Broadcasting (Apr - June 1950)

Selling Good-Will (Continued from page 25) hint in a dignified and human narrative. All the association wants to do is show the public that the railroads have an attractive service to offer those who travel or ship commodities. The relatively new commercial theme is linked with AAR's general publications advertising. More and more the radio campaign (nearly 509c of AAR's entire public relations budget) and the publications advertising are dovetailed. Signs of the wisdom of this refined broadcast technique are appearing in AAR's large amount of unsolicited mail, and reflected at the ticket window. More important, in view of the fact that basic railway funds come from freight, is the indication of audience interest in this less glamorous type of service. A Railroad Hour fan, who is general traffic manager of an important industrial concern, wrote to AAR asking for reasons he should ship by rail instead of truck and concluded this way, "I am now thinking of this in the interest of our country as a whole more than individually." Without trying to stretch this incident into a trend, the association's officials added it to other related comments and incidents and decided to put a trifle more commercial punch into their institutional campaign. Such changes in the approach of radio messages can be effected quickly and easily due to the medium's flexibility. How quickly and easily was shown just a fortnight ago — April 24. Radio's Flexibility Used With a major rail strike imminent, AAR officials were able to take advantage of radio's flexibility when they learned at 7:24 p.m. via Morgan Beatty's NBC news roundup, that the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen & Firemen had just accepted the mediation offer of a federal board. Forty minutes later William T. Faricy, AAR president, addressed the nation when The Railroad Hour's "Prince of Pilsen" paused for the regular two-minute message from the association. President Faricy explained what had happened and reviewed the background of the strike threat, calmly and carefully, leaving the facts with listeners so they could draw their own conclusions. The two-minute message offers an outstanding example of an industry's contact with the public in a crisis. Had AAR tried to explain this situation in publication advertising it would have required a minimum of 48 hours for anything approaching national coverage. Of course there's no way of hitching a yardstick or decibel meter to the public's response to the radio message, but it stands up in any public relations m^n's book as a demonstration of quick, digni fied and effective contacting. A study of AAR's mid-program announcements shows many fine examples of institutional , copy. Only recently was it discovered that the 20-second closing billboard had unsuspected impact. The discovery occurred when AAR decided to repeat an audience analysis tried during the Railroad Hour's opening season. After all, AAR is spending $1,150,000 a year on its radio campaign and wants to know who it is reaching, how many of them, and what they are like. When AAR does anything, it does it in a big way and that's what happened when the audience study was started. Out of the project came one of the top examples of audience dissecting. The technique was simple and scientific, and AAR certainly hadn't the slightest desire to kid itself by shimmering up the results with statistical fantasies. Details Outlined It worked this way. On the Jan. 23 broadcast the middle commercial told listeners they would be mailed a railroad question-answer booklet titled Quiz if they wrote to The Railroad Hour, Transportation Bldg., Washington 6, D. C. On the Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and Feb. 13 programs the closing 20-second commercial was devoted to the Quiz offer. And what happened? Well, 63,794 persons wrote to AAR for the booklet. Every letter and postcard was checked, showing 98.5% of requests correctly addressed in every detail, even down to the zone number. AAR thought the original twominute offer would be the best mail puller but discovered that the three 20-second reminders drew almost as heavily as the middle commercial. As a result this brief windup is getting more attention with Singer Gordon MacRae reading the lines. This doubling-in-brass idea is working out nicely. Mr. MacRae, who admits he is a "frustrated announcer," handles the lines with sincerity and relishes the intimate chat with the AAR's family of 15 million listeners. Though AAR made no suggestion of any sort in its four Quiz announcements, 11,315 (18%) of those writing took time to comment on the NBC program. Of these, 11,298 were favorable, 1 definitely critical (he once had a dusty train ride) and 16 mixed ("it's a good Linnea Nelson Speaker LINNEA NELSON, radio timebuyer for J. Walter Thompson Co., New York, will be guest speaker at the Women's Advertising Club of Washington, D. C, luncheon on Wednesday (May 10) at the Washington Hotel. Mrs. Nelson also is a member of the board of Broadcast Measuring Bureau and the American Assn. of Advertising Agencies free time buying committee. ABOUT to leave New York aboard an American Overseas Airlines flagship for Europe are Ed Wilson, KWK St. Louis personality, and Mrs. Wijson. The couple left April 30 on a threeweek tour during which Mr. Wilson will do a series of broadcasts from England, Germany, Switzerland, Rome and France. show, but . . ."). AAR's statistical staff went to work on the 7,161 of the letters that could be identified by occupation of the listener. It found that 61.40% were men, 32.33% women, 5.86% children and .41% unidentifiable. The group included the following : 60 college teachers 199 college students 200 high school teachers 1,305 high school students 440 primary school teachers 2,370 primary school children 101 libraries 216 clergy 313 doctors 47 lawyers 31 writers, editors, commentators 13 bankers 899 businessmen 22 organizations 62 public officials 743 railroad employes 133 service personnel 595 from foreign countries (mostly Canada) Besides this Quiz mail, AAR gets stacks of unsolicited letters of comment. Most of the writers say they enjoy the program and many like the commercials. Every letter is answered, and all suggestions go to AAR's agency, Benton & Bowles. Audience Studied With all this information, AAR believes it knows as much about its audience as any sponsor. While the program's results can't be added up at cash registers, the audience is known to be of high quality and ratings prove it is consistent and appreciative. These conclusions definitely confirm the results of a similar study a year ago, when the Quiz booklet was offered on eight programs and drew 49,383 responses. All these figures show composition rather than size of audience. The Railroad Hour's average share of audience increased from 15.1% in the October-December period of 1948 (pleasing for a new show) to 20.9% in the same 1949 period, rising 38% in a year, based on Nielsen data. The Nielsen rating in late 1948 was 6.3% compared to 8.1% in late 1949, a 29% gain. Highest rating, 13.8%, was attained last Nov. 21. A fan magazine panel classified the program as the eighth most popular on the air, rating above Bob Hope. A Benton & Bowles study last week showed that during October 1949 through January 1950 the program gained 21% in average audience rating and 33% in share of audience over the same period a year before. The audience remains fairly level throughout the entire 30 minutes whereas a year ago it had declined "almost steadily" when the program lasted 45 minutes. Interesting comment by the agency was that the program is gaining considerably this year in small cities and rural areas as well as medium-sized cities. Stimulating interest in The Railroad Hour are 1% million railroad employes and their families, spurred by the promotional efforts of the individual carriers whose house organs, stations and vehicles carry posters and other material. As a major advertiser, AAR believes in advertising its advertising, and results show that the formula is paying off on all sides. Even companies selling equipment and supplies to the road are joining in the promotion. A great majority of railroad public relations and advertising directors are enthusiastic over the program and their acceptance is growing. Through The Railroad Hour, AAR is telling the nation about the tremendous increase in railroad efficiency as a result of vast investments in facilities during and since the war, though costs are much higher. The story of improved safety is stressed, along with other advantages of passenger travel. Current Problems Included At first the broadcasts had emphasized the railroads' role in the nation, but the messages have been broadened to include current problems as they arise along with more commercial and controversial phases of the industry. Railroad employe reaction is favorable. The workers, their employers, listeners and the program cast are developing a family feeling. This has convinced many rail executives, long-range minded, they have a public relations and sales instrument that will grow in popularity and influence through the years. The program is readily adaptable to television, and AAR is looking into the visual medium in a preliminary way pending its eventual development as a fully nationwide service. AAR's officials are sure they are on the right track. The Railroad Hour format will be varied somewhat during the summer months, continuing Mr. McRae and the other talent but shifting May 29 to a musical memory motif. But the railroad broadcast will carry on its same institutional theme, frosted with a tasty coating of traffic promotion. And the program will continue to tell the public a great industry's intimate story, telling it with warmth and friendship to millions of persons who listen because they want to listen. Page 42 • May 8, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting