Broadcasting (Jan - Dec 1935)

Robin Hood Junior — A Shoe Success Story; By MILTON M. MENDELSOHN Vice President, Morenus Adv. Agency Inc., Chicago With a Sure-fire Merchandising "Hook", Radio Campaign Doubles Sales and Dealer Outlets for Central Shoe Co. THE PROBLEM of adapting radio to do a job for the national manufacturer of children's shoes so that the broadcast would definitely divert new business to the retailer seemed almost lacking solution. First because the number of outlets where such shoes could be had were far too small to expect the commercial credit line "Go to your nearest dealer" to mean anything. And yet the number of existing dealers was too great to be mentioned on one program. Proof of sale premium ideas, or "hooks" seemed inadequate; for despite any desire for ownership that could be instilled in a children's audience, by no optimistic stretch of imagination could we imagine a child going to the 15 or 20 shoe stores in his community until such time as he found the store that carried the shoes of the sponsor. This, then, was the problem of Morenus Adv. Agency for Central Shoe Co., St. Louis, and their Robin Hood Shoes for girls and boys. It was felt that the solution lay not in creating a vehicle wherein a merchandising hook could be developed but rather to create a merchandising hook that would do a selling job for the dealer about which a program vehicle could be woven. And Then a Formula AFTER months of study, research and dealer contact we felt we had come upon the successful answer. Its simplicity was startling. It simply meant the creation of a children's newspaper that tied into the broadcast. This led to the program vehicle itself and to this end the character Robin Hood Junior was established. The scene was set in the opening program by having Robin Hood Junior receive a printing press for his 14th birthday. Also, as became one with so illustrious a namesake, Robin Hood Junior was a leader in his community and president of a children's club called the "Archers". It was natural, then, to have Robin Hood Junior print a newspaper called the Archer that could be offered to his entire listening audience absolutely free for the term of one year; 12 issues, one each month and mailed directly to any child who wrote to him asking for one. Here was something concrete and tangible that would enable a program audience to learn where to buy Robin Hood Shoes and by means of which we could inspire a sense of loyalty through membership in Robin Hood's "Archers". It was planned that each dealer would then be allotted his quota of prospective potential buyers by the simple method of imprinting his name on a back-page advertisement in the "Archer" newspaper on every copy that was mailed to children within a radius of two miles of his store. By further offering the child a membership "A Good Deed Makes a Good Day" The Official Publication of the Boys and Girls of America ROBIN HOOD. JR., Editor EXTRA! ROBIN HOOD IS IN THE MOVIES!! 'SEEMS THAT ALL I DO IS RUN FOR HELP." HE SAYS ARCHER LEGION WINNERS makes a good d: J do j: the Areht A good det : eligible to has Legion cotum Jone before the 3 press. If you ill still be good for the following month's Legion contest. The object of the Legion column is to create. i hough! fulness and kindness and to promote chivalry and graciousness among Archer clu* memHere Are This Month's Winners First Priie Dan Heuberg 2* Point* N. McVicker Avenue Chicago, Illinois Cleveland. Ohio D. Polen 3+49 Dousb' Blvd. t hi( .. lili We are printing bel izc winning letter. W> good deed it jutt tlie appoint of lint kind Fhtl, vit must go back out a year ag-> my dig g< i h>nd Itgt g< Dan Hedberg's ;/ iton :ffk,. toyed thii may /■■ e could not use h good deed. It Happened juit Sui a tpol on a near 0 i. Sunday tut t HON^pKOLL Robin Hood got into the movies by accident but fie sure seems to be having a lor of fun now that he's in. You all remember how he almost spoiled Mr. Jeffrey's superproduction when he took the bomb out ot the aeroplane that was supposed to blow up but Mr. Jeffrey changed the story so that he would not have to waste the film and things seemed to straighten themselves out from that point on. We think that Mr. Jeffrey is very serious about his super -colossal productions but to Robin these "meller-drainers" seem to be comedies and all he ever gets a chance to do is to run for help whenever the other members of the cast get into make-believe trouble. We hope you have as much fun listening to the broadcasts ot Robin Hood Junior as he seems to have acting in them. Let Robin Hood Know WoutrJ you like <o' have a picture of Robin Hood in the movie* with Mr. Jefirey, Mis* Martin, Mr. LVsmond and all in* rest of tbe ca«r Write to Robin Hood and let bim know. As Mr. JeSrev says "It's gigantic, col anal. «upendous, terrific — ii'i a JeSrey production.'' So if enough of }Ou yoangsiers would like 'to nave picrutes of Robin Hood and (he movie cut and Robin Hood with the Archer club members we co doubt could do something about it. So write to Robin Hood Ju ' station that )o jgh of >o HOLDING THE AUDIENCE — This four-page publication of Central Shoe Co. helps hold the young audience together between 13-week breaks in the sponsor's series of transcription programs. card, a Robin Hood button and a very inexpensive gift if he would go to the dealer to enroll in the Robin Hood Club, all the youngsters in his community would become permanently conscious of his store identity and the fact that he carried Robin Hood Shoes. From that point on any premium plan would suffice and could not help but produce results as it would be basically directed to members of the Robin Hood club. There remained only the problem of postage cost. We could well anticipate the impossibility of the Central Shoe Co. assuming the cost of postage for an organ whose subscription list was free. Since we planned to put the idea into operation in new towns as fast as possible, the eventual list of subscribers might run into millions. It, therefore, became necessary to sell the dealer on the value of such a newspaper to the point where he would be prepared to assume postage cost. The entire cost per name per year was 12 cents. We worked on the assumption that 12 copies of a child's newspaper chuck full of the sort of things in which children are vitally interested would, over a period of a year, inevitably lead to the purchase within that time of at least one pair of $4 shoes. Upon this basis the cost to the dealer would only involve an advertising expenditure of 3%, a figure which equaled the normal healthy advertising appropriation of shoe stores in general. It being further logical that the sale of one pair would lead to another, the ultimate percentage cost would eventually be even far less. Predicated upon these figures the dealers of a given community were approached prior to the start of the broadcasting program and asked to sign a blank contract wherein they pledged themselves to assume the postage cost to every child within a radius of two miles of their store. Dealers Respond NEEDLESS to say, the dealers enthusiastically accepted the plan. It gave them a direct-by-mail contact with the potential customers in their community at about onefourth the cost of any mailing piece they themselves could originate. Now that the loose ends were all tied together the broadcast started with an offer to the youngsters of one year's subscription free to everyone who would send his or her name to Robin Hood Junior in care of the station to which he or she was listening. The response was far beyond our fondest expectations. Group lists of names poured in from areas where youngsters were forming Robin Hood "Archer" clubs en masse. The club slogan "A good deed makes a good day" led to the cooperation of Parent-Teachers Associations and the schools themselves. After the mailing of the first "Archer" paper to some 60,000 enthusiastic club members the dealers reported store traffic never before attained in the history of their business. After the youngsters were enrolled in the Robin Hood Club by the dealer they wer informed that they could ear premiums based not only on thei own purchases but also the pui chases of their family and thei friends. Inspired by this premiui feature it soon became apparer that the value of a club membc to a dealer was somewhere in th neighborhood of $20 per year, pe member. Therefore, the store hai ing 1,000 members, the entire cos of which was $120 a year, deve oped an increased volume < around $20,000 per annum, redu ing the approximate yearly cost i the dealer from 3% to only 3/ of 1%. Based upon the success of tl test plan in one locality, transcri] tions were made of the progra and were spotted around the coui try as quickly as the dealers cou be lined up to assume the postaj cost. In many cities wherein Rob Hood Shoes had had no represent: tion whatever, new key deale were attained merely upon prese tation of the complete merchandi ing plan. In areas where son dealers were already establishe increased dealer outlets rangir from 20 to 60% were quickly o tained. From all present indie tions the plan seems well on tl way to more than double both tl dealer outlets and total year volume of retail sales. Holding the Audience ANOTHER pertinent fact is th Robin Hood Junior, as a rad| feature, is broadcast only twice week. Considering that most em dren's programs are five time week users, the success of Rob Hood Junior at 2/5 the norm cost is outstanding. In addition this the plan is further develop on a 13 weeks on the air, 13 wee off the air basis or a total of weeks a year. During the interv when Robin Hood Junior is off t air, the Archer newspaper hoi the audience together. The iss prior to the return of Robin Ho to the air heralds that retui picking up the audience where left off. This means no loss audience or time and money spe for listener build-up when t program returns to the air. Frankly, we believe the meth of handling the merchandising this campaign is largely respc sible for its success. The progrt idea, and the free subscription a newspaper wholly devoted to j venile interests, could not fail get attention. But had we not fii| arranged distribution of cost the newspapers and their maili so that that cost is a minor it( to everyone concerned, the make of Robin Hood shoes would ha found the cost on the newspaj alone so staggering as to ma the entire idea unprofitable. FELIX GREENE, recently pointed to represent the Brit?' Broadcasting Corp. in America, now in New York to establi his headquarters there. He v arrange for relay exchanges w the United States and Canada. .1 Page 10 BROADCASTING • December 15, 19t V