Broadcasting (Apr - June 1950)

sales have been simply terrific. But when radio stands alone, we can always notice the results on traffic, and definite sales invariably result. Aside from sales, considerable goodwill has resulted from the Tower Clock Time broadcasts. Following the diamatic program presented on Thanksgiving Day, stressing the sending of CARE packages overseas, phone calls and personal messages poured into the store and into WHAM. In response to a Fashion Quizdown series (once a week for six weeks), an audience participation show, many of the listeners came in to the store following the broadcasts to buy fashion merchandise mentioned on the prog am. They were particularly enthusiastic and eloquent. One buyer remarked after a sale to a listener-customer, "If this doesn't build goodwill for Sibley's, I don't know what can." School Recommends Tower Clock Time is considered important enough by Wells College (70 miles from Rochester) to be "recommended listening for dramatic and radio classes." The program is also required for special classes in our local Board of Education. If Hooper ratings still mean anything— and I sometimes wonder, considering how badly they are misused and misinterpreted — these facts are somewhat important: In a city of six radio stations, Tower Clock Time on WHAM claims 29.4% share of audience. The program's rating equals the coincidental segment of the national Breakfast Club, and beats all other local competition by 50%. Tower Clock Time is merchandised and directly beamed for the out-of-town customer. We use newspaper space to cover the city and surrounding towns. While the radio program does sell to our local city folk, its main objective is to sell the out-of-towner by mail and phone. Only merchandise suitable to be salable in this way is accepted. We've been able to sell everything from pins to pianos — yes, pianos, sight unseen. How It's Done How are the programs planned and written? Sibley's does not use an agency. Sibley's is unusual in that it favors a similar special setup for radio as it does for newspaper advertising. In too many stores, we feel, radio is treated as a step-child of the advertising department, and anyone with a free moment or a ready typewriter is allotted the job of preparing radio copy. Sibley's, on the other hand, has completely separate staffs for advertis;ng and radio. This one fact, perhaps more than any other, is responsible for whatever success the program has enjoyed. The radio director and staff are housed in the store-owned office building. The office is close enough to the store to allow the staff to get into the store in a few minutes to see the merchandise, to hear about it from the buyers, and to observe customers' reactions. And yet the office is physically apart from both the store and the station. Programs are planned with the merchandise managers and buyers in weekly or semi-monthly meetings. The radio office is no ivory tower to which merchandise is brought by buyers or stock girls. The commentator writes three of the Sibley programs with two freelance writers preparing one each weekly. Anyone writing copy for the program must go into the store and get the story first-hand. In addition, when possible, the commentator tries and tests the merchandise before advertising it. Programs are planned, written, edited, and typed, then distributed for approval of merchandise managers and buyers. A complete copy is distributed to departments for information of sales people. Every department throughout the store receives mimeographed copies of advertised merchandise every day. In this way, a customer buying an umbrella may ask, and be intelligently informed by the umbrella salesman, where the jar of face cream advertised that morning may be found, and its price and brand name. This saves confusion and makes for additional sales. Sign Copy Sign copy is prepared for each item advertised, okayed by the buyer, sent to Sign Shop, produced, and then displayed in the department concerned on the day the merchandise was advertised on the air. A customer coming into the department may find it immediately. Or a customer who has not heard the broadcast is automatically attracted to it because of the effective sign. This makes for "plus" sales. Although the store gives the radio director a budget for talent, the entire amount of money (not including salaries of the radio staff) spent on radio is just 5% of the store's publicity budget. Small as it sounds, it is considered adequate by the store and likely will not be increased until such time as television is added as a regular feature to the store's promotion schedule. Winning awards is good. Selling merchandise is even better. We're happy that Tower Clock Time has been able to enjoy doing both over WHAM for so long. Herman Lebow HERMAN LEBOW, 60, vice president of Sterling Advertising Agency, New York, died April 21 at his home in New York. Mr. Lebow had been with Sterling since 1934 in executive capacities and he was also a prominent fashion authority having studied fashion art in Paris in his youth. Surviving are his wife and a son. o Q SAN FRANCISCO © LOS ANGELES CHICAGO DETROIT NEW YORK ST. LOUIS © O 4 O DALLAS CHARLOTTE O MEMPHIS Q ATLANTA Branham offices representing Radio and Television Stations THE BRANHAM COMPANY BROADCASTING • Telecasting May 1, 1950 • Page 33