Advertisers do it because it DOES work, but is becoming less and less special and convincing. Advertising is now shifting to other more viral forms and appealing to other sensibilities with constituents.
Hey... It is America and everyone can make money.... BUT, what does it do to the credibility of the radio business in the long run?
It seems okay to have weekend specialty hosts to do endorsements since they are already associated with particular business categories (ie: Home Improvement, Gardening, Finance, etc.). They are not regular hosts, but are specialists in their own fields, first (not primarily broadcasters). This is just another vehicle for what THEY do in THEIR profession. As for our main talent, they should be considered BROADCASTERS first, not pitch people.....
It also used to be okay in smaller doses for main hosts, but once Stan Roberts put the lampshade on his head, things began to change. He was basically a funny disc jockey. 30 years later, it is out of control.
For a real fulltime talk host, endorsements can cloud their hard-earned personas (for which the good ones are well-compensated), and that can take away from what they are KNOWN for. Reading a spot is one thing, but endorsing a product can change who they are the listeners' minds. While it depends on the product, talent is not in good shape when listeners forget them for who they are and only remember them only as the "Select Comfort Mattress Girl" or the "Fat Pig DJ" who has been pitching some weight loss program on the air for 15 years, not really losing the weight (while enjoying the spokesman's pay along with the product and lots of donuts for those 15 years)! No credibility.
Nutri-Systems and Body Solutions did MAJOR damage to the credibility of many hosts. There are so many things that can be sold, but once you have sold-out your talent, you're done. And many talent are willing to sell themselves out since as a percentage, so much of their income comes from endorsements. Prepare for a compelling talk show, or spend time sucking up to the Williamsville Jeweler??? Hmmm.
The trouble is greed, and it is not just on the station side. I know of three Buffalo talk hosts who publicly brag about how much they make through endorsements. They are more than willing to whore themselves out because they get fees and product to do so. The stations are willing to take only 15-20% premium on endorsements when they have given up their hosts who are more valuable than this minor premium.
Tom Bauerle, in particular, is devalued as a credible talent since he has become the poster child of hawking anything and everything. The more medical conditions he has or can dream up, the more he'll get in talent fees and listeners know it.
Let's see what we have to look forward to as WBEN and Tom Bauerle age together....
Lasik, face lift, hair plugs, hearing aids (from years of wearing headphones), inserts for flat feet, prostate medication to reduce nighttime urination needs - which preserves the sleep saved with the apnea mask and machine, a wheelchair ramp, life alert, retirement community in North Tonawanda and the final endorsement for Amigone Funeral Home.
There's about 20 years left of revenue to drain out of him..... Don't worry about the listeners.
Of course, for some reason, when Ramblin' Lou does an endorsment, it doesn't bother me. Maybe it is because I believe him.
Who knows the answer on this.... I guess it is at least a good discussion starter.
