Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1941)

October 25, 1941 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 13 HELP THE GOOD WORK! Theatremen who have succeeded in persuading local newspapers to give them an advertising rate equitable with that of other merchants can help a lot by passing on their experience and methods used as encouragement to their fellow showmen in other territories. Please send us all information you have on this subject of newspaper advertising rates. We will pass on the information to others. Those theatremen who will be encouraged to take up the matter of higher rates, are reminded that an ounce of persuasion will be more effective than a pound of "pressure." As pointed out by Franc Arnold, this job can be accomplished without unpfeasantries. Showmen Should Lend More Than Usual Aid In Red Cross Drive Annual Roll Call of the American Red Cross will be held this year during the 20-day period November 11-30. At that time, through its agencies in all parts of the country, the Red Cross will conduct a drive for contributions to help it carry on its great humanitarian work. As in past years, motion picture exhibitors will again have the opportunity to do their part by making it possible for memberships to be solicited in the lobby and by running the Red Cross trailer at all performances. Among other ways in which they can help, there are one or two that deserve special consideration. They are based on what transpired during the drive last year. At that time, girls and boys in schools all over the country packed thousands of Red Cross Christmas boxes containing toys, sewing kits, soap, crayons and other useful articles, and sent them to many countries. This year the Junior Red Cross is sending 100,000 Christmas boxes to England, Latin American countries, the Philippines, Greenland, China, Alaska, Samoa and elsewhere. Exhibitors could cooperate in such a venture by staging morning shows for children, accepting for admission useful articles that could be included in the contents of this year's Christmas boxes. It might also be possible for theatres to tie in with local merchants in donating articles to the Red Cross. Another tyoe of popular project among Junior Red Cross members has been the staging of puppet shows. During the past year, the fifth grade of the Southfield School, Shreveport, La., undertook an adaptation of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves." The class prepared the script and retitled the show "Ali Baba and the Four Thieves." Each child in the class made one puppet and aided in preparing the scenery. Clothing for the puppets was made in the Junior High School, while the school's first grade pupils made the furniture. The puppet show was given for the benefit of other schools in the area and was also staged at the local home for the aged. By getting in touch with the Southfield School for details of the play and additional information, exhibitors could sponsor similar performances this year at their theatres, with classes from various schools taking part. Although time waits for no one, showmen who want to do their part — and perhaps a little more — still have an opportunity to prove they will cooperate in every way possible with the Annual Roll Call of the American Red Cross. Invaluable goodwill should result from such activity, as well as the realization that every effort is being expended to aid the Red Cross to carry on its great work. Speaking Op&njcdixm Continuing the series of down-to-brass-tacks discussions of ways and means to improve theatre operation, in this article the unfair rate charged theatres by newspapers maintaining special higher rates for "Amusement Advertising" is analyzed and practical advice advanced as to how theatremen can, without pressure and unpleasantness, work in their own localities for elimination of the penalizing rates under which other merchants buy newspaper advertising lineage for less money than the motion picture theatres which contribute so importantly to community prosperity and reader interest in newspapers. Previous discussions in this series have covered such important factors as: "The Evil of the Pass," "Protection from Embezzlement," "Purchasing With an Eye to Economy," "The Staff's Deportment to the Patron," "How Much Shall We Spend for Advertising?", and other vital topics. Further attesting to the value of these practical discussions is the fact that many circuit executives have from time to time reprinted articles in the series for distribution to managers of theatres operated by their organizations. LET'S SCOTCH THE UNFAIR "THEATRICAL RATE by Franc Arnold Many managers come up against the stone wall of high theatrical rates for space in laying out their advertising budget. The most effective original or press book ads generally demand large space requirements, and as all budgets to a certain extent require that the dollar expenditure must keep within the proper percentage of expected business volume, they find that the high theatrical rate completely blocks any sort of extensive program. The "theatrical rate" is not found in every location, but it obtains in the majority of them. Why does it exist at all? The best reason a newspaper advertising man can give as a justification of this condition is the publicity given the theatres. Publicity Meets Specifications Let us here and now explode this "excuse." Any newspaper worth its salt will not accept publicity or art unless it meets rigid specifications not demanded or even possible to obtain in the preparation and execution of those of any other section of the newspaper. In other words, the theatre must pay a penalty rate, at the same time furnishing the newspaper with news and art executed by the greatest amalgamation of photographers, feature writers, and newsmen ever got together by one industry in the history of the world. Often for less able craftsmen the newspapers pay high salaries and fees to sports writers, columnists, syndicated news, and pictorial service. One of the greatest drawing features in the newspapers today, proven by all surveys of "reader interest," is Hollywood and movie news. Yet this costs the newspaper less than any services entering into the format of the newspaper. So surely, for bearing this gift to your editor, a penalty should not be your reward. Now let us look at the other side of the picture. What are the factors that govern the fixation of advertising rates charged by the daily newspapers? (A) The lowest rate goes to the local merchant; certainly we pass this test with flying colors. (B) Consistency in days in the year that advertising is run. Here is where we are the prize pupil. What other local or, for that matter, national advertiser uses the daily 365 days a year and uses them all? (C) The third and last consideration in drawing up a contract to give an advertiser the absolute minimum rate is the amount of space used by the advertiser, and here, even handicapped as we are getting a half and sometimes only a fourth as many agate lines for our dollar, we will find few advertisers in our city grossing the newspaper much more throughout the year. So, on a cold-blooded analysis of the above qualifications, we should rate the minimum and not the maximum cost per line for advertising ! We can do something about this. We can do it without pressure, 'without unpleasantries. We can see the local publisher or his representative and show him the above points prepared in a prospectus showing actual facts and figures. Then we must convince him that the "theatrical rate" is a carry-over from the days when it was a punitive tax, on the behalf of the local merchants, to discourage fly-by-nites, carnivals, tent shows, etc., when these enterprises were undesirable to the town. We are now and have been for many years a staple merchant and member of the community, and to treat us otherwise would be to classify the local druggist as a medicine man — the reputable physician as a bone-setter — or any other classifications belonging to trades in their birth. We can further show him that bigger theatrical ads, bringing him as great a revenue as before, would improve his paper and his motion picture features. We can show him that to a great extent, community life centers around the theatre. Without theatres women would be less conscious of style, which in turn would hurt all merchants. The theatre brings and holds people to and in the community. When the "theatrical rate" is erased from the newspapers rate card, then you will receive the full dollar value for your advertising budget. Fellow showmen, let us determine to eliminate this discrimination now. CLINIC SCRAP BOOK UP TO DATE? Just a reminder that you'll be sorry later if you fail to keep your Advertising Clinic scrap book up to date. The latest Clinic meeting takes place on page 17. In that department you will find ideas for layouts for Thanksgiving Day and Armistice Day. Be sure you save them. Remember, only STR brings you original advertising layouts designed for combination with press book illustrations and geared to needs of theatres for their newspaper and program displays.