Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

bearch for Best Approach to Build Trade Name Leads to News Sponsorship Swander Baking Company, with 3 South Dakota bakery plants, triples in size in 10 years of radio in con]bination with other advertising media by ROBERT J. DEAN, president, KOTA, Rapid City, So. Dak, OUT HERE, where most folks think the VV^cst is, we have a success story which would do justice to a city several times the size of ours. It centers around the Swander Baking Company which operates three good-sized bakery plants in South Dakota. Ihc main and largest of these is located at Rapid City. Hie next, in size, is at Hiuon and the smallest plant is at Deadwood. H. E. Swander, founder of the business, began here in 1892, with only a small bake shop. Gradually he expanded his business until it became advisable to incorporate. 1 oday, Swander's is a large, well financed firm in which all of the stock, except a few scattered, outstanding shares, is owned by the Swander family. Presently, the business is managed by the yoimgcr son of the founder, Charles A. Swander. First served All of the Swander family have been extensive advertisers. From the begimn'ug of I lie firm, large sums were set aside for publicity. They made a good product and did not believe in keeping it a secret. Both in newspapers and on the air they told the story of "LONCUiOY, the flavor ric/i, range-baked loaf." More about the Longbov trademark later. K07 A, then known as KOBH, came to the Black Hills in \9Mh and Swander's were its first customer. Mr. Swander had used the radio station at Huron which, incidentally, was built and operated by the same people who had set up the new station in Rapid City. E. H. Swander, older brother of the present manager of the bakeries, had used a wide \ariety of programs in an elforl to find the ONE idea which woidd best fit the plans he had for developing the trade name, Longbov, and the accompanying trademark, a little Indian boy with a big, healthy snnle on his face. We originated 152 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP