Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

dising is also an important part ot successful broadcast activities. While the two sometimes o\erlap, merchandising may be said to be directed mainly toward the product, sponsor or serv ice offered. In this respect, florists are particularly fortunate. The merchandising tie-in between flowers and the listener is an obvious one, and in line with the theory that radio promotion is designed to create greater consciousness of flowers as a symbol of good wishes on any and all occasions, the use of flowers as a merchandising hook for florists is particidarly effective. In the case of Braswell's Flower Garden, for example, each person selected for tribute on the radio series received an orchid. Mr. Braswell himself made the presentation while the broadcast was in progress and at the same time presented each honoree with a scroll to commemorate the event. As a tie-in with this merchandising effort, Mr. Braswell also developed a program promotion angle. Cards were sent to friends and business associates of each person honored on the program in advance of the broadcast tribute. Each person was invited to tune in the particular broadcast in which he would be most interested. Both merchandising and promotion were combined in the series of broadcasts, "Flowers to Savannah's Own," aired over WSAV, for Paul's Flowers. Each ijroadcast consisted of a sahue to three native sons or daughters in the armed forces, and a corsage was sent to the next of kin of each person honored on the program. As a part of the promotional activities for the series, Paul's featured a window display, banked with flowers, in honor of all persons to whom tribiue had been paid on the program. Programs not designed to do a consisteru mert handising job may also lend themselves to merchandising effort. For example, the Butte Floral Co. sponsored a contest as a test of listener interest in its radio series. Each broadcast included the playing of a record in which the name of a flower appeared in the title. The first j)erson to call the station with correct identification recei\'ed a gardenia corsage. Both program promotion and merchandising were incorporated into a campaign at Fort W^ayne, Ind., in connection with the Sunday evening program aired over WOWO for the local unit of the Florists' Telegraph Delivery Association. Special promotion consisted of program stickers to all Fort Wayne florists ; for use on mail and statements. Also, once a week, Jane Watson, director of the WOWO "Modern Home Forum," interviewed a local florist on such topics as the care of house plants. Listeners were in . vited to send in questions on any problem related to flowers, and both questions and answers were printed in mimeographed leaflets available to listeners on request. Newspaper ads called attention to the radio series, and small microphones with the lettering "We're on the Air" were placed in the windows of each florist. Essential Success Factors All such promotional and merchandising efforts contribute to the satisfactory completion of a broadcast campaign, in spite of the fact that the basic ingredient of a successful, economical program is good entertainment. It is a form of showmanship which offers added value and buying inducement to the customer. Relative impact seems to be more important to success than the ninnber of dollars spent. It is iiueresting to note that none of the campaigns cited here involved a heavy expenditiue, but all were successful. In accotuiting lor the success of such ventiues, consistency of effort is an important element, with coordination of all advertising acti\ily another important factor. In some instances, indi\iclual effort is indicated. In other areas, group activity is ec|ually effect i\e. In such cases, groiq) activity achieves what the individual florist could not afford, and while each member bears a small portion of the total expense, everyone benefits from all extia promotion and merchandising. • 96 • RADIO SHOWMANSHIP