Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1942)

20 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW December 19, 1942 How to Put More Efficiency in Window Display Exploitation The inclination to pay little or no attention to the regular outdoor posting and window card routes is one of the average manager's most serious short-comings. These activities represent no small part of the operating cost and should be augmented with personal attention from the manager at frequent intervals if they are to produce revenue comparable to the effort, time and money expended. Handled correctly, a well planned and supervised billing route will prove one of the theatre's most valuable advertising mediums but its box-office potentiality is entirely dependent on exploiting its many avenues of customer contact. Matter for Careful Study Setting up a good billing route is a: matter for careful study and should not be left to the discretion of the billposter or the usher that delivers the window cards. The drawing area should be thoroughly analyzed and personally inspected by the manager, who should decide what type and how many units, as well as the preferred locations to be used, in each section or neighborhood. The work force should be constantly on the lookout for new and better locations but the final decision about their use should be the' manager's duty. Such attention will keep billing costs at a minimum and coverage at maximum. It is well to remember that the value of locations are subject to many and constant changes. The preferred summer spot is more than likely to prove a "dud" when the cool breezes start blowing and the value of a neighborhood store window varies with every change of the goods the merchant displays. The opening of a new bus route, a change in street car routing, the opening of a new industry or the closing of an old factory, the start of new subdivisions, etc., all reflect on the possible customer pull of your outdoor paper. Value of Neighborhood Merchant Frequent visits with the merchants in whose windows your cards are displayed is good business and can be made to pay big dividends. They exert a lot of influence with the people who frequent their stores and are in position to say a lot of nice things about you, your theatre and its attractions. Many able theatre executives have recognized the value of the neighborhood merchant as a disseminator of theatre information to the point where they request their attendance at the start of a picture in order to capitalize during its run on the comment he makes to his many visitors. A Valuable Personal Link It is the manager's duty to know and make friends with these merchants, who are his guests once each week, and the greater the interest manifested in them, their families and their business the greater will be the reciprocal effort in the interest of the theatre. Making them feel their position as the theatre's neighborhood representative and taking them into your confidence by supplying information as to coming films and entertainment plans will bring surprising results. They are quick to recognize pictures as being a prime subject of interest to their customers and will be proud of their ability to display the knowledge you have provided. In so doing they form a valuable personal link in your essential chain of patron contact. The following results of a survey conducted to determine the value of window displays contain much information of value to theatres : People have a marked tendency to walk on the right hand side of the street and the merchandise displayed in windows at the right of store entrances sell most readily. (Try to place your window card accordingly.) The average window-gazer spends 14 seconds examining a display. (Don't crowd your copy.) An average of 178 of every 1000 population pass to and fro of a well located window. (Be sure of your locations and gauge placements and cost of units accordingly.) Windows have sales value 15 hours of each day with evenings being the best examining hours. Merchants are losing possible customers by turning off lights before 11 P.M. (Blackouts permitting, sell this idea to your location owners.) 30 to 50 per cent of merchandise sold is credited to effective window displays by merchants in preferred locations. (Good windows are worth every effort.) Animation First, Color Second Real estate dealers figure the front display space of a store property to be worth 20 per cent of the total rental. (Try to have inside store tieup copy placed near the door.) Animation rates first and color second when it comes to arresting the attention of the scurrying throngs and the size of a window is a secondary feature. (Be certain that your display and copy is properly placed and "stands out" in its surroundings.) People are interested in other people and displays built around prominent personalities receive greatest and longest passerby interest. (Where can you find more prominent personalities than the stars that appear in your pictures.) Give Them Thorough Instructions Use the above facts when building a billing route or contacting a merchant for cooperative window displays and see that those to whom the actual duty of placement is charged are given thorough instructions as to how to make their work most effective. Giving careful attention to all details of your outdoor billing and taking every possible advantage of the many avenues of patron contact it offers will make this one of the most profitable of your advertising endeavors. Composes Love Song Between his duties as manager of the Strand Theatre, Plainville, Conn., 25-year-old Albert Montefaico dabbles in musical composition. Recently, according t 0 Montefaico, h i s latest effort was accepted by Ann Corio, and may be used in a future picture. The title of the number is I Love Every Bit of You. Montefaico, whose special Defense Night activities were covered in the January 24 issue of STR, was formerly associated with the Roxy Theatre, New Britain; Commodore Hull Theatre, Derby; Tremont Theatre, Ansonia; Sterling Theatre, Derby, and the Rialto Theatre, South Norwalk, Conn. Old Doc Showman Says— Here's an unusually timely stage activity that can be put on at little effort and trifling cost and promises good cooperation in newspaper advertising and window displays. Department and drug stores are trying to popularize the new "paint-on" hosiery and will undoubtedly welcome the opportunity of attracting public interest through a "beautiful leg" contest on your stage. The cooperating establishments will furnish materials and operators as well as secure the entrants. Contact the merchants and determine in advance how much advertising space they are willing to use to popularize the contest. With this information approach the newspaper publisher for publicity on the contest. Your participation consists of providing stage facilities to screen the girls so that only their lower limbs are seen by the audience who are requested to show their preference by applause as each girl walks slowly in a small circle to demonstrate the lure of the new product. Added interest can be gained by having the operators apply lines to imitate hosiery seams on some of the girls to confuse the audience. Prizes can consist of merchandise from the concerns taking part and a few theatre tickets. After the contest you can allow the merchants to place a booth on the lobby with operators on hand to apply the treatment to such members of the audience as want to give it a try. One of the current radio programs is working a gag that promises much fun at your next amateur show. They select a man and woman who stand back-to-back to contest for a prize of $5.00. One of the couple is equipped with a toy balloon and at a given signal begins to blow it up. At the same time the M.C. begins to rapidly propound simple questions to the other contestant and division of the prize is based on the number of questions answered correctly before the balloon explodes. 20 questions are asked at 25c each on the radio program but the same stunt could be worked at 10c per question in theatres. It should provide a lot of fun and encourage adult participation in the stage activities. Keep in mind the fact that patrons of bowling alleys, night clubs, bingo games, dance halls and similar places of business are amusement seekers and, as such, are good prospects for attendance at your theatre. Figure out some method of contact that will insure advertising on your shows to be constantly presented at such places. A couple of theatre tickets to the high scoring bowler, lucky table prizes at night clubs, door prizes of theatre tickets at bingo games and dance halls, etc. Going places is a habit and the people who frequent one place of amusement or recreation today are excellent prospects for anothe' establishment tomorrow. Try to make the next place your theatre. Why not use a "Schoolegiate Night" to bolster business on that "off" day? The name sort of flatters the high school students and some small price concession may attract considerable extra business.