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... blend in with the spots for Al's Tanning Salon and Bob's Ford. Another alter...

... . If the agency is advertising frequently, the station might produce the spot. Just buying the air time and getting "the creative" free from the station is naturally the cheapest way to go. And it can work well. But there is a problem: If the station writes and produces it, the commercial will probably sound much like other commercials and blend in with the spots for Al's Tanning Salon and Bob's Ford. Another alternative is to use an ad agency. The agency can give you a turnkey approach, handling everything from the creative concept to production to buying the air time. If you do use an ad agency, insist on top-notch creative work. Give the agency room to be creative. Make sure they understand insurance marketing or at least can learn about it quickly. ... disadvantage of an ad agency is higher cost. Yet first-rate creativity can save money in air time, Horst contends. A memorable spot run less often can get the same impact as a boring commercial run more frequently. Co-op ads from carriers provide another choice. Just be careful that the ad doesn't sell the company more than the agency. JACOBS UNIQUE AD PROGRAM Jacobs offers another route. It has built a library of radio commercials through the years. An agency may pay an annual licensing fee and get exclusive rights to the commercials in the market area. Horst feels the commercials are so "intrusive" and unique that they must be restricted to one agency in a market area. Jacobs' standard commercials are customized with the agency's name. The licensing fee is reduced by 50% if the ...