Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

8 If You Sell Food or Home Appliances, You'll Be Interested in the Tested Merchandising Ideas Behind WAP/'s Successful Model Kitchen Food was America's best-advertised product in 1939. Little wonder then that no U. S. radio station is complete without its kitchen show — each show boasting of its own home economist, each with its favorite recipe suggestions, special menus, host of sponsors. On the surface, the WAPI Model Kitchen (Birmingham, Ala.) is no different from hundreds of other kitchen shows. Mrs. Earline Tully, who headlines the program, is an experienced home economics expert. Her audience, aware of her sincerity and ability, have the utmost confidence in any product, process, or menu she suggests. Her staff of 30 women assistants is a competent, well-trained crew. Delmar Bradley, who writes and presents all commercial copy on the show, is ideally suited, through a varied background of retail selling, to her job. The Kitchen Auditorium, in which the program is presented, is air-cooled, seats 200 comfortably. The answer to what makes a successful radio program cannot be discerned without including the names and the prerequisites of the men and women (in this case, women) who write, produce, and direct the presentation. But neither can its success be defined without a thorough scrutiny of the merchandising behind the program. On that score Model Kitchen shines as brightly as the aluminum utensils banging on its walls. Examples of the constant pounding that wears away al! negative Consumer reaction: ( 1 ) On the first of each month, the BIRMINGHAM I imikh Co., (one of the sponsors) mails out to its 65,000 customers their light hills. Enclosed in the same envelope is a hook let that tells in part the stor\ oi Model Kltilirri! (2 ) ( )ver 400 strcrt « a i | mis in Birmingham carry the announcement <.t the time and pla< e of WAN Model Kitchen broadcasts. f 3 ) To hundred i of i etail in North Alabama, WA1M semis AIR ANALYSIS each month an announcement of the various special offers that are to be made on the Model Kitchen program. (4) Personal calls on the larger retail grocers by Delmar Bradley, Model Kitchen's commercial writer and announcer, are made especially as an extra sales aid to sponsors and sales representatives. (5) One day each week, Mrs. Tully invites one of the many Birmingham Women's Clubs to attend the broadcast, see the food prepared, remain after the show for bridgeplaying. Card tables, playing cards are furnished by the Model Kitchen hostess. Refreshments, salad, cakes, all prepared in the kitchen, make the broadcast a social event. As each club has its day (Sons of Legion Mothers club, Eastern Star Chapter 293, American Legion Post 43, etc.), women in attendance are invited to register their membership. The club having the largest number of members present from Monday through Friday of each week is awarded a cash prize! (6) Certain days are devoted to Birmingham domestic cooks. Loud in their praise are Birmingham housewives, who willingly allow their cooks time off to attend. Cooks are required to attend five out of six classes, take a written exam before they receive Model Kitchen's official diploma. Last graduating class: 103 domestics. All of which adds up to: Listening audience, product acceptance. The six merchandising units are listed to prove a point. A good many radio stations have kitchen shows, good commentators, aircooled auditoriums, clever commercial writers, etc.. add that all up and what's missing? Showmanship! The extra hit of merchandising that goes a step farther than any radio program can itself; the support that all shows require, he the] road shows, motion pictures, cm uses, carnivals, revivals, or radio • .mis. (Please turn to pa<jc M) 18 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP