Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

would noi oihcrwisc be in the store, \\1iat the sponsor has to report is equally gratifying. Results based on sales reports are very satisfactory: while the shortage of news print has curtailed Red Owl's display space, the sponsor has found that it's possible to break sales records with broadcast facilities. Promotion for the series has been designed both to create in-store enthusiasm for the campaign and to build listening audiences. In addition to a pre-broadcast sales meeting attended by all Red Owl managers and employees at which the program angles and promotional opportunities were outlined, store buttons and ribbons were w^orn by all Red Owl personnel. On the audience promotion side, bus cards, courtesy spot announcements, store display cards with time-and-station data, hand bills distributed at the gates of the Sioux Falls ball park, stories used during news periods and schedules of the broadcasts w^ithin the regular Red Owl newspaper advertisement were all a part of the build-up. AIRFAX: Series was originated and is produced by KELO's commercial manager, Ted Matthews, to meet the specific needs and problems of grocers. Broadcast Schedule: Monday through Friday, 10:1510:30 a.m. Preceded By: Art Baker. Followed By: Word of Life. Sponsor: Red Owl Economy Stores. Station: KELO, Sioux Falls, So. Dak. Power: 250 watts. COMMENT: Local and regional advertisers are showing an increased aw^areness of the effectiveness of broadcast advertising, properly planned to perform a pecific service. Such a plan needn't be costly, definitely it need not be elaborate, but it must be designed with full recognition of the particular needs and problems of a specific business at a specific time. Grocery Stores TOAST AND MARMALADE All-out iiu(h(n(( promotion is one way to gain maxiinmii effectiveness from a broadcast (amjKii^ii. How it works in practice is illustrated b\ Carroll's Ltd., a new-to-radio account, in connection with its three-times-weekly sponsorship of a quarter-hour segment of CROC's Bud de Bow program. Carroll's Ltd., a chain of grocery stores, most of which are located in Hamikon, Ont., with a few in the surrounding district, consists of some 73 stores. What put the chain on the air for the first time is CROC's 6:00-9:00 a.m. show listed and publicized as the Bud de Bow SJiow. Commercials are handled as participations, in one-, fi\e and fifteen-minlUe segments. At 8:15 a.m., following the morning news, Bud de Bow says good morning for Northways (department store), which is followed from 8:30-8:45, Monday, Wednesday and Friday by an invitation from Carroll's to enjoy a musical serving of Toast and Marmalade with Bud de Bow. Music, four selections in all, is of the smooth, modern type on the brighter side. Two commercials are used, with one spotted after the first musical selection, the second after the third song. A detailed weather report is given in the middle of the show. Audience promotion via the Carroll stores for w^hat is one of the oldest continuous features on CKOC is four-sided. (1) Air Publicity The WTek before the Carroll sponsorship began. Bud de Bow let loose with a pre-program barrage of his own design from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. (2) Newspaper Publicity Integrated design of newspaper, window display and store stuffers was the keynote for the entire Carroll promotion and it started with the design of its newspaper advertisement. A two column ad featuring talent went into the Hamilton Spectator the week following the Carroll sponsorship of the series. Mats with program-timeand-station data are used on a consistent week-by-week basis in connection with Carroll's weekly new^spaper advertising which usually includes a full-page in five major daily newspapers. (3) Store Display Three 14 x 22 blow EPT EMBER, 1947 • 319 •