Chappell tunes in to success with two companies

by Kris Ann Hegle

SBJ Contributing Writer

Ruell Chappell performed and recorded his first commercial production when he was 10.

More than 35 years later, he's still working in commercial audio production.

Chappell, who is a former member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, decided to turn his love of music into a business 10 years ago when he founded Ruell Chappell Music (RCM), a digital, multitrack, direct-to-disk, audio production studio.

RCM specializes in composing and producing commercial spots for radio and television, as well as developing original music for industrial films, audio-visual presentations and recording artists.

All of the production work is done by Chappell and his associate Stacy Hord, who work out of a studio in Chappell's home.

Having a home-based business is not only convenient, said Chappell, who often works odd hours, it also has helped him keep overhead low.

"Because I have low overhead, I'm able to pass the savings along to the client," Chappell said.

"As a result, I'm able to offer a high-quality product to national clients at a price that's lower than they're used to paying," he added.

Chappell estimates 50 percent of RCM's business is national while the rest is local.

Regardless of location, every client is given the option of choosing from one of three jingle packages.

All the packages include both a 60-second and 30-second singing jingle, a 60-second and 30-second music bed, vocal intros and tags, and a "stinger," or short section of music that reinforces a client's musical image.

"We give each of our clients a corporate musical identity," Chappell said. "People are more likely to remember what a business does if they hear the information set to a melody. It's sort of like when you where in grade school and you learned the alphabet by singing it."

According to Chappell, each jingle package is a custom production. He and Hord write and record music and tap into a local pool of talent for singers, announcers and musicians.

In recent years, Chappell said he has seen the demand for his services increase thanks to copyright laws that discourage the unauthorized use of an artist's music. If an artist's music is used in a jingle, the user must pay a royalty fee, which may be sizable.

Before composing a jingle, Chappell or Hord conduct a one-on-one interview with the client.

Once the client's needs are determined, they go back to the recording studio and get to work.

Most jingles have a turnaround time of 10 days, although RCM occasionally does rush projects for clients on tight deadlines.

Currently, RCM's client base is located in the eastern half of the United States. Through his Web site, however, Chappell hopes to attract more clients on the West Coast.

Expanding into new regions of the country, however, isn't as easy as it sounds.

Chappell and Hord must adjust their price structure so it is appropriate for the market area, and they must keep the flavor of each region in mind when composing a jingle.

In addition to branching out into new markets, Chappell has expanded the services he is able to offer his clients.

Five years ago, he formed Sales On Hold Systems.

Customers who call a business and are put on hold listen to a description of all the products and services offered by the company, which helps increase sales.

Chappell said Sales on Hold is a natural outgrowth of RCM.

Many RCM clients go on to use Sales On Hold and vice versa.

The result, said Chappell, is that customers hear a single consistent message about the products and services provided by a business.

Some of Sales on Hold's local clients include McLeod USA, Cox Health Systems, Springfield City Utilities and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

In the future, Chappell said, he plans on making Sales on Hold Systems' World Wide Web page at

www.salesonhold.com

more interactive, and he believes many of his new business projects will focus on Internet audio production. In the meantime, he is working on another challenge faced by many small-business owners finding enough time to spend with his family.

Chappell enjoys spending time with his wife Libbia, and his 4-year-old son Ruell Israel and his 17-year-old daughter Annalee.

He also plays every Friday and Saturday night at McSalty's on East Battlefield with a group called Nick, Ruell and Ned the Band.