Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

picture of the Story Lady, along with her favorite stories and one poem was offered on the series, the offer produced 2,500 written requests in ten days. No proofof -pin chase was required on the giveaway. Additional evidence that the Stoiy Lady has the juvenile ear: the locally produced stories for children broadcasts pull approximately 1,200 letters a month, has a 3.5 rating. Tie-in with BroWxN's series directed at the small-fry which indicated that an appeal to this group was good advertising psychology: a survey conducted in Ogden schools revealed the fact that school children listen more to radio than they spend in any other after-school recreational activities. Previously, under the direction of Ernest Balch and J. C. Whitley, Brown's had sponsored one broadcast series. Federal Agent, and had also used spot annoimcements. Three commercials directed at children are used on each broadcast. Radio, newspaper space and window displays promote the series. AIRFAX: First Broadcast: June, 1946. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Friday, 4:30 4:45 p.m. Sponsor: Brown's Ice Cream Co. Station: KLO, Ogden, Utah. Power: 5,000 watts. Population: 5 3,794. COMMENT: It's good broadcast practice to select a program which will appeal to the group which represents the sponsor's largest potential market. That this advertiser selected just such a group, made an advertising ringer, is indicated by the listeners' response to the give-away offer. Shoes STEPPING ALONG AVhen KIRO, Seattle, Wash, listeners go Stepping Along in the morning, there's more of a spring to the step, thanks to Baxter's Shoes and its 8:00 a.m. quarter-hour of local news about events and people, presented in the breezy, racy manner. And that the program steps up sales is the conviction of store manager, Winans. His comment: "Radio is (juick. Our iiurdiandise (an come in one day, and be described and sold on the air the next. There's no waiting aroiuid for days for copy and proofs and that sort of things." Almost as fast as new merchandise comes into the store, it's featured on the Monday through Friday broadcasts. Commercials are written strictly from the fashion-description approach, with two on each broadcast. In addition to the value of the series as a creator of store traffic, direct mail orders in a reasonable amount have come to the store as a direct result of the program. Strictly a personality show, the series is a combination of chit-chat on the gossip side, paced with a couple of fast tunes for pleasant listening. W^eekly newspaper ads, exhibiting Baxter Shoes, plug emcee, Dick Keplinger, the show, the time and the station. Quick to tie-in with good merchandising angles is Baxter's Shoes and its advertising agency, HmoLESTON, Evans & Merrill. Example: in connection with Ellery Queen broadcasts, local contestants for Ellery Queen's armchair detective position on that day filled out entry blanks at the store, were informed of the contest through Stepping Along. Newspaper ads also tied-in the Keplinger show with the contest and the store. AIRFAX: First Broadcast: September 30, 1946. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 8:15 a.m. Preceded By: Fact Finder. Followed By: Fred Beck. Sponsor: Baxter's Shoes. Station: KIRO, Seattle, Wash. Power: 50,000 watts. Population: 368,302. Agency: Hiddleston, Evans 8C Merrill. COMMENT: Although Stepping Along has been temporarily cancelled, the shortterm advertising campaign proved most successful, enough so to lay the foundation for a larger campaign later. 140 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP