Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1959)

tisers in major consumer media are not only big," he suggested, "they're growing bigger and more important all the time. And national media expenditures still represents half of the $6 billion in undistributed profits which manufacturing firms retained to invest in growth." Mr. Burton suggested one of the great challenges to advertising is to "restore the flow of communication which has been temporarily dammed — both within and between our organizations — and to set us free of false conflict through better understanding reached through better communication." The duel in advertising between marketing and scientific and creative forces, he asserted, is a "shambattle," fought in the advertising trade press these days. Agencies noted for creative work, he said, also stand out for their research. "Aren't they the ones where you would most likely receive a complete modern marketing plan?" he asked. The real problem, he stressed again, is "not in a basic conflict but in a lack of communication." TV SELLS WAX S. C. Johnson story cites market impact Television, a seemingly irresistible target for critics and competitors, last week was called an "economic phenomenon" and a "great gift" to viewers by someone who knows what he's talking about. Douglas L. Smith, advertising and merchandising director of S.C. Johnson & Son, Racine, Wis., which bought more than $7 million worth of tv time in 1958, made these positive remarks last Wednesday (May 20) at the spring meeting of the Assn. of National Advertisers held in the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago. The title of Mr. Smith's talk was, "Does Tv Advertising Really Sell Goods?" His resounding answer: "Yes, emphatically yes. Tv advertising really sells goods and it does it immediately, now." He described in detail how increased tv advertising in Lexington, Ky., resulted in store sales 200% higher in April 1959 than April 1958. "When projected to the whole Lexington market," Mr. Smith added, "figures indicate that the net sales increase for April alone will pay for the Lexington advertising for the first year." Making the Most of Tv • "This kind of success is fine," he acknowledged, "but we know as you do that it can't be called a direct result of our network tv advertising in the market. It was, however, a result of capitalizing on that Star adjacency Hal Thompson, producer of "Family Portrait," an off-Broadway play, bought a one-time-only, station ID on WCBS-TV New York on May 8 for $337.50. The spot followed The Guiding Light program and made the point that four regular cast members of the tv serial could be seen in "Family Portrait." The result: Mr. Thompson reported last week that ticket purchases have perked up considerably, so that the play, on the verge of closing, is now able to continue. Mr. Thompson is naturally tv-minded: during the working day, he is a tv program supervisor for Fuller & Smith & Ross, New York. advertising." The Johnson advertising expert also recounted the near fall and decline of his company's Pride in one city. Introduced in 1951, this furniture polish was doing well everywhere nationally but in St. Louis where it was "dormant, dust-collecting, dilatory and nearly dead." And then Johnson closed a deal to buy the Robert Montgomery Presents program on NBC-TV. Pride's first advertising on this show hit St. Louis on Jan. 7, 1952. By the week's end many stores had sold out their entire inventory and were ordering more. Concluded Mr. Smith: "Thus it is when television hits a market. And in that year of 1952 there weren't nearly the number of tv homes that there are today." He went on to make some general observations about tv and its economic contribution. "I honestly believe," stated Mr. Smith, "that much of our prosperity during these wonderful 50's must be truly attributed to the force of television in moving merchandise and thereby keeping our great productive processes flourishing." The Value Scale • He asked that due credit be given the medium and pleaded for "a better perspective on the part of tv's critics and a recognition of what this . . . economic phenomenon represents to marketing." "My faith is such," added Mr. Smith, "that I believe that when color tv is as commonplace as black-and-white is today, it shall provide a further and vital impetus to business and the selling of our products to consumers." Tv's cultural values were also put into perspective by the speaker. The range of tv is infinite, declared Mr. Smith. "You will find more fine things," he said, "covering the arts, sciences, religion, humanities and thoughtful news-information presentations than any of us in this room, or most anywhere else, will find time to watch." Bard's Rating • For example, pointed out the Johnson ad director, "more people have seen and heard and learned about Shakespeare on tv than have done so in our colleges and universities since his first play was produced more than 300 years ago." Mr. Smith also mentioned a special report by Secretary of State Christian Herter that pre-empted one of Johnson's own shows. "We had," he said, "the great gift (I say 'gift' because tv is still free to the viewer, you know), the great gift and privilege of having Christian Herter come into our homes and feelingly, knowledgeably explain his mission to Geneva. This was in prime time, by the way." He felt bound to speak out, explained Mr. Smith, because of "constant criticisms of tv's detractors, painting a picture that is all black, when there is so much that is good and substantial and uplifting." He reproached tv columnists who "pan" shows rather than try to understand them. "On the matter of critical tastefulness," he added, "we, the advertiser, must assume some leadership and influence. . . . We should feel an ultimate obligation that the shows we sponsor be as tastefully done as possible." Communications War • Of more serious concern, warned Mr. Smith, is the criticism that "comes from the other media, that use their space and print to attack television. The Fortune magazine article of last November is a case in point. . . ." "This kind of criticism," the speaker insisted, "being without objective and of questionable use of data and fact, obfuscates and beclouds the real issues and ultimately tends to confuse some of the advertisers and business management." He added pointedly, "And by the way, I have yet to see a tv network or a station use its air time to attack another medium." He ended with a plea to all media for fairness and objectivity. "Tell us the facts," he urged, "and what the advantages are about your own wares. Show us where the sales vitality for our commanies lies in using your properties. We and our agencies can make the comparison and the analyses." He fired one final gibe at the "tv rakers": "If television is wrong for any of us, we will be the first to know it because we will feel it in our cash registers." 44 (BROADCAST ADVERTISING) BROADCASTING, May 25, 1959