U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

farm\V|radio (Cont'd from p. 60) mercial wood cutter, contractors and miscellaneous users. This being the case we realized very quickly that if we were to capture our share of this market, wc must appeal directly to the farmer, using various aj)proaches. "Piior to 1958, we depended primarily upon newspapers, national publications and our own organization's promotions. In 1958, we used radio tluring the fall and winter months in order to reach the farmer who is interested in our product at Danny Williams (I), program director, WKY Oklahoma City, and Russell Pierson (r), farm director, present the station's monthly Farmer-Rancher award to Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Stratton. this time only. Ihc results were ama/ing. Onr sales jumjK'tl approximately 33.33 percent over our sales of the previous year because we were using what, in our ojjinion, was the right program at the right time. "The increase in sales which has been noted was for the Cincinnati district, but this program \\-as used ou ;i iiaiioual l)asis and the icsulls were so j)romising that the advertising dei)ariment contraded for' 52 weeks of advertising, blanketing the entire nation in 1959. This nev.' program, which is now in effect, is definitely helping us show gains, and it is my belief that this medium will continue to be rised in the future." (Cont'd on p. 64) .iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiy Evaluation of Farm Director's Role This report, submitted to U.S. radio by Jay Gould, farm service director, WOWO Fort Wayne, Ind., analyzes the modern farm director's position in relation to advertisers and potential advertisers: "1. The Farm Director's Place on the Air. The tendency of sponsors to hope to have the farm director broadcast for no competitive product is based on a lack of understanding of the radio audience and its attitude towards the farm broadcaster, and on exactly what a farm broadcaster is and his significance to his audience. From a commercial standpoint his first job is to get. and hold, the largest possible number of potential customers so that they will hear tiie sales message. Secondly, he needs to keep the listener open-minded for that message. Once he has identified himself with a certain product, a very important degree of his authority as a source of farm information is lost. For example, say 10 percent of his audience are sold on the use of feed 'A.' If he tells all 100 percent that feed 'A' is the best in his opinion, then the 90 percent discount his message by thinking: 'Well, of course. He's a feed 'A' man.' And thus, he can no longer represent a source of objective agricultural information to that 90 percent of his audience. Thus, his 'getting and holding' ability as a farm authority is curtailed, and also, the effectiveness of the commercial itself is damaged. "Our clients need to realize that the commercial announcers on our farm programs are exceptionally welltrained in the business of farm selling — tops in this specialized type of commercial announcing. "2. Meaning and Value of Sponsored Commercial Time. Farmers are I)ig businessmen, with extremely high capitalization and high gross income, and such a narrow and fluctuating margin of profit that radio listening is an extremely important part of their successful management. They must have the news, the markets, the weather and up-to-the-minute information that 15 correct. And they do dial until they get it — at the time that they can listen. They also like entertainment and music and humor and thoughts — the same as other folks. But a j)rogram that holds farmers must serve them or they will dial. There must be time for that service, or the commercials will have no receivers. Farmers are aware of the time that is furnished to tiiem for service by a sponsor, and it is wise to include in the format of sponsored time the mention of the fact that it is brought to the farmers as a service of the sponsor. "3. The Need for the Sponsor to be Aware of the Entire Program of Which He Is Sponsoring a Portion. There is a dangerous tendency for clients to feel that their five or 10. or 1.5 minutes is a program. They ask air checks of their individual portion and evaluate it as such. The design of the whole farm program must be seen if a portion of it is to be understood and appreciated. For example. The Little Red Barn program which begins with Bob .Sievers from the 'Farm House Kitchen.' and his unique telephone news service, music, chatter and sound effects, is followed at .S:.30 by two hours at the Little Red Barn, with at least five men participating. This means much more to 'listener-holding' than any five or 10-minute portion. The salesman needs to be familiar with the entire layout of a farm j)rogram and so, surely, does the sponsor of any portion of it. "4. The Unique Farm Sales Potential. From the standpoint of sales, one farmer is worth many non-farm listeners. "Other radio listeners who are non-farmers liave only their net income to spend on the things radio advertisers sell. But practically everything the farmer buys with his entire income — and this means his gross income — is advertised on radio. A non-farmer with a 110.000 annual income lias only $10,000 to buy with, but the farmer with the $10,000 net income will have from $.50,000 to $75,000 for purchases. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiii^^^^^^^ 62 U. S. RADIO February 19G0