Radio today (Sept 1935-Dec 1936)

$15,000,000 FOR SALES PROMOTION {Continued from page 32) "The display has three planes and provides a shelf for the display of an actual radio set. Above the set a silver-shaded lamp illuminates the radio set. Bookshelves, curtains, Venetian blinds — in short a typical home background — combine to give this colorful and ingenious display an amazing true-to-life quality that makes it a masterpiece of display design. It has a score of uses — in windows, on counters, in the center of display floors, as part of a background. A number of stores have spotted these displays, flanked on either side by an American-Bosch Console." Zenith features farm appeal Edgar G. Herrmann, advertising manager of the Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago, declares the current campaign is the most comprehensive ever engaged in by Zenith. "Preceding the Zenith Convention in Chicago May 15th, our distributors were equipped with a complete advance mailing campaign sent to all their dealers, together with full instructions for holding their dealer meetings. These were followed by the complete kit of materials including an elaborate portfolio in color, describing the entire Zenith program and policies. Some of the principal items placed at the disposal of dealers were a full-line folder showing all the sets in the natural color, a full line silver and black deluxe catalog with center spread in full color, special Zenith farm radio folder with farm sets in colors, R.F.D. farm radio mailing piece which the dealer may mail to the farmer, banners, window streamers, newspapers, bill board posters, radio logs, giant match books, etc. "The display program included two types of mammoth deluxe floor displays with revolving platforms. These displays accommodate three sets each. We also have a set of motion displays to be used, one at a time and a set of four still displays. In addition, there's a separate Zenith farm radio display for rural stores. "Our national program consists of a comprehensive schedule in magazines like the Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Time, the New Yorker, Hollands, Sunset, Fortune, etc. This is supplemented by a farm journal campaign and all of the principal national, sectional and state farm newspapers. Both AC and farm radio are pushed energetically in a special broadcasting program over 80 or more of the principal radio stations with special emphasis on the key cities of Zenith distributors. A country-wide bill board campaign is being promoted in cooperation with distributors and dealers." Stromherg adopts a stride Advertising Manager W. T. Eastwood of Stromberg-Carlson has on his desk a list of almost three dozen dealer helps and advertising plans, not counting mats offered by the company. Crowd of paper figures is a new window stunt available to radio dealers. These include counter and monthly mailings, special backgrounds, revolving displays, posters, neon signs, animated dial displays, banners, cards, window and counter displays, booklets, logs, and a long series of ad mats. A new display piece for the use of Stromberg-Carlson dealers has just been announced by the company. The new display depicts graphically the operation of Stromberg's patented and exclusive Acoustical Labyrinth which is used in 12 of the company's 27 new models. Printed on the front of the display is a four-color reproduction of a Stromberg-Carlson radio with a transparent cutaway of the "labyrinth." Back of the transparent portion are two ingeniously arranged heat motors, operating from the bulbs used to illuminate the display. Designs rotated by these heat motors throw moving images of musical notes on the transparency. Kadettes are marched out V. A. Searles, advertising and sales promotion manager of International Radio Corp., plans to give Kadette a special break this year. Searles speaking : "As far as our promotional activities are concerned, I believe that you can truthfully say that our activities in this direction will also be very greatly increased over any previous year. "We are planning a very elaborate promotion of our new models in the form of actual miniature photographs in a most attractive pocket binder for the use of distributor salesmen in announcing the extensive new Kadette line, consisting of 23 models, ranging from the ten dollar compact to the finest eight-tube consoles. A vast volume of direct mail will be sent by the factory to distributors and dealers. An attractive metal and enamelled sign has been prepared for re-distribution. Several types of window displays are being designed that will give Kadette a public presentation more effective than ever before. A wide variety of newspaper mats and electrotypes will be furnished free to Kadette dealers as well as special newspaper advertising plans, ad re-prints and a multiplicity of attractive booklets and folders. Special mailings to our distributors will be conducted frequently throughout the year, which will consist of elaborate broadsides as well as direct mail letters, helping them to more successfully merchandise our line." 34 Radio Today