A descriptive study of the creative relationship between advertisers and jingle writers

The purpose of this research was to. describe the creative relationship between advertisers and jingle writers in an attempt to discover how the industries work in the creation of jingles.

Personal interviews were conducted with jingle writers in Nashville, one of the top five cities that produce music for commercials, and with advertisers in Knoxville, a typical midsize advertising market.

The study indicated that jingle writing is a business dependent upon effective marketing for its success. The most effective marketing tools used by jingle writers are presentation tapes and personal contact with those in the advertising industry. The jingle writers' approach to writing includes structural analysis of existing pieces of music and the use of specific guidelines from advertisers to create a "hit" jingle. Advertisers, however, base their decisions on an innate sense of "feeling" that a piece of music is right for a project.

Presentation tapes provide the basis for many decisions to use a particular jingle house. Advertisers rely on these tapes to help them conceptualize musically their ideas for a campaign and to expose them to the various musical styles.

Jingle writers also rely heavily on personal contacts and on developing positive relationships with individuals at every level of the advertising agency. Such relationships are vital because no one person is always responsible for making the decision to use music.

The researcher concluded that advertisers should provide jingle writers with specific guidelines regarding such factors as stylistic preferences and should use presentation tapes extensively. Creative directors should make the final decision about a piece of music and should enable the jingle writer to have access to the client. The researcher also concluded that the relationship between advertisers and jingle writers is a positive one whose continued success is dependent upon understanding what is to be said, who it is to be said to, and how music is to be used to say it and still sound unique. Effective marketing of such abilities and capabilities is the element that will ensure success in the industries.