Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

SHOWMANSHIP IN ACTION Promotions and merchandising stunts that will lift a program out of the ordinary. Beverages IT'S A DILLY With no previous promotion, the DiLLY Bottling Company came to Memphis, Tenn., in January, 1947. What was needed was a radio program that would introduce the products to softdrinkers in the shortest possible time. WHHM supplied the answer with the Dilly Kids, in WJiat's IVrotig, a half-hour Thursday evening broadcast at 8:30. Participants are six students from the city's high schools, in give-and-take discussions of such topics as "Should 'teen-agers 'go steady'," and "Do parents contribute materially to juvenile delinquency?" Debate portion of the program is spontaneous and unrehearsed. In addition to discussions on timely topics of interest to the high school crowd, the format includes news from the participating high schools, top tunes, interviews with featured school celebrities, fashion tips and sports comments. Commercials include the tag line, "It's a Dilly of a drink for you." AIRFAX: Jo McKinnon writes and produces the show, with Joe Allison as emcee. Fint Broadcast: January 16, 1947. Broadcast Schedule: Thursday, 8:30-9:00 p.m. Preceded By: Analysis of the News. Followed By: According to the Record. Sponsor: Dilly Bottling Co. Station: WHHM, Memphis, Tenn. Power: 250 watts. Population: 400,000. COMMENT: For I he acherliser with a product ol interest to the high school crowd, a 'teen-age show has a twolold advantage in that (1) it represents an established, loyal listening group, and (2) its representatives are an excellent source of program talent that appeals to a diversified audience. Department Stares GOLD'S BIRTHDAY CLUB To make customers know and remember Gold's as "Lincoln's Friendly Store/' Gold Sc Company, Lincoln, Nebr. department store, instituted its Gold's Birthday Club in \91V2. In its 15 years of existence, the club for children between 4 and 13 has become one of the most popular institutions in the community. To promote the club, radio is used on a Saturday morning schedule. No purchase is necessary to be a member of Gold's Birthday Club. A child registers his name, address, date of birth and telephone number at any one of four children's departments. Cards are filed in chronological order. During the week of his birthday, the child receives an invitation, written in magic ink, to a party to be held that Saturday. Birthday parties are arranged by Miss Hollywood, and include ice cream, cake, favors, games and lun, followed by a trip to a local theatre. Each child is given a Birthday Club membership badge. Weekly attendance ranges between 40 and 75 yoimgsters. Parents who take advantage of this opportunity for leisiuely shopping are told on the invitation card at what time to pick up their off-spring. Tie-in program with this in-store promotion is a radio series, Gold's Birtliday Club of the Air, featuring music and news of birthday clubbers. Names of those invited to the birthday party that afternoon are read on the morning program which goes on the air at 10:45 a.m. Hollywood news and transcribed interviews with motion pictme celebrities are also a part of the format. AIRFAX: Miss Hollywood for birthday clubbers is Mary Alford. Broadcast Schedule: Saturday, 10:45-11:00 a.m. Sponsor: Gold & Company. Station: KFOR, Lincoln, Nebr. Pinver: 2 50 watts. Population: 81,984. COMMENT: AVhile merchandising eflort in behalf of and in support of a radio j)romotion is the general rule, the re • 204 • RADIO SH OWMANSH IP