Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1944)

the trade name of Soil-Off was selected and marketing began. A small factory was established in 1934 in Glendale, Gal. From house-to-house campaigning Soil-Off found its way into department stores, and was sold through demonstrators with word-of-mouth advertising causing a slowly rising demand. With this improvement in business a 15 dollar a week appropriation was made for advertising. Soon it became apparent the 15 dollar weekly advertising appropriation would hardly suffice to increase demands or broaden sales outlets in Southern California, or reach the sought-for grocery trade. It was at this point that radio entered the picture. In 1936, Fletcher Wiley was given the assignment of getting general distribution throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area over KNX. For two years Wiley and KNX brought in more and more Soil-Off enthusiasts. Plans were completed to branch out along the Pacific Coast. Again Wiley was given the task and Soil-Off became his first Pacific Coast sponsor, with the Columbia Pacific Network regularly getting the Soil-Off message to women throughout the West. With every increase in sales volume, a greater percentage of profits was turned towards radio advertising. Sales increases continued with every new appropriation. In February, 1941, the company purchased newscasts over KNX and the Columbia Pacific Network, utilizing the 5:45 to 6:00 P.M. spot twice weekly. Soon the advertising budget was given another huge boost. Again sales soared. Soil-Off became the leading paint cleaner in the 1 1 Western States. During the interim, following the growth of the business volume, three factory sites had been established and outgrown, until in early 1941, Soil-Off moved into its own home in Glendale. Even this new factory could not keep up with the constant increases in sales that radio produced. Within the year new improvements and machinery had to be installed. Towards the end of 1942 volume of sales had again almost doubled the previous year's record. A warehouse had been built and the factory was operating on a 16 hour-a-day basis. Recently, and as a result of its tremendous success on the West Coast, Philco Distributing Co. completed arrangements to merchandise Son, -Off throughout the United States. Plans are now being made to manufacture SoilOff in the East to take care of the expected new business. Adding to its regular Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday newscast by Truman Bradley from 5:45 to 5:55 P.M., over the Pacific-Columbia net, Soil-Off in September, 1943, added a 15-minute commentary by Galen Drake to cover the Monday, Wednesday and Friday periods, with the program released from 5:00 to 5:15 P.M. A success story! Yes! Soil-Off is big business now. It's proof of what a good product, backed by proper management and given full advertising support can do! Many thousands of dollars have been spent to tell women of the West about Soil-Off, and of this more than 60 per cent has been spent for radio. Exhibit A that brains and beauty can go hand in hand is petite, blond Vera Nyman. Not one to holler uncle, she staked her future on SoilOff, backed it up with plenty of hard work. While the road was long, woman-of-vision Nyman didn't have to go it alone. Strictly a family affair is the story of the development of Soil-OfJ, Glendale, Cal. While she took care of distribution and markets, the production end of the business was under the watchful management of her husband. J A N U ARY, 1 944 11