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These aren't all the zany things Drepperd receives. Longest on his list has been a request to exchange a mother-in-law
one has a yearning for something he hasn't got. Well, tell us what you have to swap and what you want for it, and we'll broad' cast your desire to Tidewater Virginia. Just send me a card or letter addressed to Bob Drepperd Swap Shop, WLOW, Norfolk, saying what you've got and what you want. Include your name and address and phone number. We will not use your name on the air . . . just your initials. Now if you hear us offering something you'd like to have and you have what the other person wants, send us a card or letter to the same address and we will inform the party of your interest. This is absolutely free. It doesn't cost you a cent to have your own articles advertised on the Swap Shop. It's a WLOW service for its listeners. It'll save you time and money. So, get your card or letter in to me today . . . Bob Drepperd Swap Shop, WLOW."
Last week Drepperd, the only man in radio whose name is spelled the same back
ward and forward, received a letter from the local competition. A member of the WTAR staff wanted Bob to find him a camera to swap, and the local newspaper was looking for old pictures for a feature story.
Since October 1 the show has been sponsored by the Norfolk Independent Food Dealers Association, so Drepperd always mentions the group in his closing message. He usually says something like this:
"Don't forget the address of the Swap Shop, brought to you Monday through Friday by the Independent Food Dealers Association of Norfolk. If you want something, and have something you'll swap for it, let me know, and we'll see if we can't find a taker on this program . . . The address for cards and letters ..."
Since "Swap Shop" is for the mediumincome family group, and since these are usually the people who buy from neighborhood grocery stores, this has been a successful sales vehicle for the food association. Commercials on the program present the group in an institutional appeal. Immediate sales are not a too-apparent objective in the message. A sample commercial reads, "Mrs. Housewife, wasn't it a pleasure to shop with your neighborhood Independent Grocer during the war years? The little things he did for you meant a lot . . . an extra fine cut of meat . . . saving you a pound of bacon . . . being sure he had sugar for you when you needed it. Yes, the Independent Grocer took care of his customers . . . and though the war is over, this same courtesy is yours at your nearest Independent Grocer's. His store is homeowned, and he is located right in your own neighborhood for convenience. So, whenever you need groceries, shop at your Independent Grocer's ... a community institution."
In its promotion of the small business man "Swap Shop" has a double-duty format that entertains while it assists. It successfully builds good feeling for the sponsor. In addition, it demonstrates forcibly that the momentum that carries radio along is the out-of-the-ordinary programs that make radio listening so enjoyable to dialers.
JANUARY, 1949
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