U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

Meeting ai the Criterion Restaurant in St. Paul, 50 rontcslanls weir given their first clues thai carried them on a wild chase through town, and even brought ihcm to ;i haunted house where a "corpse" was discovered. When the course was completed, a drawing was held among the four members of the winning team. The grand prize went to \ii Lincoln of the Bolin-Smith Agency in Minneapolis, who received an am fm combination stereo and tv set. Other prizes included stereo sets, cultured pearls, wrist watches, cameras and transistor radios. Afterwards, the hungry hunters were provided a dinner and a program cmceed by Don French, KDWB's Program Director. Radio Contest Improves Department Store Sales There were 5,000 entries in the recent Brandeis $1,000 Christmas Contest on KBON Omaha. Brandeis, a large Omaha department store, reportedly moved a great deal of merchandise in the final Christmas shopping weeks as a result of the contest. The object of the game was to identify a mystery object. In the two weeks that the contest ran, 28 clues were given. Clue announcements totaled nearly 250; and 500 promotional announcements were also aired. Contest For Retailers Helps Promote New Candy Bar In support of a ten-a-day, six-week saturation schedule to introduce a strawberry flavored candy bar made by Cadbury, CFPL* London, Canada, set up a "Mystery Shopper Promotion" designed to gain attention of retailers in the city. The "mystery" shopper was sent into the stores to ask for candy. When the clerk recommended the Cadbury Strawberry Bar, he was awarded four silver dollars. If the store featured CPFL radio display tie-ins, and had a radio tuned into the station, the clerk would receive additional silver dollars. By the end of the second week, 75 percent of London's candy counters were featuring the Cadbury bar, the station reports. • • • * Denotes stations that are members of BPA (Broadcasters' Promotion Association) I J FURRIER Unable to obtain spot time for a weekend "unexpected sale," Holt-Renfrew, Furriers, of London, Ontario, purchased a four-hour remote from station CFPL. The remote was scheduled from 10 am to 2 pm on a Thursday and Friday. The results, said the store manager, were "phenomenally high for the fur business." The radio remote resulted in the sale of 50 coats, jackets and stoles, ranging in price from $100 to $1,000. J REAL ESTATE The cost of a six-hour remote, plus 72 one-minute spots, resulted in the sale of at least eight homes at the opening of the new Shamrock Homes sub-division of Bismark, N. D. The station providing this high-result program was KB0M. Lyle Porter, the real estate agent, was so pleased with the results of the radio response that he submitted a testimonial letter to KB0M stating that during the two day ceremonies, over 10,000 persons attended the opening. Cost of campaign was $458. I OIL COMPANY L When KAPE San Antonio contracted for a Conoco Oil Company campaign, the station promised to bring in 2500 customers. After a six-week schedule was completed, the response had nearly quadrupled the original estimate, the station reports. As an incentive to buy Conoco gas, listeners who purchased 10 or more gallons were entitled to receive a thermos jug at a special price of 99 cents. According to the station, more than 9,000 jugs were sold during this radio-only promotion. \ CLOTHING CHAIN When the Richman Brothers clothing store ran a closeout sale, because they had lost their lease, they turned to station KME0 Omaha to promote the end of the sale. Purchasing a 100 spot saturation package at a cost of $400, the store did more business on the first day of the radio promotion than on any previous day of the entire sale, the station reports. Until radio entered the campaign, only newspaper advertising had been used. U. S. RADIO • January 1961 17