Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1943)

IL and 0' Cor NatiDn-Wi[i Measured i • Left . . . J. W. Rath, president of the RATH PACKING CO., smokes the peace pipe with the Sac and Fox Indians during induction ceremony into the tribe. WHEN the Rath Packing Co. celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in Waterloo, la., on November 1, 1941, it commemorated in part, the company's contribution to the progress of A\'aterloo and Northeastern Iowa. In addition to the farmers who depend upon the Rath Packing Co. as a piuchaser of their livestock, and the residents of A\^aterloo who are dependent upon the plant for the livelihood of themselves and their families, the merchants of AVaterloo also owe much of their business to the operation of the plant. It is also true that the plant owes a tremendous debt to each and everyone in any way connected with this business pyramid. As one of America's large meat packers, the Rath Packing Co. measures its nation-wide business in millions, but it has never for a moment forgotten to cultivate this home market not only for its actual sales volume potential but more important, for its good will value. The company is probably inseparable from the city of AVaterloo. It is a M^aterloo enterprise that is practically owned by Iowa citizens. It is the outgrowth of Iowa and Waterloo history and tradition. In the early days, people knew more about each other than is common practice today, and word-of-mouth publicity was the order of the day. Modern conditions are such that if a business is to maintain its position local ly, some method must be used to keep alive that feeling of cooperative friendliness w^hich has been a Rath business asset for the past 50 years. Early in the game, Rath's realized the value of radio in performing this service. A long-time WMT advertiser, Rath began sponsorship of the \VMT Kiddies Revue five years ago, and these youthfid personalities do a fine selling job on the air, even if some of these performers are younger than the program itself. The Rath's Kiddies Revue is a halfhour program. Originally, it was presented every Saturday morning from 10:00 to 10:30 from the stage of the Paramount Theatre, but results from radio led to a station hook-up which includes KRNT, Des Moines, la. The program was at that time moved from A Waterloo to Des Moines, and was produced from the stage of the Ingersoll Theatre each ^Vednesday night from 9:15 to 9:45 P.M. So that youngsters other than those living in Des Moines or \Vaterloo might participate, Rath's have taken the show on the road during the summer months, and these one night theatre stands ha\e drawn tremendous audiences. Several very concrete sales promotion angles have been worked oiu. A very successfid one used during its first two years was the meat tag system. One particular product, Rath's Black Hawk 194 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP