Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1949)

START THE DAY WITH A SMILE (Continued from page 5) increased so that now practically all musical entertainment is done by the Greys and only an occasional record is aired. Now there is more music and less chatter than was scheduled at the inception of the show. Unique feature of the Lanny and Ginger Grey program is the quality of their jingle-writing commercials. The show has participating sponsorship, each sponsor's message delivered with a special twist. Pepsi-Cola commercial message is of the group singing variety, directed as a reminder to listeners. Little Grey Gift Shop advertising spotlights a singing commercial written and sung by Lanny and Ginger Grey. This particular sponsor's message is half-institutional, half sales in approach. For Cuticura Products there is a dramatic piece with a sales talk. This aims at direct sales. Lanny and Ginger write the manuscript for the Empire Goldbuying Service. Buddy Lee Clothes boosts sales by using the singing commercial approach. In this case, again, the message is written and delivered by Lanny and Ginger Grey. This announcement also uses the direct sales appeal. A retail outlet, Buddy Lee Clothes has chosen this particular show to plug their wares because Lanny and Ginger Grey have demonstrated that they can sell their sponsors' merchandise. They have chosen this morning show because it is scheduled for a time which assures Buddy Lee Clothes that they will hit a new audience group. Buddy Lee Clothes, now located in Brooklyn, was established twenty years ago and is the only store under that trade name, though its organizers have since gone into the manufacturing end of the men's clothing business. They started using radio five years ago. WMGM (WHN at that time) had heavy sports coverage. Then, as now, the Brooklyn Dodgers ball games were carried. Since many of the Brooklyn Dodger baseball club members were customers and since many of the customers were sports enthusiasts, Buddy Lee Clothes took spots preceding the games. This sponsor has used and still uses newspapers, outdoor signs and direct mail media to spark sales. But Buddy Lee Clothes has found radio advertising an effective selling device. They have carried spot announcements before, during, and after sports commentaries on WMGM, "Warm-Up Time," "Sports Extra," "Sports Final," and "Today's Baseball." These have proved advantageous time schedules because they hit a desirable listening group. Male listeners to those shows are excellent potential prospects for Buddy Lee Clothes. With the Lanny and Ginger Grey show, Buddy Lee Clothes are aiming for a new audience group — the early morning listeners who tune in their dials as they take their breakfasts or drive their autos into town. Another reason Buddy Lee Clothes has chosen this show is that the firm is able to take advantage of the special dividend offered as a by-product of the unusual contract with Lanny and Ginger Grey, who are one of the foremost jingle-producing teams in the country. Station WMGM supplies, at no additional charge to the sponsor, a special commercial jingle for use on the Greys' program. Not only do the Grey commercials please sponsors. Also, Lanny and Ginger Grey have good continuity to and from commercials. Their music and chatter keep audiences tuned in to the "Start the Day with a Smile" show. It's their clever format that keeps their listening circle growing. And the greater the listening group, the larger the potential number of sales. Lanny and Ginger Grey's show is preceded by a morning record show and followed by a news broadcast. Their program set-up is superior in every way for putting across their sponsors' messages to achieve increased sales records. Continued sponsorship of "Start the Day with a Smile" indicates just how steadily those sales records are climbing. 28 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP