U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1959)

Record Details:

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;i miitiuilh ;k1\ itntagt'oiis |)()sili()ii i-i talk his laiit^iiagf. l lu' (|ucsl ions l)<.'l<)\v ri lk'< I the L;ri|)(s, tlic Irustialioiis, tlic ci()iil)ts ,111(1 ilu' woiiclcnneiit ol station managcnu'iu at the year's end as it seeks to improve its \vorkinf> relalionshi]) witii a_t>en(ics. I hey were asketl l)y station men of agency media buyers at the Radio Advertising Riire.ni Inc. Mctlia Huyers" Roundtable, held late in l!)r)8 at the Waldoi 1-Astoi ia in New \'ork (see December 19r)8 issue) . Never revealed previously, the questions lelled both perennial problems and up-to-the-minute developments. The questions were posed to media buyers and executives at the R.\B roundtable in an effort to provide station men with an oppoitiniitv they rarely get: Name ly, lo talk at h isiiK lo buNcis about i^eueial issues latliei ili.in ihcii own station's lacililies. I lie (|uestions station management asked agency media buyers lell chielly into five l)road categories. Ratings, prograimiiing, media and market plainiing, limcbuver j>i()blems, promotion and mei ( liandising, and general cjuesiions on stationagency matters. Conclusions According to RAB officials who made the questions available to u.s. RADIO, these were some of the conchisions growing out of discussions the questions evoked: • Biiyers feel direct mail from radio stations is of extremely limited value. They welcome u]>to-date markci inloimaiion, j>ai lir idai ly in easy lo file loim. • liuyers want icccni laiings liom stations but will buy on the basi-> oi t)ldei figiMcs ulicte they have to, depending upon c ire uur stanc es. • In general, station executives should try to "learn the ropes" in dealing witli agencies. Miuh irustration coidd be eliun'nated if those station perjple who an not experienced in naiicjtial levcl contact made an effort to brie! themselves on how agencies (>]> erate. Checking the reprc-sentative, reading trade papers — and attempting to understand the man on the buying side — were all stressed as importaiu at a numl)e) of tables where the subject came up for cli->(iision. • • • radio should get the nod in media planning. Jf hy. in your opinion, doesn't it more often:' 11. Daytime television seem^ to be getting more business this year from agencies than last, although the figures in our market clearly show that we reach more families and more adults than it does at a fraction of the cost. Who's on first? 12. If hat is your opinion on single rate card (one for national and local accounts ) and what are media buyers doing to promote this if favorable? 13. If we try to standardize our discounts with other stations what would you recommend — the traditional 13, 26, 52 or in multiples of 100 or what? 14. The average morning ''''drive time" listener is out of th-e buying audience for many products anywhere from 3 to 9 hours. How come agencies insist on this time period rather than picking availabilities which ivill (a) hit the customer most apt to buy (b) hit them at a time nearest to buying opportunity? 15. How are dollars allocated to markets? Who decides? 16. Network radio seems to deliver audience in the eight figures for a fetv thousand dollars a week. What do you think is holding network back from greater acceptance? 17. When a company purchases national netivork campaigns, is there real consideration on special co-op so the local man may add to frequency on local netivork station? 18. Do you have any accounts buying nighttime radio? What's your own personal opinion of the value of nighttime radio? 19. Do you anticipate more summer buys this year? If not. when do you think the breakthrough will come? 20. Is the entire budget usually committed or are some dollars held back to stress specific markets at a later date? 21. Does having a local broker recommend a station do it anv good? Our experience has been that sometimes this seems to make the agency mad and we lose the business. 22. I know all station managers sav "my market is different" but what can be done to sell the client or the aeency boss on sending media people out for a first-hand look and listen at stations in various markets. Timebuyer Problems 1. W hat are the biggest headaches stations give you? 2. H hat are five main factors a media buyer looks for in selecting a station? 3. ff hat kind of information other than ratings do you want from stations? 4. What is the simplest, most direct method of approaching media buyers on an individual account? 5. Hotv many changes are made in the average buy — after stations have been picked? 6. Can't something be done to simplify the paper ivork on both sides of the desk when a national spot order is placed? 7. How do you, yourself, judge frequency? What's an adequate number of spots for saturation by market size? 8. Does a representative salesman run the risk of being "hurt" on other buys and other stations if he goes over the buyer's head on a specific buy? 9. If I put together a "big pitch" for an agency, what should the maximum length be? 10. How far in advance of a "season" do you start your picking of markets and getting availabilities? 11. I'm one of six stations in a market of 250.000. Is it worthwhile for me to try to set up an easel presentation with most agency timebuying departments when I come to Xew York so I reach all buyers at once? 12. W hat can stations and representatives do to improve their service to the time-buyers? Merchandising and Promofion 7. How important is merchandising in selecting a radio station ? 2. Have you ever bought a station because of its merchandising policies rather than its audience or ratings? 3. How much attention do you pay in buying to rating-week stimuli that ours and other stations use like treasure hunts, jackpots, audience-buying devices like that? 4. Do you feel it's wise for stations with representatives to conduct direct mail campaigns aimed at timebuyers? 5. What are the main mailing pieces a media buyer keeps in a station file? 6. How does a smaller market radio station make itself known to buyers of national and regional advertising time ivithout prohibitive expense? U. S. RADIO • January 1959 35