Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1949)

Pennants, banners, flags, all carrying the Food Fair theme were strung over the entire store interior. Outside, along the entire store front a bold display of cut-out lithographed food product pictures made a tremendous 60-foot high spectacle visible from blocks away. These cut-out figures were eight feet and more in length and were supplied by the national advertisers. Over 30 famous-brand products were represented in this mammoth, eye stopping display. Two days before the Fair was to open, a day before the first double-truck ad was to appear, all of Buffalo's top newspaper and radio executives were invited to a Food Fair dinner. They were treated to roast prime steer beef, from a famous Angus steer. Sattler's, just three weeks before, had bought at auction the Grand Champion 4H Steer at New York State's Erie County Fair, at $1.13 a pound, on the hoof. At the dinner every newspaper and radio executive was given a complete story, background, news releases and a recapitulation of the five months of Food Fair preparation. It was a complete package of facts. Remembering the trades reaction, Sattler treated their Food Fair as News . . . and gave it to news and radio men in that concise, unadorned form. This directness, this simple presentation of what one commercial organization considered to be news-worth-repeating found a very receptive audience. All Buffalo newspapers carried repeated stories of the fair. They featured human interest items such as the giant cake, the 3,000-pound tub of butter, the longest sausage that was ever made; all special Food Fair features that were in the store. The tremendous scope of this Food Event and the spectacular representation of na MORE THAN 500 DATES TO TIE TO IN '49 SCHOYER'S VITAL ANNIVERSARIES ol Hulory; Humon Interest; the Arts; Science; Crime: Births; Deathi; lor doily u>e in 1949. FOR AIL WRITERS. SPEAKERS, EDUCATORS ORDER NOW — SEND $2.00 TO: SCHOYER & CO., 304 Rots St. • Pittsburgh 19, @ tional advertisers who were part of the Fair also contributed to its news worthiness. Buffalo's five radio stations included the Food Fair in their news bulletins and four radio stations voluntarily came to the store to make 15-minute and half-hour wire-recorded shows. Sales records fell on a minute-to-minute, day-to-day basis. The grocery department rolled up an over-all total of business 70 per cent greater than any ten day period in Sattler history. Special promotions sold 49,000 cans of evaporated milk, 28,000 jars of baby food, and 350 cases of honey which at this time of year is an incredible amount. Cleansers and soaps went 200 per cent over the normal amount for a like 10-day period; 40,000 pounds of flour went into Buffalo homemakers' cannisters, 27-, 000 pounds of coffee, 9,000 boxes of frozen foods and more canned luncheon meats than would normally be sold in two years. Interest in the Food Fair held up to the very last crowded day. Newspaper and radio ads . . . radio and newspaper publicity did their part in sustaining interest, and Sattler's battery of 26 street windows took on a major share in making passers-by Food Fair conscious. For what may be the first time in department store history, the entire battery of a store's windows were turned over exclusively to food promotions. Again, the national advertisers stepped in with display talent and eye-arresting display pieces that helped create compelling presentations, real stoppers that reflected the festive Fair atmosphere, the tremendous scope of the food event and the oncein-a-lifetime buying and saving opportunities. The facts and figures prove the old sayings that "vittles is vital" and "Food is Fun." Any department store executive, chain store executive or independent market operator would find fun in the record breaking figures Sattler's attained in the ten days of their Food Fair event. And Food Fairs are food for thought. Give the national, top-name packers and manufacturers, distributors and local food firms the chance to promote over and above their regular promotion media and they are there Johnny-on-the-spot. 18 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP