Web design, optimized for media content delivery, is a rapidly evolving platform.  It is different than broadcast, as it requires knowledge of how to get the most from the least in a web-based environment.  One of Admagination's premier web solutions is an on-line awards site for media & communications called "Best in Media".  It is a hugely innovative system where the entire awards process is done on-line; including all forms of media (video, audio, images and documents) data management, judging access and event show production.  Below is a live feed right from an entry in this years Georgia Association of Broadcasters:

Station Identification Packages are one of the coolest forms of on-air audio you can produce...IMHO!  Something about providing the station AND their listeners with ear candy dozen of times an hour...fun!

Station ID packages are a very important part of a station creating a lasting identity and branding in the market they service.  A typical package will contain dozens of tracks from generic ID sing like "The Valleys Hottest Hits...99.9" (continuing to use the "Valley" example) "Valley weather", "99.9 playing the top hits that rock this Valley" and on.

Typical elements will include:
  • Several different versions of the main ID
  • 5-7 second TRT
  • Weather, Sports, News, Events
  • A long extended music segment
  • Morning shows
  • Morning teams
  • Vocal with music and vocal alone (a capella) 

...and nothing says you can't have fun!  KLVN / Loser Radio Format Changing (Created for the Northwest Emmy's Awards Show / Radio Division)

Broadcast factoid:

The reason eastern U.S. radio and TV stations call letters begin with "W" and western U.S. radio and TV stations start with "K"...

When radio first started, it was mainly designed to communicate with ships at sea.  If a ship heard "WXYZ, then they new they were getting information for their locale.

Over 700 Sales & Brand Building Custom Jingle Packages in 49 Markets! Yeah, We Know How to Do It
 
It seems like every musician in the world claims to create jingles!  Some while waiting for their big recording contract.  Some because their dad owns a car dealership. Some because they just got a computer with an audio recorder built in . . .  NOT!  Jingles are a science, they are an art, and they should be taken seriously. They are your PR to the world! Here is what you need to do it right . . . AND of course Admagination has all these things! (On the left...our first logo in 1992)
 
  • You need a Class A Digital Production Studio
  • At least one great, well diverse arranger / songwriter / producer / engineer
  • Great lyricist...pop song level writer
  • A great female and male singer with a huge variety of styles and great range...that are one take wonders
  • A skill-set of sales and customer relations
  • ...and a love for the art!

Take all the above and consistently turn out this type of product...then you are now a creative business

What's the best way to start?  Create your own jingle package.  It's hard to convince a client you can promote them if you can't prove you can promote yourself!


"Who Are These Guys" (our very first package was for ourselves)



History of the Jingle: "Have You Tried Wheaties?" Everything has a beginning...a first.  Why should jingles or "selling a product using music and lyrics" be any different?

"If it wasn't for a radio jingle sung on Christmas Eve in 1926 by a barbershop quartet in Minneapolis, Wheaties cereal would have been long forgotten by now. ... Initially known as “Washburn's Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes,” the name was dropped a year later for Wheaties."

The Wheaties advertisement, with its lyrical hooks, was seen by its owners as extremely successful. According to one account, General Mills had seriously planned to end production of Wheaties in 1929 on the basis of poor sales.

Soon after the song "Have you tried Wheaties?" aired in Minnesota, however, of the 53,000 cases of Wheaties breakfast cereal sold, 40,000 were sold in the Twin Cities market. After advertising manager Samuel Chester Gale pointed out that this was the only location where "Have You Tried Wheaties?" was being aired at the time, the success of the jingle was accepted by the company.

Encouraged by the results of this new method of advertising, General Mills changed its brand strategy. Instead of dropping the cereal, it purchased nationwide commercial time for the advertisement. The resultant climb in sales single-handedly established the "Wheaties" brand nationwide.

Have you tried Wheaties?

They're whole wheat with all of the bran.
Won't you try Wheaties?
For wheat is the best food of man.

They're crispy and crunchy
The whole year through,
The kiddies never tire of them
and neither will you.

So just try Wheaties,

The best breakfast food in the land.

Note: The backstory is the fact that the FCC was clamping down on DJ's promoting products by simply talking about them.  It seemed that the on-air personality was personally endorsing the product, when actually, they were getting paid to talk about it.  It was all part of the "payola issue"