How do you make sure that your financial ad scripts get their job done? Turns out to be a harder question than it could initially seem. Many financial institutions there make an initial mistake. They think that if they just present the numbers how good they are and the plethora of services they offer is all they need to present. Based on that premise, the customers should start flocking in droves.
The problem there is multifold. Firstly, there are so many financial institutions that have good numbers and offer so many services to their customers. Secondly, and more importantly, when they see so many numbers, there is one question customers ask themselves. What lies behind those numbers?
There, bannersnack.com points in the right direction. “One of the most important aspects of your financial services ads is that they inspire trust for your customers…If you don’t get your customers to trust you with their money, your services will be doomed.” To support this, they include one staggering example – “97% of Millennials don’t trust banks at all.”
The Financial Brand here ads another important aspect of financial ads and financial ad scripts. “Consumers do not buy products and services, they buy the benefits they receive from them.
Banks and credit unions offer products like checking accounts with features like online bill pay and mobile banking. But consumers don’t choose a primary (or even secondary) financial institution for features like these. They will make decisions based on the benefits offered by these products and features.”
That is why it is very important that financial ads and their scripts concentrate need t concentrate on all the emotional elements that will drive customers to a specific financial institution(s).
Writing financial ad scripts that work
The Financial Brand (above) cites an example of a financial ad and its script that has properly done its job. It is the ‘Citibank’ commercial in which “a young woman climbing to the top of a dizzying red rock formation in Utah’s Moab desert? Using the reward points from her Citibank ThankYou Card, she opts for the unexpected “rock” over the more predictable and cliché diamond that many advertisers might fall back on.”
Why do these financial ad scripts and the ad in general work? It is the fact that Citibank is “selling more than a credit card with rewards points. They are selling the idea of personal choice and a strong, independent lifestyle. The core underlying theme is “freedom”; people hate feeling trapped. People who relate to and aspire to these attributes are enticed by Citi’s offer at an emotional level.”
Basically, that comes down to the fact that when preparing a script for a financial ad the advertiser needs to think about what are all the benefits she/he can offer to their potential customers.”Do you offer exceptional convenience with your branch footprint or digital capabilities? Do the atmosphere and personal service you provide give your consumers a sense of belonging? Or do you offer products that save consumers time and generally make their lives easier?” (above)
Elements to consider when preparing financial ads
Banner Snack (above) points to three elements that a potential advertiser has to consider when preparing his financial ad script:
- A text of the script that concentrates on reliability, trust, and innovation;
- If the ad includes video/images, those that “inspire trust, like handshakes or graphic designs that show people helping each other;”
- The script should possibly show “events that people go through and their need for the stability of a financial service, or how you can help them and what you could do to improve their life;”
- Hiring a celebrity or social media influencer to promote the brand, or, at least, a professional voice-over artist that can inspire trust in a certain target audience;
- In these tech-savvy times, mention your technical abilities, but do not overlook the human touch – “promote your services by showing off how amazing your online app is, but not leaving out the fact that real humans are taking care of all of their needs;”
- Reliability is the key – “show people, through your ad, that your service is something that your customer needs and can always rely on.”
Here, The Financial Brand points to a common mistake a number of financial institutions make. The focus “their brand message on themselves rather than the consumer.
How many ads for community banks have you seen that carry the message “We care” or “Focused on you,” or “Where you come first. “ But to the consumer, it’s all the same. Not only is today’s consumer cynical about advertisers and these types of messages, but there is also no tangible benefit for consumers. So rather than telling prospective customers that you care about them, why not simply demonstrate it with real, meaningful benefits?”
Examples to consider
With the suggestions listed above, here are three examples of tangible financial ad scripts for radio airing in their 60, 30, and 15-second formats. Bellow come from CI Investments and their radio scripts. Example two and three are additionally adapted for our purposes.
Example 1- 60-second script (full text)
Announcer (Advisor): Are you ready for retirement and need predictable cash flow starting now?
I’m (Joe Advisor of JA Financial) and I have a solution … G5|20i from
CI Investments.
G5|20i is for investors who require guaranteed cash flow now. It offers the growth potential of a mutual fund combined with a cash flow that’s payable for 20 years, guaranteed by a major Canadian bank.
For more information, call my office at 555-555-5555. Take your retirement plan off pause and hit play.
Quick read: Please read the prospectus before investing. Except as described previously, mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Sponsored in part by CI Investments. (115 words)
Example 1- 30-second script
Are you ready for retirement and need predictable cash flow starting now?
I’m (Joe Advisor of JA Financial) and I have a solution … G5|20i from
CI Investments.
G5|20i is for investors who require guaranteed cash flow now. It offers the growth potential of a mutual fund combined with a cash flow that’s payable for 20 years, guaranteed by a major Canadian bank.
Example 1- 15-second script
G5|20i from CI Investments. For more information, call my office at 555-555-5555. Take your retirement plan off pause and hit play. (24 words)
Example 2 – Radios scripts for financial advisors
60- second example
Announcer (Advisor): Are you confident that your investments will provide you with predictable retirement cash flow? You should feel happy and secure!
CI Investments, Canada’s Investment Company, has a solution. CI’s G5|20 Series offers you a guaranteed cash flow stream for 20 years, backed by
a major Canadian bank.
To add G5|20 Series to your retirement plan, please call (Advisor Name) of (Firm Name) at (number) for more information.
Quick read: Please read the prospectus before investing. Except as previously described, mutual funds are not guaranteed, their value changes frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Sponsored in part by CI Investments. (104 words)
30-second example
Are you confident that your investments will provide you with predictable retirement cash flow? You should feel happy and secure!
CI Investments, Canada’s Investment Company, has a solution. CI’s G5|20 Series offers you a guaranteed cash flow stream for 20 years, backed by
a major Canadian bank. (48 words)
15-second example
Are you confident that your investments will provide you with predictable retirement cash flow? You should feel happy and secure!
CI Investments, Canada’s Investment Company, has a solution.
Example 3 – Radios scripts for financial advisors
60-second sample
Announcer: Is your retirement plan on pause because of unpredictable markets? What should you do to feel more secure?
I’m (Joe Advisor of JA Financial) and I have a solution … the G5|20 Series from CI Investments.
The G5|20 Series offers the growth potential of a mutual fund combined with a
guaranteed cash flow payable for 20 years, backed by a major Canadian bank.
For more information, call my office at 555-555-5555. Take your retirement plan off pause and hit play.
Quick read: Please read the prospectus before investing. Except as described previously, mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Sponsored in part by CI Investments. (118 words)
30-second sample
Is your retirement plan on pause because of unpredictable markets? What should you do to feel more secure?
I’m (Joe Advisor of JA Financial) and I have a solution … the G5|20 Series from CI Investments.
The G5|20 Series offers the growth potential of a mutual fund combined with a
guaranteed cash flow payable for 20 years, backed by a major Canadian bank. (64 words)
15-second sample
Is your retirement plan on pause because of unpredictable markets? What should you do to feel more secure?
I’m (Joe Advisor of JA Financial) and I have a solution … the G5|20 Series from CI Investments. (36 words)
Concluding remarks
Yes, it is a good thing to include some numbers and cool features you offer in your financial ad scripts. But you can not solely rely on those numbers and features to attract potential customers.
With your financial ads, you need to create trust and you need to show how reliable you are. The idea is to concentrate on the customer and their needs and not on the financial institution itself. In essence, every financial ad script has to include a human element.
