Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

ADVERTISERS t AGENCIES ANA MEET TO GET FREY REPORT • Report on agency compensation may be biggest event • 450-500 top national advertisers to attend convention From 450 to 500 of the nation's top advertisers are expected to converge at Atlantic City today (Monday) for the Assn. of National Advertisers' 48th annual meeting and the long-awaited unveiling of the so-called "Frey Report" on services and compensation methods of advertising agencies. The record advertiser turnout is due to be joined by record or near-record delegations of agency and media executives to swell the three-day meeting's total attendance to the 800-to-900 mark. Registrations last Thursday stood at 428 officials of 239 ANA member companies, 172 representatives of 98 agencies and 146 from 95 media companies — and officials said the lists were still growing. The potential highlight of the agenda [Advertisers & Agencies, Oct. 7] is the report to be delivered Wednesday by Prof. Albert Frey of Dartmouth College on his year-long, ANA-commissioned study of "Modern Advertising Agency Services and Compensation Methods." His report, last item on the program, is expected to take about an hour and will be in the form of a "preliminary" summary of "the full and far more comprehensive report" to be published later, probably in January. The question of agency services and compensation methods has been in the forefront with both advertisers and agencies since the American Assn. of Advertising Agencies signed a consent decree terminating a government anti-trust suit by agreeing, among other things, not to insist upon 15% commission as a standard agency fee [Lead Story, Feb. 6, 1956]. ANA commissioned the Frey study a year ago but instructed that it be an "impartial" one. Prof. Frey since has given progress reports at meetings of both ANA and AAAA. The program for the three-day meeting, developed under the supervision of a program committee headed by Donald Cady of the Nestle Co., will open this morning with speeches by H. H. Dobberteen of Bryan Houston Inc. on selection of media in relation to markets and by Conrad Jones of the management consultant firm of Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Ben H. Wells of Seven-Up Co. on marketing aspects of advertising. This afternoon's session, a closed meeting, will be for election of officers and directors and the handling of other business — including a presentation by Arthur McCoy of John Blair & Co., radio station representative, on "What's New in Spot Radio," and a report by Lance Lindquist of McCann-Erickson on "What's New in Network Radio and Tv." Tuesday morning's meeting will feature case histories of five notably successful advertising campaigns in a series of presentations on "Our Best Campaign — and Why." Among these: How Adell Chemical Co. uses spot tv to combat tough competition for its Lestoil liquid detergent, and how Page 34 • October 28, 1957 Chrysler Corp. developed its "Forward Look" campaign. The Tuesday afternoon session will include a report by Jack Cunningham of Cunningham & Walsh on the effect that mediocrity and imitativeness in tv programming and other media have on advertising messages; an analysis of consumer spending habits by economist Peter Drucker, and a presentation by Dr. Lyndon Brown of Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample on "How to Get the Most Out of Your Advertising Research Dollars." The Wednesday morning session, leading up to Prof. Frey's report, will include speeches and reports by Clarence Eldridge, marketing consultant; Henry Schachte of Lever Bros., chairman of the ANA advertising management committee, and Fred C. Foy of Koppers Co. The ANA annual banquet will be held Tuesday evening, featuring entertainment provided by ABC-TV, which will present "Rhapsody in Charcoal Grey," a special musical production featuring Johnny Carson and Dorothy Collins. The show was produced for ABC by Louis Walters Enterprises. 39.8 Million Homes Have Tv, Says ARF Advertising Research Foundation last week reported there were 39.8 million television households in the U. S. as of April 1957 [Closed Circuit, Oct. 14]. This is said to represent an increase of nearly 8 million tv households since 1955. The report, "National Survey of Television Sets in U. S. Households — April 1957," is the fourth in a continuing series based on data obtained in conjunction with the Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census. The complete report is to be available today (Monday). ARF noted that the April 1957 figures mean that four out of five homes have at least one set, as compared with June 1955 when only two out of three households had a receiver. The report shows that the number of multiple-set households also has increased, with 2.5 million households having two or more sets as of last April, as compared with 1.7 million in February-March 1956 and 1.1 million in June 1955. A fifth survey of tv set households is set for the spring of 1958. The total number of tv sets in households as of last April was "over 42 million," according to the ARF report. This was said to be 5 million more than in FebruaryMarch 1956 and 9 million more than in June 1955. The April 1957 survey found the average number of sets per household to be 1.07, as against 1.06 in FebruaryMarch 1956 and 1.04 in June 1955. ARF, acting for a group of industry underwriters, asked the Bureau of the Census to obtain the data on tv households and defrayed the cost thereof. The cost of obtaining the information and preparing the report has been underwritten by ABC-TV, CBS-TV, NBC-TV, NARTB and TvB. The Census Bureau's summary of the report shows highest tv concentration in standard metropolitan areas — 87% in April compared to 82% in February 1956. Outside these city areas, 70% of homes reported sets in April compared to 59% in February 1956. By regions, the Northeast led with 88% saturation. . The North Central followed with 85%; West 77% and South 71%. Larger gains since 1955 in tv households occurred in the South and West, reducing the superiority shown by other regions. In June 1955 the South had 53% saturation, West 62%, North Central 72% and Northeast 80%. Objectional Ad Criticisms Down, AAAA Committee Report Says The American Assn. of Advertising Agencies Committee on Improvement of Advertising Content processed 32 criticisms of objectionable advertisements this year, 10 less than last year, it was reported at the committee's meeting Oct. 9 in New York. Edwin Cox, chairman of the board of Kenyon & Eckhardt, New York, and AAAA director-at-large and chairman of the committee, reported continued cooperation by agencies in the AAAA program. "It seems to our committee," said Mr. Cox, "that agencies and advertisers are their own best policemen." Of the 32 criticisms, 19 were concerned with bad taste, 12 with misleading treat Broadcastino WHAT may be a trend-making contract marking a return to 15-minute show sponsorship is signed by Frank Carvell, timebuyer of N. W. Ayer, New York, who, for BC Remedy Co. (cold medicine), is buying 26 weeks of Allen Jackson and the News on WCBS New York. At left is Mr. Jackson, and Sam J. Slate, general manager of WCBS, looks on at right. Representing more than $65,000 gross billing, this is the first 15-minute show sold to a single sponsor by the CBSowned station in the past five years, WCBS says. >