Broadcasting (Apr - Jun 1949)

UBLIC UTILITIES CASE Radio Brings U"ders*°ndi"g By JAN GILBERT Radio-Television Director, Harold Cabot & Co., Boston &ADIO should be a "must" in very public utility advertising mdget! The words "public utility" to fnany people are something overpowering in scope^something just ot understood. This lack of unerstanding should be non-existent r.oday if the use of such a large nedium as radio is employed to jjducate the public. A carefully planned radio campaign should be i part of advertising budgets for jail utilities. Radio reaches everyone. It appeals to young and old; literate land illiterate; healthy and invalid. It is a grass root medium ... it jis an all level medium. Because radio reaches such a cross section bf the population, it can be used eas an educational medium. The word "educational" is not meant to imply necessarily the high ibrow or so called long-hair appeal. The flexibility of radio permits it One of a Series ;to bring a message, educational or \ otherwise, to the population in almost any manner which is believed desirable. A firm's message can be delivered humorously, seriously, as a portion of a quiz pro| gram, variety show, newscast, or u in the form of one-minute announcements or station breaks which can be either straight selling copy or in the familiar jingle form. Railroad Example A good example of how radio can be used to sell two problems which might appear to be rather dull was the Boston and Maine Railroad's campaign of two years ago. The Boston and Maine wanted to get across two points: (1) dependability of train travel and (2) the friendliness of the railroad. The method employed was a one-minute jingle — "Timetable Mable," the girl who's in love wtih a train; and, incidentally, the train happened to be the Boston and Maine. This jingle was scheduled on over 20 stations throughout the Boston and Maine territory. During a period of nine months the jingle was broadcast some 3,000 times — and the results were astonishing. The stations received requests for the music, requests for recordings, and even requests that it be played on request programs. BROADCASTING • Telecasting Some people even attended costume parties dressed as "Timetable Mable." We have just completed a oneminute jingle for the New England Electric System. It is a friendly, warm jingle which tells people in an entertaining manner just how wonderful life can be with electricity. In this instance, the New England Electric System wanted a way in which to impress upon people the fact that electricity is inexpensive, that appliances are available, and that electricity makes work easier, life brighter, or, in sum total, an appreciation of electricity. The jingle goes like this: Once an old Yankee closed his eyes And the darkness made him realize "How bright our life can be Thanks to electricity." So he climbed up the steeple And he shouted to the people Who were standin' on the landin' down below "Folks thank your lucky rabbit that you've got the 'lectric habit For that wattage keeps your cottage all aglow And there's toasters and heaters, roaster, egg beaters 'Frigerators, percolators, blankets for the night . . . how bright our life can be Thanks to electricity." Uses Different Approach An entirely different approach to the use of radio by a utility, and equally effective, was taken by the Boston Consolidated Gas Co. They sponsor a 15-minute quiz program, Quizzing the Wives, five days a week on WNAC Boston. Their guests are club women selected from the towns or cities served by the Boston Consolidated. The ladies are given the opportunity to win cash awards for their own club, a chance to be on radio — which, by the way, is a big treat for some people. They are exposed during the broadcast to the commercial messages of the Boston Consolidated, and following the broadcast to a home economic talk by a representative of the Boston Gas. We estimate that this program, which has been on the air over four years, reaches approximately 6,000 women directly a year, and 26,000 indirectly and directly a year. Radio broadcasting is effective. We at Harold Cabot & Co. put it to a great test last winter when the snow fell so fast and so often it was impossible for the permanent snow removal crews of the Boston and Maine Railroad to keep its yards clear. We used radio to hire, of all things, snow shovelers. By the use of radio as a medium, we were able to deliver enough snow shovelers for the Boston and Maine to keep its trains running. We also found an interesting indication as to how people listen to the radio. Our copy read : "Attention — temporary snow shovelers are urgently needed tomorrow morning by the Boston and Maine Railroad. Men 18 and over can earn extra money. Report at the rear of 150 Causeway St., properly dressed tomorrow / r r sr Miss GILBERT morning at 6:00 a.m." In spite of the fact that we stated "tomorrow morning," men were flocking to the yards at 6:00 p.m. that night. We deleted the word "urgently" and solved the problem. During 47 snowbound days, no less than 43 emergencies arose needing radio assistance. We prepared spot announcements for four utility and semi-utility accounts, airing 767 announcements over a dozen or more New England stations. In many instances, announcements were on the air every half hour. Station cooperation was splendid. Roads were cleared by shovelers hired by radio; motorists kept off trolley tracks; people understood the fuel and milk situations — accepted them gracefully. The question for utilities is not, "Should a utility use radio as an AN ARDENT believer in the effectiveness of radio advertising, Miss Gilbert states her case in simple, solid terms. In the problem of public utility advertising, the question, she says, is not whether to use radio, but rather how to most effectively reap the potential benefits radio has to offer. Institutional advertising plays a leading role at Harold Cabot & Co., where Miss Gilbert is radio and television director. Among the Cabot accounts are many public utilities, including Boston Consolidated Gas Co., Boston & Maine Railroad, Boston & Maine Transportation Co., Metropolitan Transit Authority, New England Electric System and Port of Boston Authority. When the New England regional conference of the Public Utilities Advertising Assn. met in Boston, Miss Gilbert presented the group with a strong case outlining what radio could do for them. On the request of Broadcasting, she has prepared the material in more detail as a suggested pattern for other agencies and clients. advertising medium?" That should be an accepted fact. The question should be, "Which of the many techniques in radio advertising will best suit my particular problems?" Stresses Friendliness Whatever the individual problems are, the underlying themes should be friendly. Utilities should not mean something overpowering that business men talk about. It should not be a thing that people grouse about paying for because in their opinions it costs too much. The word "utility" should instead spell to everyone, old and young, the warm, bright light in the window replacing the old oil lamp; the modern gas range instead of the less efficient, slower cooking methods; a friendly telephone call from a loving mother informing her son that a bus will be at the railroad station when his dependable train arrives. Radio — because of its impact, its ability to reach the masses, its flexibility — should be a part of all utilities' advertising budget, and tailored to best meet each firm's needs. BASEBALL Chandler Clarifies Rights A MINOR LEAGUE baseball team •has the final word on whether broadcasts of major league games may be carried by stations in its own home territory, but has nothing to say about which local stations may carry such broadcasts. This is the ruling handed down by Baseball Commissioner A. B. Chandler and being circulated last week. It applies to telecasts as well as broadcasts. It is also applicable to major league teams with respect to local broadcasts and telecasts of games in which they are not engaged. Once the local club has given permission for the "outside" game to be carried locally, the selection of the local station or stations is up to the organization which holds the broadcast rights — usually the major league home club in the game being broadcast, or the major league itself. Only exception would be where the local club is the property of the team holding broadcast rights. Commissioner Chandler said : To the extent that a minor league club attempts or has attempted to designate the station to carry the broadcasts or telecasts of designated major league games, or to give a consent limited only to certain designated stations, the major league home club, or the major league, as the case may be, may disregard the attempted limitation on the consent and may consider the consent which has been given as an unlimited consent to the broadcast and telecast, and may broadcast or telecast such major league games in the home territory of the minor league club. Mr. Chandler made it clear that the local minor league club does not have to give its consent on an all-or-none basis. May 23, 1949 • Page 27