Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1944)

I he audience group the advertiser can expect to reach, A kitchen quiz, a chamatic serial, an early afternoon fiveminute newscast of last niinule news, and two audience particijjation evenini^ shows, in addition to a regular schedule of sjx)t annoiuicenients, give Ri.mar a well rounded schedule. Its night time program, Spell [or Dough, is a simple adaptation of the old-time spelling bee. llie master of ceremonies picks two teams representing local firms or organizations, and runs them through several groups of easy-tospell and hard-to-spell words. Each group of words varies in monev value from 25 cents to five dollars. The winning team gets the dough. (A bright feature of the program is a word auction. Competitors have a chance to bid in cash for the privilege of spelling a surprise word). What Remar set out to accomplish in its radio campaign was to achieve a well rounded promotion that included a dominant night time program, plus the frequency of daily broadcasts so necessary in selling an item w^hich is used every day by every family. Variety in both programs and stations was essential. In its use of three San Francisco stations, Remar finds that while over 50 per cent of the coverage of the network stations is not effective for its product, the prestige value and selling effectiveness of the network outlets is worthwhile. On the other hand, Re mar's Calling All Kitchens over the independent station is easily as productive as any network station. For any advertiser in any line of business, the success of the Remar campaign points up a moral. Radio success stories aren't made by guess-and-by-gosh. To get the most out of the medium, a plan is of primary importance. When Remar had determined what purpose a radio campaign would serve, that is, to build both consumer and dealer good will, it then took the next step. That was to determine what audience it wanted to reach, and only then to consider the various ty}3es of programs that would reach that auch'ence. With this one audience in mind, Ri.mar then set out to select the time and the stations which would icadi that audience. To make its radio campaign as clfective as possible, Remar backs its programs with every type of promotional effort. It's well to remember that any program worth buying is worth merchandising, and coordinated activities play an important part in the success of this advertiser. * RADIO BUG COT HIM * Adman Guild True sou of the sJioiu business that he is, adman Walter Guild can't re?n e rn b e r w h e n he didn't want to entertain people, and as a boy his play-acting shoios drew full and enthusiastic Jiouses at fiveten-twenty (pins) admission. After a loJiirl in vaudeville, he was bitten by the radio bug, ere long found himself behind the microphone as master of ceremonies on a variety show for the Remar Baking Co. Within a year the station manager who had given adrnan Guild Jiis chance to break into radio ivas asked by the Sidney Garfield Adu. Agency to recommend an ambitious young man zvJio xoanted to learn tJie ins and outs of agency business. That was in 1939. In no time at all, adman Guild found himself head of the radio department. Sid?iey Garfield Agency became Garfield 6Guild, and the young man who made good found himself vice president of the company in 1^43. Climax to the Horatio Alger success story: Remar Bread, for whom adman Guild zuorked as a radio performer on one of Jiis earliest radio programs, is still one of the agency's most important radio clients, under the direction of our hero! MAY, 1944 155