 2.” 
As TV touts its perennial New Fall Season, our DVR is already set to “record series” so we can pick-up where the “Matlock” sequel left-us-hanging; and for a third season of quirky “Elsbeth” (a closet reboot, the female “Columbo”). And where I live – where everyone seems to know everyone – we are salivating for “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”
Murrow Awards for Television, Radio and Digital news operations at the network, large market and small market levels. Radio Network winners include ABC News, NPR and Canada’s CBC. Radio station winners include: KMOX, St. Louis; WSB, Atlanta; WTOP, Washington; and WWNC, Asheville. The presentation of the awards will take place on October 13 at Gotham Hall in New York City. 
Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964) are some 20% of the U.S. population, but control more than 50% of all household wealth. They hold $70+ trillion in assets and spend an estimated $548 billion annually. They are lifelong AM/FM listeners, and they’re redefining what life after 60 looks like. Are you into what they’re up to?
“Gym Class” with Scott Unash and Mark Dukes (3:00 pm to 4:00 pm) did their last shows this week. The local show “Spencer on Sports” with Spencer Wagen will continue in its 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm slot. KZIA Inc. CEO Julie Hein is quoted saying, “Like a lot of media, including your, and national TV and local TV, restaurants, factories, we are experiencing some economic changes. I hope there is a rebound. Scott Unash and Mark Dukes have been legends in this market for decades and have done amazing things for sports in the Corridor. Todd Brommelkamp, to me, was a breath of fresh air and a real leader in talking about the Hawkeyes and all kinds of great things. I adore all of them and I am forever a fan of all three men.” 
Awards. The winners will be presented on October 21 at The Edison Ballroom, the evening before NAB Show New York. Finalists for Legendary Station of the Year include news/talk WABC, New York. Finalists for News/Talk Station of the Year are: KFI-AM, Los Angeles; WABC-AM, New York; WBAL-AM, Baltimore; WBBM-AM, Chicago; and WENG-AM, Englewood, Florida. 
sports talk KSAC-AM/K284CM, effective September 2. This comes five years after he was fired by Bonneville’s KHTK, Sacramento and the Kings after a social media exchange with former Kings player DeMarcus Cousins about the Black Lives Matter movement and used the phrase, “all lives matter.” Napear sued Bonneville and lost but is currently appealing that ruling. Napear tells the Bee, “It’s going to be the Grant Napear show that people have listened to for decades. I’m competitive. I’m not only coming back to Sacramento. I’m coming back to win.” 
“creative quality is the number one sales driver” and this is often a surprise to advertisers and media agencies who think media tactics (targeting, reach, etc.) drive the most sales. It’s for good reason that everyone wants high brand awareness. A major study from TikTok reveals the greater a brand’s awareness, the greater the purchase conversion. Brands with high aided awareness have 2.86x greater conversion rates compared to low awareness brands. But not all categories operate similarly, Podscribe says that purchase conversion varies widely by advertising category and advises that it’s important to understand the purchase conversion benchmarks for your product category. 
Unintentionally, your poorly phrased comment, dated reference, weary cliché, or offhand remark can at least subtly distance you from your listener and could undercut your credibility, offend, or even spark backlash.
podcast consumption in the past week was through video.) The top five podcasts didn’t change from Q1 data. They are: “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Crime Junkie,” “The Daily,” “Call Her Daddy,” and “This Past Weekend w/Theo Von.” Some talk radio-related podcasts of note include: NPR’s “Up First” at #22; The Daily Wire’s “Ben Shapiro Show”; Ramsey Network’s “The Ramsey Show” at #29; and Charlie Kirk’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” at #49. 
satellite radio; 2) In the second quarter of 2025, ad supported audio accounted for 64% of all listening, while in the TV landscape, 74% of viewing was done on ad supported platforms; 3) Zeroing in on the ad supported audio universe, consumers spent 64% of their daily time in the second quarter with radio, 19% with podcasts, 14% with streaming audio services and 3% with satellite radio. The study also tracks listening by format and news/talk (AM/FM and streaming) not surprisingly dominated the 35+ demo with more than a 12 share. But the format also did well with 25-54s, notching a 6.5 share (which topped all other formats except adult contemporary
media users, and linear TV viewers. Ad-supported audio listeners are more likely to be Amazon Prime members, spend more, and were more aware of Amazon Prime Day 2025; 2) Ad-supported audio (AM/FM radio, music streaming, and podcasts) are ideal media platforms for retailers and e-commerce brands: Heavy audio listeners are more likely to shop online. Heavy AM/FM radio and podcast listeners spend more online than TV viewers; 3) AM/FM radio makes your TV better – “20 gets you 50”: A 20% shift of a TV media budget to AM/FM radio generates a +50% increase in campaign reach. Nielsen Media Impact campaign optimizations reveal shifting media weight to AM/FM radio generates significantly more reach, especially among younger 18-49 demographics. AM/FM radio does an extraordinary job in increasing campaign reach among light TV viewers who will not see retailer TV ads; and 4) Audio holiday AM/FM radio campaigns work: Consumers exposed to an Amazon holiday AM/FM radio campaign have higher brand equity (awareness, ad recall, prior purchase, and purchase intent). Nielsen sales effect studies reveal AM/FM radio campaigns for retailers generate significant return on advertising spend: $15 dollars of incremental sales for every dollar of AM/FM radio advertising. 
Why we’re already seeing TV tout its coming attractions: They understand how, after Labor Day, routines settle in. Viewers will be ready to re-engage.
have ever consumed a podcast, 55% have consumed a podcast in the last month, and 40% have consumed a podcast in the last week, each measure being an all-time high; 2) Video podcast consumption has redefined the podcast landscape: Over half (51%) of the U.S. 12+ population has ever watched a video podcast; 37% have watched a video podcast in the last month and 26% have watched a video podcast in the last week. Those who actively watch video podcasts are younger and more diverse than those who only listen to audio-only podcasts; and 3) Podcasts offer high engagement and trust from listeners: 88% of weekly podcast consumers agree that hearing ads is a fair price to pay for free content; 68% say they don’t mind hearing ads on podcasts. You can see