Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1942)

this type of show by department stoics interested in radio. A department store is a multi-item operation. Differing from many accounts, it has thousands of different items to sell in scores of classifications. It must, in consequence, advertise hundreds of important items throughout the year, covering all classifications of goods, for it must be remembered that not only are stores in competition, but that the same departments or di\isions in different stores are in competition. Over the period of a year, each department must be given its adecjuate share of publicity. Because customers judge a department in any given store primarily by the merchandise it offers for sale, departments plan series of ad\ertisements, sometimes stressing a price promotion, sometimes quality or prestige, sometimes intangibles such as fashion A Wisconsin lad who went East to make good is sharpeyed John Arthur Garber, shown above. Harvard graduation saxu him get his ground legs in the field of retail jnerchandising as publicity director for tiuo Pittsburgh department stores. Right dozun Jtis alley was a position at University of Pittsburgh's Retail Bureau, where for two and a half years he did publicity research. Currently, he is advertising manager of tlie Straiubridge & Clothier Department Store, Philadelphia. Pa. Peacock proud of his wife is merchandising sharpshooter Garber. His boast: "/ ajn married to America's best fashion copywriter." He disclaims any hobbies, admits, hoxvever, to plenty of enthusiasm. unconnected items into a given news period, sports period, or any other tvpe of program at forty seconds' per impression, you cannot expect resuhs even if you have a buih-up audience. Forty seconds north of connnercial a month would not sell Jello either. This problem can be overcome to some extent bv choosing items of relatively high unit sale \ahie, and items backed by sufficieni stock to permit generous repetition over a period significance, sometimes inherent value, biu invariably offering an item or items that indicate a selling appeal. This is a relatively simple job when ne^s'spaper space is employed. A daily section or sections can be planned with linage allotted according to the value of each promotion. A customer can read at leisure, reread even the smallest section at will. Radio offers a more difficult merchandising picture. Although most retail people attempt to merchandise a radio show just as they merchandise a newspaper section, it can't be done. If vou toss three of time. But what radio can do, if the mer(handise-informalion type of program is employed, is to estabhsh the store's promotional story on a broader base, using the over-all fashion story, children's apparel story, home division story, or consumer story without losing the selling value of given items within the division. Radio can do this more effectively than the newspaper or direct mail because more wanted information can be packed into a dramatic, 15-minute merchandise show, than into any reasonable amoiuit of visual advertising. Experience suggests certain basic rules in handling the merchandise-information show. Choose one good \olume classification or related classifications and the merchandising job will be simpler to handle, and will be stronger in effect. Ferret out the basic selling-interest story behind the items in the classification, and don't cliuter the show ^vith non-essential and unrelated information. As is true of all good retail ad iS H