TV's 30-second challenge: how to create inexpensive cable television advertising that works: a practical guide for those new to the medium.

Picture lifts TV commercial: The location is the interior of a fortune cookie factory. Two Oriental men are lamenting the fact that business has been bad.

"No one is worried about the future," complains one.

"Darn that Peoples Bank & Trust!" exclaims the other.

One of them has an idea. He grabs fortune cookies and rashes off to the bank. He sneaks around and removes bowls of candy from each teller station and substitutes bowls of cookies.

A close-up shows the "fortune" from inside a cookie. The fortune is the bank's tagline: "The Future Looks Great from Here."

This 30-second spot ks slick and memorable. It looks like it was produced by a large national bank.

But it wasn't.

It was created by a community bank in Selma, Ala., The Peoples Bank & Trust Co., with assets under $1 billion. In the past, smaller institutions like this almost never appeared on the small screen because the only option was broadcast TV--which was expensive and blanketed more markets than needed.

But within the last few years, community banks have discovered cable TV, which is both affordable and capable of viewer targeting.

The Peoples Bank & Trust, for one, was pleased with the results of this spot, which aired on cable earlier this year. "It gave us the impact we were looking for," acknowledges Roberta Leach, marketing director.

But, not all banks are creating cable ads as good as this one. Marketers at small financial institutions often are new to the medium, and some are generating mediocre or ineffectual spots.

ABA Bank Marketing magazine researched some "best practices" for banks that are inexperienced with TV. We asked advice from marketers who have been using the medium. We also talked with an independent producer of bank commercials.

Their recommendations on how to achieve more effective ads are summarized in the following seven tips.

1. Make sure you have a valid marketing reason for using cable.

Banks sometimes feel pressured to "go cable" because competitors are doing it. "People are entranced by the medium," concedes Rick Rickards, vice president of electronic media for PSB Media Productions, Lake Forest, Calif. "It's exciting." He notes that banks are sometimes lured into cable without an adequate marketing plan and "before they know what to say."

Roberta Leach cautions that not all campaigns work as well on television as they do in print. In the case of The Peoples Bank & Trust, cable made sense because the bank was rebranding itself. Branding is a category that works well on television. "Make sure you know what you want to do," she advises. Document the case for cable. "Don't jump into it just to do TV," she adds.

2. Decide how much you can afford to spend.

After determining what your bank is selling and who the audience is for that product or service, you need to ascertain how much money is available, says Darry Bledsoe of Union Bank, N.A., Oklahoma City, Okla., (assets: $325 million). The challenge: "Spending enough money to produce quality spot that will give you a long shelf life," says Bledsoe, who is vice president of marketing/public relations.

Cable cost is a paradox. On one hand, cable can be produced inexpensively. On the other, the last thing you want is for your commercial to look cheap. Remember, TV works best for brand advertising, and that, by its nature, demands high production values--meaning money.

The way to resolve this contradiction is to start with a budget and insist on the highest production values available within your financial constraints. "You have to know what you can afford," observes Elizabeth B. Eckel, senior vice president of marketing at The Washington Trust Co., Westerly, R.I. (assets: $2 billion). This institution is the largest independent bank with its headquarters in Rhode Island.

When the bank introduced cable in 2001, it decided to position itself as the "local" institution in a market with several large, out-of-state competitors. The bank wanted its ads to emphasize Rhode Island locations and people.

Pointing out the expense of on-location filming, the bank's ad agency suggested a less expensive alternative: using digitized still photos in combination with a voice-over. The finished product had a classy look, but with a more affordable price tag.

"You don't have to shoot film to get good quality, says Eckel. "There's a lot you can do with simple graphics."

3. Gather information.

Talk to other bank marketers who have tried cable, recommends Bledsoe, of Union Bank. Also, seek suggestions from marketers outside of the financial services industry. Watch TV and make note of the spots that impress you, Telephone the businesses being advertised. "Ask them who wrote and produced their spots and collect several names to contact," he says. Make an appointment to visit each production facility, and meet the staff and discuss the project. Make a copy of each production agency's "demo reel." Study the video and solicit the opinion of others.

Although using a TV production agency adds to cost, Bledsoe says his bank's decision to use one was based on the old adage that, "If you're going to do it, then do it right. The institution produced its first cable commercial in July 2003.

Also consider small advertising agencies. If they are eager for your business, they might be willing to give you a price break.

Eckel at Washington Trust says she picked a small local agency because her bank would be one of its largest clients. The agency works energetically to keep the bank's business. "Their main aim is not to win advertising awards, "says Eckel. "They are looking to meet our objectives."

Talk to a local cable station that serves the audience that you are trying to reach. Many cable stations will produce ads its part of a package when advertisers agree to buy a fixed amount of air time. Exercise caution, however. The cable stations are ill the business of selling advertising While some stations will produce a good ad, others may not understand or care about the most effective way to present your bank's brand or image.

"We hired an advertising agency because we quickly learned that the local TV station lacked the capability to produce the type of quality we thought was needed to project our image effectively," says Steve Kelly, executive vice president for marketing and sales at the Central Bank, Lexington, Ky. (assets: $1.2 billion). "Above all, we wanted to project it professional image," he adds.

4. Consider syndicated ads.

In recent years, a number of companies have sprung up that license these products. These businesses buy high quality television commercials produced by larger banks in other parts of the country. They sell the exclusive right to customize and rebroadcast the commercial in your market. In most cases, ads need only minor modifications, usually involvIng the bank logo and voice-over.

When the Benchmark Community Bank, located in Kenbridge, Va., started cable TV three years ago, Becky Bagley wrote her own scripts and used bank employees and real customers in the acts. A local cable TV company shot and edited the commercials for the institution (assets: $280 million). Bagley, who is assistant vice president for marketing and public relations, felt comfortable with this approach since she had experience in creating TV ads with mother industry. Even so, she plans to buy syndicated ads for her next round of commercials. "It's the best way to go if you want to avoid all the hassles," she observes.

There are a wide variety of syndicated commercials to choose from, and they are shot on film (not videotape), which gives them a "quality" look that blends in better with the national advertisers flint appear on came along with locally produced ads.

Syndicated ads are a good value only if you can find a campaign that meshes with your bank's image and positioning. "The campaign needs to fit you, rather than you trying to become what the campaign projects," says Kelly from Central Bank. "It's a subtle but important difference!"

Some syndicators create original commercials (rather than use existing ones), which they license and customize for individual banks. PSB Media Productions in California is an example of this type of business.

5. Keep it simple.

A good TV commercial focuses on one message--and no more. The challenge of video is to discipline yourself to keep "on message," says Bledsoe of Union Bank. Because many marketers have a background in print media, they are tempted to "make a newspaper ad" out of a TV spot, which is a mistake.

"One" is also a good number to keep in mind when you are determining how many on-camera people and shooting locations to use. Janelda Mitchell, vice president and director of marketing at Farmers Capital Bank Corp., Frankfort Ky., says it's possible to produce a simple videotape ad with one on-camera person at a single location for as little as $300. Farmers Capital is a holding company with six Dank affiliates (total assets: $1.3 billion).

Rather than cream a quantity of commercials and broadcast them infrequently, it's better to make one ad and repeat it many times, advises Mitchell, studies have shown that you have to broadcast a commercial nine times before the message registers with viewers.

6. Follow the principals of effective TV advertising.

Voice a clear message and present it in a way that is memorable and has visual impact. Since your ad should promote brand or image, your message should contain a comparison that differentiates your bank from competition. When asked to cite a generic example of a commercial that is memorable and has visual impact, Rickards of PSB Media Productions mentions the anti-drug public service ad that appeared on TV some years ago. "A girl holds up an egg. She says, 'This is your brain.' Then she takes a frying pan and smashes the egg. She adds, 'This is your brain on drugs.'" This is a powerful ad that few people forget.

Consistency is important. All your TV messages must be the same, and they must align with your messages in other media, according to Bledsoe.

Mitchell says that she tries to use the same videographer on all ads. Every one shoots differently, just as every person has a different handwriting. "Ads from the same videographer have the same feel," she notes. "This adds to the consistency."

7. Avoid common mistakes

Error #1: Having all the employees stand in front of the Dank waving at the camera.

What's wrong with this? Nothing if your bank enjoys spending money to make the people in town feel good about seeing their neighbors on television. But, if you are trying to build business and create a brand or image for your institution, this type of spot underutilizes the medium's potential.

Error #2: Using the president as the bank spokesperson. Yes, sometimes you can get away with this. But be careful. Just because your president has charisma doesn't mean that he or she projects "television presence," an extremely rare commodity.

Error #3: Selling rates. You have to insert a lot of fine print, which is tough considering the time-and-space constraints of cable. Again, use TV for image and brand advertising. In general, never sell rates--on TV or anywhere else. But if you have a compelling reason to do so, restrict your rate-specific pitches to more suitable media, such as print or direct mail.

Should you use bank employees in a spot? It depends. Shooting employees is one way to save money on talent. Viewers can relate to real people. Christina T. Melo, CFMP, assistant vice president of marketing at Fall River Five Cents Savings Bank, Fall River, Mass. (assets: $480 million) says employees who have appeared in her bank's commercials have received widespread public acclaim while grocery shopping: "I've seen you on TV, haven't I?" or "You're on the Five's commercial, right?"

But there are potential downsides. Untrained performers may look amateurish or awkward--something that's not good for image. Employee turnover could make your spot obsolete before the campaign is even finished. And, if you want to stay up-to-date, you'll need to shoot replacement footage when new workers join the team.

So, pull up the directors chair and keep these guidelines handy when your bank decides that the time is right to "go cable." You might not win any big ad awards, but these recommendations could boost the quality of your spots. You might be surprised at how much business a good ad

Don't Make a Champagne Commercial on a Beer Budget

We asked Warner Lewis, executive vice president of Peoples Bank, Lawrence, Kan., about his bank's experience with cable TV advertising. The institution has been running cable ads since the summer of 2001. Peoples Bank has $320 million in assets, with 13 locations in northeast Kansas and northern New Mexico.

Q. What method fie you use to produce your commercials?

A. Because I came from broadcasting/advertising background, we develop our concepts in-house. We use selected local production facilities.

Q. Why did you choose this approach?

A. Knowing we would be shooting on videotape versus film and using "local" or "banker" talent, we tried to keep everything--from the script, lighting and shot locations--very simple and within the capabilities of the production crews. Trying to do a real champagne production on a beer budget can be a big mistake. We work with some great people who know how to make the most of every dollar.

Q. What's the biggest challenge?

A. Creating a unique yet simple message that captures die target audience's interest in way that makes them want to take action positively. Viewers are bombarded with thousands of messages every day. They don't have the time or desire to invest in what your bank has to say.

As they say in the ad business, "You've got 30 seconds to live." Your message needs to connect every time.

Q. What advice would you give about cable to other bankers?

A. Focus on a strong, believable single message and keep your production simple. Remember that shooting even a single 30-second commercial takes thought, planning and patience. Don't try to shoot an award-winning commercial. Shoot a commercial that's sincere, reflects your bank and fulfills a customer need. Customers don't care how old your institution is, and every bank claims to be friendly! Solve a real-life problem and your commercial will work.

Walt Albro is senior associate editor of ABA Bank Marketing magazine.