I was once told that a terrible script usually has no chance to work. A mediocre script, however, stands a chance with some tweaking and choosing of the best voice talent you can find. A great script? Well, that’s when casting is most important. If it is written well, it could be a standout with the right casting. With the wrong casting, it could be a disaster. It turns into an “all or nothing” proposition.

Casting generally gets short shrift in radio advertising, at least on the station level. More often than not, the production director will either do it themselves or troll the building to find someone who might be able to voice a spot “just to get it done.” (In all fairness, most production directors are stretched to and beyond the limit, so it is understandable that they would act this way. The solution is an investment in more production/creative — but that’s a different column for a different time.)

Casting could be the single most important part of the process. It is the difference between a spot sounding great or just sounding like yet another spot. I find it curious that clients are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on media, yet don’t think the same way when it comes to choosing talent. The perception is that outside voice talent costs too much. In fact, decent voice talent is more affordable than people think.

In Portland, In Both Ears, a voice talent agency, can get you talent for as little as $250 per person per spot. If you’re spending $50,000 on media, it can’t hurt to pull a spot or two from the schedule to ensure that your stand out. There are plenty of other options, too. There’s Internetjock, Voice 123 and others. What about improv groups or people looking to beef up their demos? There are also people out there who are willing to voice spots for some good trade. It takes a little extra effort, but it is definitely worth the trouble when you hear your spot and it actually stands out instead of getting buried in the rest of the chatter.

The RAB released a study last year that indicated over 80% of listeners stick with 6-minute stopsets all the way through. The fact is, people are listening to commercials. The question is: are they hearing yours clearly?

With a strong script and even stronger casting, chances are they might just pay more attention next time.

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