Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

WHAT THE PROGRAM DID FOR ME This is the businessman's own department. RADIO SHOWMANSHIP invites radio advertisers to exchange results and reactions to radio programs for their mutual benefit. Department Stares REIMUTH SHOW "Freimuth's use of adio has been rather broad and it is omewhat difficult to determine with any iegree of accuracy just which of the tore's programs influences sales most. It s our opinion that radio advertising used n coordination with newspaper adverng is much more effective than either ised alone." EDGAR FREIMUTH General Manager Freimuth's Department Store Duluth, Minn. IIRFAX: Latest broadcast catnpaign for Freimuth's was a 30-minute feature designed to appeal to a predominantly feminine audience and especially to homemakers. Series broadcast over WEBC featured the music of Ray Bloch, his orchestra and chorus, with home-making and fashion tips to appeal to divergent tastes in radio fare. Hotnemaking section comprised about a minute and a half, with home furnishings, decorating and hotne construction information under discussion. Angle: Your Design for Peacetime Living. Brief commercials on specific merchandise for the home tied-in with this section of the show. Fashion trends in apparel, accessories, etc. were highlighted in Top Topics in the Fashion Parade. Commercials tied-in with wearing apparel, accessories, fabrics and related items. In the Baby Section, infants born in Duluth and Superior in the preceding 24 hours were named, with a special greeting extended to the largest baby born that day. Commercials in this section tied-in with infants apparel. Weekly salute to the Woman of the Week was part and parcel of the show, with tribute paid to women in the area for outstanding work in civic affairs, welfare and organizational activities. Program was handled on the air by Bill Conner, who also supervised production, and Rolf Erickson, with alternating voices for the announcements and commercials. Daily features on homemaking and fashions, as well as the commercials were written by Sylvia Covet. Music for the show was from the NBC Thesaurus Service, Associated and World Transcription libraries. Continuous promotion for the program incuded air plugs, bus cards, window displays and store posters. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Friday, 10:3011:00 A.M. Sponsor: Freimuth's Department Store. Station: WEBC, Duluth, Minn. -Superior, Wis. Power: 5,000 watts. :OMMENT: act that Not overlooked here was the /hile the program had to be U N E, 1946 informative and entertaining, it also had to accomplish the prime objective of selling merchandise. Sponsor here is on the right track in the coordination of all advertising media to achieve a single purpose. Men's Wear SOLDIERS OF THE PRESS "Especially dining the past few years, our policy has been to use radio advertising exclusively. "VV^e started using radio advertising over KGIR when the station first opened, 17 years ago, and we have continued to use it consistently ever since. Why? Because it thoroughly covers the territory that we serve and it provides the most effective media for getting our message across. "For over three years, our program, Soldiers of the Press, was in the top flight of transcribed radio shows, and since wc prefer to use programs we are always on the alert for new shows of this type." M. H. SCHWARTZ Schwartz Men's Store Butte, Mont. AIRFAX: Sponsor: Schwartz Men's Store. Station: KGIR, Butte, Mont. Porver: SjOOO watts. Population: 67,883. COMMENT: Here's a characteristic example of merchants who confine their advertising entirely, or at least very largely, to broadcast advertising. The gradual transition from a tentative experiment 17 years ago to 100 per cent radio advertising is a record of cooperation and mulualbenefit between advertiser and radio station. \n the use of programs, rather than spots, the ad\ ertiser does more than sell merchandise. He also cultivates good will. • 209 •