Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

"I can spot a radio customer he^s acquainted with product TO THE LIST OF SATISFIED LOCAL SPOT USERS . . . THE GOING was very slippery when Arrow Typewriter Co., Washington, D. C., got its feet wet in the business world late in the post-war era. Now the typewriter repair-rental-sale enterprise is on high, dry ground thanks to a continuous campaign on radio. Many factors have contributed to Arrow's remarkable success in piling up sales of new portables via the air waves. Most instrumental, however, is the shop's owner, James F. O'Donnell. Talk radio with Mr. O'Donnell and it is evident that he inhales the ether like a veteran. He can quickly haul out charts and figures to show how radio built up his sales from a small investment in a manner reminiscent of the beanstalk in the familiar fable about Jack. Radio Spots Used On Limited Basis Mr. O'Donnell planted his first business seed in March 1948. A former typewriter repairman and government worker, Mr. O'Donnell, convinced that he wanted a shop of his own, opened his typewriter repair enterprise at 604 F St. N. W., less than a block from Hecht's Department Store. While studying his business, Mr. O'Donnell began testing radio pretty much as one would shop for a good insurance policy. In the beginning, he set aside $12 per month for one one-minute spot per week over WPIK, an independent daytimer in Alexandria, Va. He watched for a return. The spots placed at this time, Mr. O'Donnell explains, were pointing up servicing of home and office machines. "I got a few nibbles from this type of advertising," he says, "and surprisingly, enough of them clicked to make it pay." During this time, Mr. O'Donnell gave radio a lot of thought. If the first few radio trys could kindle some success, he reasoned, why couldn't a more thorough and scientific use of radio bring about a good measure of success? Exactly a year after he opened his shop, Mr. O'Donnell began placing three 30-second spots, seven days a week over WPIK. As is his way, Mr. O'Donnell likes to do things himself. This practice he carries over into his radio treatment. He writes all his radio copy himself, tailored a bit by the station, keeps his own charts and maintains detailed comments on customer reaction. Before launching the radio advertising schedule, Mr. O'Donnell knew where he was heading. By surveys, telephoning and personally interviewing people in his marketing area, he found WPIK's coverage radius reached the people he wanted to sell. Most important, he discovered a good many potential portable buyers were regular WPIK listeners. Simple Sales Pitch Found Most Effective A few more discoveries popped up, all of which proved profitable later. Mr. O'Donnell found that in a good amount of his copy he had stressed too many varied things. He decided to make his sales pitch simple and to the point — taking a single item and stressing only that. Stress would be on sales because "I've found that radio can't tell the people about a whole list of service items in a half-minute's time." Mr. O'Donnell continues, "Radio may uncover a few people that would be interested in having a typewriter repaired or to rent a machine. But its effectiveness is sales power." Mr. O'Donnell didn't have to be told he was on the right track; his sales chart showed it. "By giving radio a chance," he found that his short announcements, aired three times a day to reach as many people as possible, began to build up his store's name in the WPIK listeners' area. Experimenting further, he found it was best to advertise a portable for sale which would fill a specific need. "Just any t y p e writer for sale is not important to people," he says, "but when you narrow it down to a purpose then you have something extra to sell." Mr. O'Donnell soon recognized that when he advertised around school graduation time in MayJune, he found people entering the store who were interested in buying a typewriter to give as a graduation gift. When he advertised a portable with emphasis on it as a practical Yuletide gift in the late fall, a host of people would come in to Arrow to purchase one of the machines as a Christmas gift. In this same way, students in the cosmopolitan Washington area would respond to announcements pointing up machine models which could type in a half-dozen different languages. Specialization now firmly established, Mr. O'Donnell went a bit farther. He advertised Spanishtyping portables over a Spanish language program at WPIK. Response to the copy read in Spanish, he observed, was gratifying. Now he is doing similar advertising on a Greek language program over the same station. In one day. Arrow sold five Greek adapted machines. Mr. O'Donnell always has advertised on WPIK. As he explains it in his direct manner, "My success over the station has been phenomenal. So I continue to advertise on WPIK." Other media? To answer that question, Mr. O'Donnell has to dig far. Here and there he finds some record of token newspaper advertising, nothing as yet on television. His present campaign? "Now," he says, "I am concentrating on « advertising machines which are fitted with keyboards especially adaptable to particular needs of professions." Mr. O'Donnell does not advertise just for the sake of J advertising. He has a purpose and ' he knows the needs in his market area. Here's what only a few of his records show: After continually advertising rentals or sales of machines for -> business offices, college students, news correspondents, he stopped that type of appeal in May 1949. In five weeks, 22 portables were sold. Nearly all the buyers had remembered hearing of Arrow on the radio. O'Donnell Convinced Of Radio's impact Mr. O'Donnell then was convinced that "the only way the typewriters could be kept moving was through radio advertising." In July-August of that year, he sold 15 International Portable machines (Royal) at $97.50 each, resulting direct from Spanish broadcasts. At the May 1950 "Home Show" (Continued on page 78) Mr. O'Donnell (r) and Howwrd B. Hayes, president and general manager of WPIK, smile with satisfaction at the recapitulation of radio's sales power. Page 24 • October 23, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting