Getting the contract is the easy part. You’ve done the deal and onboarded the client. You’re staying in touch and working the relationship, but there’s one area that’s tricky to navigate because once an advertiser becomes your partner, they have a vested interest in your performance. Endorsement ad airchecks are like having another PD. It’s a pain, but it can be one of the most valuable tools in a great endorsement relationship. The difference in it being a building block for your relationship and giving yourself a root canal is entirely about framing.
In a poorly managed aircheck, the client listens to and offers criticisms. It’s too fast, wrong emphasis, and didn’t mention the offer prominently enough. It’s always something, and most of the time, they don’t know what they’re talking about. You, the personality, must then defend your performance or capitulate to changes that make the next ad worse.
The aircheck becomes a negotiation about execution rather than a collaborative conversation about effectiveness.
The Importance of Endorsement Ad Airchecks
An aircheck with advertisers is tricky because the evaluation isn’t like a typical aircheck. In this case, the conversation starts with a shared question: Is this working? Steer the discussion away from, “Did you like it?” Whether the client liked it is interesting, but isn’t critical for their success.
The key questions are:
- Is it connecting with the audience?
- Does it sound genuine?
- Do listeners notice it? Is it standing out?
Framing the aircheck around effectiveness rather than preference shifts the entire dynamic to what the client is paying for: influence.
Endorsement Aircheck Guidelines
Here are a few practical guidelines for productive airchecks:
