Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1964)

SPONSOR W^EEK Granik Develops Stamp Plan To Promote UHF Development New York — Granik Enterprises has come up with a stamp plan to promote the development of UHF. The company, which recently announced plans to establish a seven Schwerin: Ingredients, Not Romance, Sell Shampoos New York — In the advertising of shampoos, "women are simply not responsive to the promise of romantic attraction as a benefit," according to the Schwerin Research Corp. The firm, up-dating a four-yearold survey of the shampoo field, reports that "strong shampoo commercials tended to stress ingredients as the principal 'reason why'." Also, it was pointed out that the 30-second tv spot format exacted no penalty in effectiveness. The findings, reported in SRC's bulletin, involved analysis of two groups of commercials — one highly effective, the other ineffective. "All of the 'winner' group cited product ingredients as their reason-why for brand superiority, whereas the great majority of 'losers' contained no mention of ingredients." It was further pointed out that the effective shampoo commercials made specific claims about specific benefits. "They offered information — not gaseous promises of golden hair and eternal amour." Studying the commercials for effectiveness by length, Schwerin found that as a group the 30-second tv spots were slightly more effective than the average 60, adding that the "difference is probably not significant so what the data are really saying is that in the shampoo field, 30s are as effective as 60s." The bulletin had one more observation: "These highly effective 30-second shampoo messages were not accidents. They were the endproducts of thoroughgoing research programs that entailed time, money, experimentation and creative effort." station East Coast UHF network, expects to supply local merchants with stamps valued from five cents to one dollar that could be applied by customers to installation of a UHF converter and/or a UHF antenna. In explaining the plan, Ira Kamen, director of Kamen Associates, consultant to Granik Enterprises, declared: "America has run out of VHF television space and the station still is not being adequately served by tv on the community level. The time for UHF is now. and the problems which have caked earlier attempts at UHF operation may well dissolve in the face of a new economic formula (the stamp plan) which I've conceived to crack away at the hard core of pessimism which marks UHF endeavor today." The most serious problem faced by a UHF entrepreneur after he has acquired his construction permit from the FCC and built his station, Kamen said, "is getting local residents to put up a UHF antenna and/ or convert their current VHF sets to receive the UHF signal. Even the new all-channel sets will require a UHF antenna and proper downlead for satisfactory performance." Kamen's premise is that if local merchants give his special UHF installation value stamps to shoppers within the UHF signal it will spur them to add UHF to their sets. Granik has already filed for a construction permit for channel 75 in Patchogue, Long Island, N.Y. Ford, Screen Gems Agree To 'My Gidgef Pilot Film New York — Ford Motor Co. and Screen Gems, Inc., have gotten together on a pilot production of "My Gidget," a halfhour family comedy series. In announcing the deal, Jackie Cooper, vice president in charge of West Coast operations for Screen Gems, said filming would begin in Hollywood the first week in November. Starring in the pilot project will be Don Porter who played Mr. Devery in the Ann Sothern series, and is currently in the play, "Any Wednesday." The deal was worked out through Ford's agency, J. Walter Thompson. Kamen (left) shows UHF stamp display to Michael Rosen, Granik financial acJviser. K&E Projects Advertising Costs Through 1970 New York — Kenyon & Eckhardt researchers see steadily rising ad costs through 1970, and David C. Stewart, president of the agency, warns that "any agency or advertiser who does not recognize this as a red hot problem with a big red 'warning' sign on it is just kidding himself." Figures revealed at the New York Advertising Club (see Sponsor, Sept. 28, p. 4) show growth in ad volume, cost rises by media and budget increases needed by 1970. Advertising volume was at the $7.75 billion mark in 1953, and totaled $13 billion 10 years later. Projected figure for 1973 is $29 billion. By 1970, all major media but network radio and supplements will have raised their 1960 costs by more than 20 percent, K&E researchers forecast, outdoor costs showing the greatest increase, followed by night network tv, night spot tv, magazines. K&E also listed budget increases needed by 1970 to maintain 1964's level of pentration of total households: night network television. 30 percent increase; daily newspapers, 27 percent; night spot television, 24 percent; general magazines, 23 percent; daytime network television, 18 percent; 38 leading magazines, 17 percent; outdoor, 16 percent; supplements, 13 percent. 24 SPONSOR