U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

Carolina rice "When Carolina opened up in radio," sa\s Sarara S. Baker, i he agency's account executive for River Brand, "the New York market was our first target. Since ilien, our market expansion has been cautious but steady. We are now firmly entrenched in the East, with continuous expansion in the Midwest and some new openings on the West Coast. Among the many key radio markets now using Carolina schedules are New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, New England, Washington and Puerto Rico." The scheduling within these markets has shown a marked improvement too. To illustrate how the agency has maintained pace with industry changes, Mr. Baker points to a product improvement that brought about an additional flight for the summer: "Preparation of rice for the table used to be a lengthy and hot procedure. The housewife had to let the rice steep for 30 minutes before it could be served. With improved processing, she can now accomplish the task in half that time. This means that a rice meal does not have to be a cold weather specialty. Whereas we ran our spots only in the cooler seasons, we now carry a summertime flight as well, stressing the ease with which the food can be prepared. During this warm weather period we run on Saturdays and Sundays, too, especially at the hours when the family is likely to be returning from a trip to the beach or the country." Three Flights Used "Our three flights vary in length up to 13 weeks," says Marie Coleman, timebuyer for the River Brand account. "We kick off in early January with a 13-week cycle that carries us through the big Lenten season; then we pick up again around Decoration Day and carry beyond Labor Day. We come right in again with our fall cycle beginning late in September and running through the first week in December. Then a layoff for the holiday traffic until the first of the year when we resume with the flight thai carries us through Lent." Speaking of the radio strategy, pasl .Hid present, Gerald Arthur, media dhecloi for Donahue & Coe, si.iicsili.ii when Carolina Brand was introduced in 1942, the first objective was to build up sales in the New York market. " The agency decided that radio would provide the best coverage," he notes. "At first, the campaign was directed toward the Negro consumer, traditionally a heavy user of rice. As the Puerto Rican population of the city blossomed, we began scheduling spots oh Spanish stations as well. "As the increasingly popular Carolina jingle established itself," says Mi. Arthur, "we began placing our spots on personality programs on a rotating basis. The reason for this was that we wanted to reach the greatest possible number of separate households while keeping within our budget. We would run our schedule on one personality show (this would often be the station's leading disc jockey) for a few weeks and then shift to another "name" announce) who was likely to have a different following. This rotating system proved successful enough to warrant its continuance. Though we don't use network, we take local spots on network stations, especially adjacencies or local cutaways on such shows as the Breakfast Club." When the shift to suburbia gained momentum. Carolina merely followed the trend. "Our object is to reach the young housewife who is looking for thrifty meals," Miss Coleman points out, "and at the same time wants to prepare an interesting fare. We usually run the suburban spots early to catch the news, school and road report listeners. In the city we try to air our announcements during the mid-morning period when the housewife is doing her cleaning and is beginning to think about the evening meal. We also use the evening driving times in order to catch the husband on the way home. The live tags often feature menu suggestions that will appeal to the men. We currently have schedules on 25 stations in the metro politan area with a total weekly spot 1 1 ecjiic ni \ ol L'dfi on the cit) stations alone." "When we established radio in New York," says Mr. Baker, "sales nearly tripled. By 1951 we led this market in rice sales. We then felt we were ready to extend our reach to other parts of the country. "Carolina's tnarkei expansion has been cautious but steady. It is difficult to enter a new area because of the local and regional producers that are already firmly entrenched there. Bui when the underlying need lor a national product is realized, and a solid distributorship lias been established, Donahue & Coe begins its initial promotion. The first target is usually the Negro segment of the population (and/or the Spanish il it is warranted). When thai portion ol the market has been achieved, then the rest of the market is substantially coveted. Type of Station Sought "We look for the solid, general appeal station that has a strong personality announcer," Mr. Baker states. "The distributor is alerted to have Carolina well stocked and openly displayed in the independent and chain groceries. Our saturation scheduling often results in a close working relationship with the stations who offer their merchandising facilities to promote the product. Shelf talkers that tie in with the commercial are a valuable aid to any campaign because they renew interest in the consumer who has received her first impression on radio and now has it strengthened at pointof-sale. The agency purposely strives for a close working relationship with the station in order to achieve maximum benefits in the areas of scheduling and merchandising." Mr. Baker feels that rice, in its various forms, has a tremendously broad appeal. As noted earlier it is a traditional food for the Negro and Spanish peoples. This is largely due to its low cost, especially when purchased in bulk packages such as the popular three pound box that Carolina distributes. To higher income groups, rice has a specific appeal because of its versatility. "In the past few years," Mr. Baker says, "gourmet recipes have gained national recognition, especially in the Sunday supplements and the wom U. S. RADIO • January 1961