Business screen magazine (1938)

ROLL DOWN THE RED CARPET by Zenn Ksufmsn, author of "Showmanship in Bushiess" • When the Burhngton Railroad inaugurated its new Zephyr, many celebrities were in the crowds that gathered in Chicago's Union Station to pay homage to a new and beautiful train. News stories flashed across the pages of thousands of papers as the press took fitting recognition of the achievement of getting to Denver, a distance of over a thousand miles, in less than 16 hours. In New York and scores of other cities, crowds poured out for days as the public grasped the opportunity to see the new train. But for all its speed, its beauty of design, its luxurious furnishings and other features, the one thing that the crowds talked of more than anything else was the red carpet that stretched down the platform for the entire length of the train. This Sir Walter-Raleigh touch, fitting homage to a monarch of rail transportation, captured the imagination of the public. The train — and the service it was to provide — represented many millions of dollars. In itself, the train represented a project that certainly rated an impressive reception in the minds of the travelling public. Still, one little gesture of showmanship provided the extra touch of "something" that — days later — kept conversations turned to the subject of the Burlington Zephyr. In contrast, let's change the scene to your home and the time to tonight. And we'll then have a pair of object lessons that adequately introduce the gist of our story. Suppose you had nothing particular to do this evening, and so you took your wife to the movies. After you got seated, without any particular announcement or ballyhoo, you discovered that in addition to the movie you paid to see, you were also going to see a heavyweight championship prize fight or a Barnum and Bailey Circus. Somewhere between 50% and 90% of the thrill and excitement and pleasure and memory value of either of those events would be completely lost because you had not experienced the customary "build-up" that precedes an important and spectacular entertainment feature. Yet all too many excellent films representing a heavy investment in money, time, skill and resourcefulness are rushed from the laboratory into the field and into a series of showings without making that slight additional investment of time and thought to provide a build-up and a follow-through which could so easilj' multiply the film's effectiveness. I remember walking into McCreery's one day to see a show that represented a cool $2,000 investment for a week. And the only promotion that was used inside the store, with thousands of people surging through it ever}' hour, was a twenty-four inch '■2-color poster at the door of the auditorium. And a uniformed girl managed to stand directly in front of the poster — thus hiding it most of the time. Manu facturers selling thru department stores have found to their dismay that the stores take half the value out of a film by showing it (whether to customers or clerks) in a perfunctory manner. To meet this situation, some manufacturers have taken the bull by the horns and have taken over the presentation of their films and send their own representatives along with the film to see that it gets proper buildup. Thus they are sure that advance newspaper ads run — that posters go up in the store — and finally, when the film is shown, that someone is on hand to introduce it suitably. ♦ A notable exception — and a good example of pre-promotion — is the job done by the Coolerater Company of Duluth. Minn., ice refrigerator manufacturers. Their film story is summarized in an eight page "Press Book" in two colors. The cover mentions a "$40,000 dramatic movie — Free" and then tells how to put the picture over in real style. It gives full information on lobby display, a prize drawing, showing of an actual refrigerator, tie-in windows with local grocers, free tickets, hand-bills and local publicity. The book shows photos of typical publicity scenes, featuring Mayors and other public officials. Also 3-sheet posters, available at 95c each; truck banners, at 55c; newspaper mats, 15c. General Electric advertised one of its pictures in full page space in Colliers. B. F. Goodrich ran a consumer prize contest in conjunction with Love, Honor & Obey The Law. The film dealt with safety infractions and the public was invited to spot the violations. To simplify this contest, they gave the audience a printed list of traffic violations and asked people to check off the violations in the picture. As a tie breaker, the contestants had to write a 200-word statement on "Safety". For Highway Patrol, another picture, Goodrich used sound trucks and three sheet posters featuring a prize contest. S. H. Camp supplied mats for a 150-line newspaper ad featuring Portrait of A Woman. The National Industrial Council printed cardboard wall bulletins for Men and Machines. They also supplied publicity releases for local newspapers and suggestions for lobby displays. United States Steel, sponsors of Men Make Steel, suggested tie-ins with automobile dealers, hardware stores and other outlets featuring merchandise made principally of steel. We cite above a few examples of good prepromotion. But these are notable exce-ptions. In most cases the presentation — whether to theatre audience or a sales group — boils down to an attitude of "We have a picture. Here it is". ♦ The same situation applies in the use of sales training pictures. A bunch of salesmen come in off the road for a Saturday morning sales meeting and learn YOUR FILM PROMOTION CHECKLIST Handbills X Letters X X Broadsides X X X Post Cards X X X Oral Mention X X Posters & Banners X X X Tickets X X X Trade Paper Ads X X Newspaper Ads X National Magazine Ad 5 . . X Press Book X Envelope Enclosures X X X Contests X X X House Organ X X Publicity X X X Window Display X Truck Banner X Sales Contests X 15