Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

omething Ventured . by NORMAN V CARLISLE, Who Describes One Great Show — and How Five Different Sponsors Made It Greater Last fall, the Adventures of Pinocchio, in transcription form, was put on the market. Advertisers all over America (32 of them) seized the chance to sponsor that engaging little wooden rascal. Some advertisers bought the rights to the transcriptions in their community, bought time on a station, opened wide the doors of their stores, and waited. That they got good results is a tribute to the inherent strength of a sure-fire program. But the advertisers who gained the biggest results were the ones who recognized in Pinocchio a natural opportunity to employ added showmanship. Radio Showmanship examined the records of some of the advertisers who sponsored Pinocchio. From these we selected five cases in which the results were outstanding. Here are those five cases, the story of five advertisers who knew that super-results come Verbose, apple-cheeked, thirtyish,N orman V.Carlisle has been writing in and about radio for a good many years. His authoritative articles, "Before You Buy Radio," "Getting Your Money's Worth on the Air," etc., have appeared in such leading trade publications as Progressive Grocer, Hardware World, American Dry Cleaner, Automobile Trade Journal, and Jeweler's Circular and Keystone. As associate editor of Radio Showmanship he will hop a train, cover the country in a search for examples of outstanding showmanship in radio advertising. He leaves behind him, on these monthly jaunts, a wife, two tots, a cottage on the edge of a lake. The picture above is so that you'll recognize him, if ever he calls on you. (In the general field, prolific writer Carlisle is interpreting American industry and business for the public through his articles in American MagazineJ from the extra efforts of promotion. Figures on the membership of the Pinocchio clubs may be taken as the equivalent of sales figures, for in each case these sponsors were able to translate the activities of the clubs into dollars and cents purchases. DENVER Showmanship at its shining best was exhibited by the K & B Packing & Provision Company when it assumed sponsorship of the Pinocchio program. It wanted a smashing send-off for the new program — and found it! A barrage of announcements on KOA informed the children of Denver that there would be a great rally on Saturday morning, March 2nd — a super weiner roast, with free weiners, free Pinocchio dolls and kites, and free membership cards in the Pinocchio club. Did the children respond? They did, for the good looking girls behind the batteries of automatic weiner roasters handed out no less than 6,622 hot dogs to eager youngsters that day! In less than two months, the membership of K & B's Pinocchio Club had soared to over 10,000 members. To prove that they were buying members, K & B offered a bag of marbles to any member presenting a sales slip for K & B products. Over 5,000 were given away in a period of thirty days. Dealers admitted that there had never been such a sweeping demand for meat products asked for by name. Sales results were spectacular because the advertiser built the showmanship appeal around his own products. HARTFORD When Bernard Kofsky women's and children's apparel store in Hartford, Connecticut, assumed sponsorship of Pinocchio, nothing was left to chance. Mr. Kofsky well knew that showmanship doesn't have to be expensive, but it does have to be continuous. Well before the first broadcast, the store sent out 3,000 post cards imprinted with a drawing of Pinocchio and reading: SEPTEMBER, 1940 11