Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

MONDAY from MARION HARPER JR., president, McCann-Erickson HOW AGENCY SERVICES CUT THE RISKS IN TV ONCE upon a time there was an advertiser who had a hunch that it would be a good idea to get into television. He telephoned his advertising agency. The account executive lifted up a copy of the Telecasting Yearbook-Marketbook and turned to the section, "Program Production Firms." Picking a name at random, he called up and requested the firm to send over the best pilot film available. He took the film to the projection room of the network nearest his office, looked at half of it, bought 52 episodes from the supplier and that same day booked a year's prime evening time over 150 stations. There are times and places for dreaming-— even in the advertising business — but too often one can be carried away. May we start over? The era has long passed (if it truly ever existed) when an advertiser ''gets into" television on a hunch and an advertising agency services that advertiser's television programming by the mere purchase of an available show and time period. An advertising agency serves its clients long before a decision is reached to use any media. But before the birth of a television program the prenatal care is more demanding. The contributions of skilled research, media, marketing and creative specialists must be supplemented by the talents of a well trained corps — within the agency — of professional showmen, who will give "added service" to the sponsor. These "added services" are a must for any client, large or small, who prefers to invest — not risk — his advertising dollars in television. Once the need for a television program has been established the next obvious step is the search for the best possible show to meet the marketing plans of the client. It becomes the responsibility of the agency to find this program, or if it does not exist, to create it or assist in its creation. If the program is "found" it will not have been the result of a telephone call or a cursory examination of a few available properties. Excellent television ideas which will not only draw large audiences, but specially required audiences, are too few. (In a year, McCann-Erickson will review some 600 pilot films, scripts, formats or show ideas, and may analyze 30 within one particular category in order to select the right one for a particular product exposure.) Further, within an advertising agency, there must be people who through constant contact with all creative branches of show business are acquainted with not only what is available but also with what may be available, and, if necessary, bring together known and respected talents necessary for the creation and performance of a successful show. Once television is embraced, it becomes the agency's further responsibility that this embrace does not become a kiss of death. Having used its best judgment in recommending a program to a client, the agency must participate constructively in the development and perfection of that program. This, of course, includes the selection, after careful study and constant communication with network officials, of the proper time franchise. But a top time franchise no longer insures adequate return for the investment. The show itself must produce the return. What if the show fails to get off the ground, or if it does, falters within a few months, or suddenly for no apparent reason begins to wither? Added, intense service must be quickly supplied by the advertising agency on behalf of its client. Constructive suggestions must be presented— whether they call for a change in writers, directors, producers, actors, a revision of the entire format, or a return to the quality of the production originally purchased. Preventive medicine, of course, is preferred. A show professionally supervised, week in, week out, by the client's advertising agency has a better chance of survival than one left to its own devices. The selection of the material, casting, writing, rehearsals and on-camera time (whether the show be live or film), all the preparations right up to the moment of the broadcast are services deserved by clients today. We are particularly aware of these responsibilities, since almost half of our clients' total domestic advertising investment (over $100,000,000) is in television— largest volume of any agency. While all Hollywood last year produced 413 hours of feature films, McCannErickson in 1957 will be responsible to its clients for the production of 531 hours of television entertainment. The agency will also be responsible for the preparation of the commercial messages which go into these programs and those used in spot campaigns. The same planning that results in a newspaper or magazine campaign — and that integrates the best available market re Marion Harper Jr.; b. Oklahoma City, May 14, 1916; ed. Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., grad. Yale U. 1938. Joined McCann-Erickson 1939, rose through research assignments, became president in December 1948. Then agency had 24 offices, 1,200 employes. Now it has 38 offices, employs 3,500. search and product analysis — goes into the development of commercials. The television creative staff is prepared to furnish all the ingredients of an effective commercial, from script to singing jingle to cartoon or photographic storyboard, to testing of commercials. Some of the traditional criteria are not used here: recall, sponsor identification, and "liking". Instead, testing (partly through the Electronic Program Analyzer) gauges the ability of a commercial to sustain attention, convey conviction, establish the correct psychological mood and tone. It examines the factors of believability and comprehension (did the viewer get what was intended?). Records of this research, in both program and commercial content, are examined by the creative staff in seminar meetings, augmenting their information derived from motivational research and from the standard ratins analvsis. Broadcasting • Telecasting May 6, 1957 • Page 129