Sponsor (Nov 1946-Oct 1947)

SPONSOR SPEAKS Let's Sell Radio! Printed here is a letter received from Raj m, head <>i his own New York adverumii. ii merly a pn i{ director of station WOR. We can think of no better follow-up to our August editorial, Sinrt Selling Radio. We consider it "inu>t" reading lor station executives as t hi N \li session > on\ enes. "I can't, for the life of me, figure out why the radio powers-that-be, heading up a medium that's intangible from the word go, continue to ignore the importance of industry-wide promotion. 'Promotion' is probably a badly chosen word — it's frequently 'justification' we have to worry about. "A client is usually a hard-headed business man who, naturally enough, leans towards the tacts and figures school. Competing media oiler him ABC circulation statistics, result stories, and neverending promotion. Radio can show result stories, alright, but in place of statistics it pitches ratings and coverage figures, neither of which can possibly be exact and neither of which has the legitimate ting of a sworn statement of circulation. So far as promotion is concerned, even in the face of continuing competitive pitches from other media, radio offers blank, period. "It seems to me high time stations realized that time buying isn't the only important facet of the agency's radio activity it's our time selling that puts the works in motion. The broadcasters seem to have lost sight of the fact that in the final analysis they pay the advertising agent's commission, on the theory that he is directly instrumental in the sale of time. I think that the sales ammunition corollary to that is obvious. "I've pounded away at the network boys and independent station men and network men alike, before, during, and after the war. I can't say that I got very far. "Hope you light a bonfire t-h-i-s big." It Didn't Happen, but Several months ago when it seemed apparent that Fred Waring would be moved from his NBC half-hour 1 1 a.m. spot to 10 a.m., the American Broadcasting Company realized that while Waring was no threat to its 1 1 a.m. Breakfast in Hollywood his music might raise hob with My True Story, on that network at 10. Executives journeyed to Chicago and sold morning sponsors on ABC on a cooperative a.m. promotion for the entire 9 to 1 2 skein of programs. The cost was to have been $65,000. At that time every advertiser involved saw the need to fight and build their audiences, an indication that sponsors do realize that they have a joint responsibility with the facilities they use to build audiences. It would have been a good fight. It won't happen because one of the sponsors involved cancelled his program due to a disagreement with ABC's continuity acceptance department (bad taste, etc.) and at the last moment another sponsor realized that he'd be fighting himself if he subscribed to the fund die's on other networks too) and changed his mind. Promotion is a vital part of broadcast advertising. Even if the ABC a.m. promotion won't come off, what ABC executives discovered is that sponsors will share promotion costs — if the idea is sold properly. Applause ~ • Sponsor of the year Paul Weeks Litchfield, Chairman of the Board <>t the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company — sponsor's selection for spon-"i "i the yeai l°46-47). V\ hen all business was switching to a hard-hitting commercial philosophy, Paul Litchfield invested $1,000,000 a year in the future of America, in spreading a reflection of the words and deeds of the greatest story t \ < 1 told. When Jim Ellis, President of the Kud' Agency, broughl a program to Akron for his client and friend. Litchfield, to hear he knew that so-cal'ed practical advertising nun would think him crazy. The program he carried was not a straight selling effort could not be made into a straight advertising vehicle as broadcasl ing had known commen ials down through its 27 year history. I le knew that it was fraught with dynamite, that it carried within tlu halt hour engraved on the audition i m< nts that could, ii misused or misjudged, destroy the great corporation of his client. He put the transcription on a turntable— waited for a reaction from J. K. Hough, Goodyear Advertising Director; D. T. Buchanan, Advertising Manager; most of the major executives of the firm — and Paul Litchfield. The management group herrd the disk through to its completion. Then the Advertising Manager said, "Here's something that we can't overlook." Litchfield's answer was, "I leu is something that we don't dare overlook." A second recording was made at Goodyear's expense. It was as good as the first. It brought the Story of the golden rule of living to all who'd care to listen Litchfield bought the program. That still wasn't the end. There was feeling that The Greatest Story Ever Told. as the program is titled, wouldn't accomplish anything tor Goodyear without advertising contnuit) that tied up the "Greatest Name in Rubber" with The ■! StOI \ /'It I Told. Once again Litchfield stepped into the picture with an emphatic "NO." It took no little courage to spend a million a year for a program without selling. But Litchfield felt he knew his Goodyear customers — felt that this program without advertising would sell tires. Paul Weeks Litchfield has been selected as sponsor's first Sponsor of the Yieai because he recognized the vital need at this time of spreading the doctrine of "peace on earth to men of goodwill." He was named Sponsor of the Year for this reason and tor still another. An industrial empire runs on profit. Although a $1,000,000 a year broadcast program might spread the guidance ot the greatest teacher of all time, it still had to sell Goodyear tires and rubber products. It does. So this publication is honored in placing as number one among the sponsors of 1946 l'M7. Paul Weeks Litchfield, who has proved that programs sans advertising can sell. 86 SPONSOR