NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1942)

the Sales Managers Chairman conducted a session on “Industry Sales Problems” varying from two hours to a full day. "MANUAL OF RADIO ADVERTISING.” To furnish mem¬ ber stations with a compilation of basic radio sales data, six chapters and an index were published and distributed to mem¬ bers, with additional copies available at cost. Subjects covered were “Why Business Must .\dvertise,” “The Extent of Radio Listening,” “The Effectiveness of Radio,” “Dealers Prefer Radio,” "Radio as a Social Force,” and “What Price Radio?” Material for additional chapters is being gathered, as the Department’s objective is to make the Manual complete and keep it up to date. ■ RESULTS FROM RADIO.” This series of trade studies was continued, with releases to member stations on Drug Products, Participating Programs, Musical Instruments, Jewelry, Morti¬ cians, Drug Stores, and Theatres. CASE HISTORIES. A classified file containing hundreds of separate radio case histories on all classifications of business was developed through the cooperation of member stations, with mimeographed copies always freely available to N.\B members. “BROADCAST ADVERTISING RECORD.” The Department cooperated with the NAB Department of Research in producing and interpreting to sales managers the reports submitted by stations to the Record. SUMM.ARY TABLES. Details of radio sponsorship in various business classifications were compiled from “The Broadcast .Adver¬ tising Record” and made available to sales departments. Included were summary tables on Department Stores, Grocery Stores, In¬ surance Companies, Hotels & Restaurants, Real Estate, Musical Instruments, Railroads, and Bus Lines, all for general release, plus special tabulations on request. THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK. The Department attempted to keep members currently informed on business conditions and the business outlook in relation to radio advertising. This was accom¬ plished by frequent summaries in the weekly membership bulletin plus special studies when warranted. Among the latter were “The Effect of Priorities on Radio Advertising,” issued in September, 1941, and “Wartime Radio Advertising,” issued February 1, 1942. REPRINTS. Notable articles or speeches by advertising authori¬ ties were reprinted for free distribution to members. Among these were “Radio Advertising for Savings & Loan Associations,” “Radio and the Industrial Banker” by Craig Lawrence, “Advertising Is Essential to the Proper Growth of the Nation and Its People” by Richard L. Deupree, “Blood, Tears and Advertising” by Ellen Hess, “They Don’t Seem to Believe Us” and “New Check-List of FTC Taboos,” “The Radio Salesmanager’s Job in Wartime” by Eugene Carr, “Filene’s Discovers the Power of Radio,” “American Paradox,” “Dressing on Your Salad,” the AFA “Guide for War¬ time Advertising,” “Advertising’s Work in a Seller’s Market,” “,Vdvertising — The Facts About Attacks on It, Its Economic Functions, Its Indispensability, and What To Do About It,” “Planning Today for Post-War Business” by Colonel Willard Chevalier, and “In¬ creasing the Tune-In” by Walter J. Neff. COOPERATION WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. Within the scope of its functions, the Department represented the inter¬ ests of the NAB membership through cooperation with such gov¬ ernmental agencies as the Federal Trade Commission, the Treasury Department, the Office of Facts and Figures, the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, the War Department, and others, as well as with subdepartments and semi-official agencies. COOPERATION WITH OTHER GROUPS. Special efforts were made throughout the year in the interests of commercial radio to cooperate with and enlist the active support of such organizations as the American Association of .\dvertising Agencies, the Association of National Advertisers, the National Retail Dry Goods Association, the Advertising Federation of .America, the .Associated Merchandising Corporation and the Retailers Research .Association, the American College Publicity Association, the Radio Executives Club, the Financial Advertisers Association, the Amer¬ ican Industrial Bankers Association, the Retail Reporting Bureau, etc. Besides correspondence and consultations with these groups, the Director participated in two conventions each of the .AA.A.A and .ANA, addressed the national AFA convention and a district convention, participated with the Sales Managers Executive Com¬ mittee in a panel on radio advertising for department stores at the national NRDG.A convention and arranged for that group to con¬ duct a similar panel at the NAB convention as well as to conduct a nationwide survey of radio advertising among NRDGA mem¬ bers, addressed a national convention of ACPA, with the Executive Committee put on a luncheon program for the Radio Executives Club and held two meetings with a committee of that organiza¬ tion to work out mutual problems, and arranged for NAB repre¬ sentation and radio presentations at other conventions. STANDARD SCHEDULE FORMS. .As a result of discussions with a committee of time buyers from the Radio Executives Club, standard program schedule forms were drawn up and printed in quantity, and made available to NAB members at cost, in the in¬ terests of “making it easier to buy radio.” To date, 250,000 of these schedule forms have been ordered by member stations. RATE CARD SIMPLIFICATION. Similarly, recommendations for simplifying radio rate structures were passed on to the indus¬ try, with cooperation from Radio Advertising Rates and Data; the single-rate structure was advocated where feasible, and a uniform definition for the application of general and retail rates was adopted. COVERAGE MAPS. Recommendations for standard formulae and procedure in preparing coverage maps were given the indus¬ try, and further cooperation on this subject is being secured from the NAB Research Committee. STANDARD CONTRACT FORMS. A special radio committee consisting of Eugene Carr, WGAR;-R. E. Dunville, WLW ; and Herbert L. Pettey, WHN, negotiated a new standard contract form with a committee representing advertising agencies. This form is now awaiting approval by the N.AB Board of Directors. S.ALES CONTACTS. The Department carried on a general radio sales campaign within the limits of time available for this work, and with the cooperation at times of network sales depart¬ ments, national spot representatives and individual member sta¬ tions. Through personal calls and direct-mail, such sales work was directed to a variety of clients including motion picture producers, department store chains, automotive and tire manufacturers, circuses, appliance manufacturers, the Washington State .Apple Commission, the National Dairy Council, etc. Some encouraging progress and increased radio billings were noted. SPECI.AL SALES MANUALS. Radio sales data was produced in special manual form in several fields, such as “Radio Sells Sport¬ ing Goods,” “Savings & Loan Associations — On the Air!” “Radio .Advertising for Financial Institutions,” and “Public Relations and Sales Manual.” SPECIAL STUDIES. New techniques or findings with an appli¬ cation to commercial radio, developed either by NAB members or others engaged in advertising, were passed on to the membership. Typical of these were “Effective Retail Selling,” by Bruff W. Olin, [24]