Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

28 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 11, 1944 Analysis of Advertising Media No. 3 — NEWSPAPERS In the preceding session of this Clinic we discussed the procedure in obtaining a graphic picture of where your customers live, how they get to your theatre, their entertainment preferences, their travel, reading and listening habits — in other words the process of getting acquainted with your trading area. We spoke of Newspaper Circulation Reports in generalities as a source of information. In order to supply more concrete knowledge of this source we will attempt to sketch briefly the procedure used in analyzing newspaper editorial and advertising values. Circulation Reports Newspapers are prepared to supply advertisers with a concise report of circulation showing : 1. Copies delivered by Mail and where they go by districts and cities, rural, foreign. 2. Copies delivered by Carrier Boys and where they go by districts. 3. Copies sold by News Stands, Street Sales. 4. Paid circulation by districts. When you buy space you buy circulation, but that is not always the measure as to the best paper for your purpose. Your aim is to buy circulation which most effectively reaches your prospects in your situation. If you depend upon transient patronage (such as is the case of a theatre located in the central business section of a sizable city) your problem is to buy bulk and widespread circulation. If you depend upon a family or neighborhood clientele your need centers around mediums which assurj concentrated circulation in your particular trading area. Where there are a number of papers all reasonably equal as regards circulation, consider the matter of readership. You will in all likelihood find one or two papers giving more space and pictorial treatment to amusement news. This policy of the paper is not the result of sheer generosity, but rather it is the application of hard-headed business practice. These papers know that movie news is a valuable editorial asset and you can rest assured that such policy rates that paper high in popularity among your potential prospects. There is also the matter of rates for space in relation to circulation which must be considered. This is another way to measure your media for you must get a dollar's worth of value for each dollar spent. If amusement rates are prohibitive in relation to results and in contrast to the rates applying to space for other lines of business then it may become good judgment to spend a minimum in the newspapers by using the directory form of advertising and allotting more of your budget for other media. After you have decided upon the best media for your purpose there arises the all-important question as to the best method of using the media for the greatest possible results. Here are some facts on newspapers which are worthy of your consideration. Research and Survey Many surveys have been undertaken on a broad base by organizations sponsored by advertisers, educational groups and publishing groups to chart the reading habits of the public. The Advertising Research Foundation in a published report, "The Continuing Study of Newspaper Reading," presents a wealth of valuable information. Their findings are basic, include the following : 1. Women are more thorough readers of newspapers than men. 2. Left-hand pages have slightly higher observation ratings than right-hand pages, though this is less important in amusement pages than elsewhere. 3. Amusement advertisements have higher observation ratings than other types of advertising including that of department stores. 4. Editorial illustrations (scene and star mats) help to increase interest in the amusement pages. 5. Advertisements with a relatively large proportion of their space in illustrations have comparatively high observation ratings. 6. There is little difference in the observation ratings of ads with action illustrations as compared to those with stars' faces. The type of art doesn't matter so long as it is an illustration. 7. Readership of amusement ads by women is 58 per cent, men 43 per cent. 8. Pictures of theatre, movie and radio personalities have a median readership of 56 per cent by women and 34 per cent by men. (NOTE>— "Median" indicates a middle point with half of the examples receiving a higher readership and half a lower readership than the percentage shown above.) 9. The relation of reader interest to the size of scene mats or pictures of stars is as follows: Men Women One column pictures 35% 42% Two column pictures 50% 62% Three column pictures 61% 67% Four column pictures....... 65% 77% 10. Based on a comparison of 16 newspapers in cities under 100,000 and 11 papers in cities over 300,000 population the following percentages of the readership of amusement advertising will give you an idea of the chances you stand of having your ads read providing your ad is on a par in space, layout, etc. writh the other ads on the page. If you are in a city of under 100,000; 43 per cent of the men and 60 per cent of the women who read the paper will be interested in amusement information. If you are in a city of over 300,000; 48 per cent of the men and 60 per cent of the women who read the paper will be interested in amusement information. Further statistics from the "Continuing Study" by the Advertising Research Foundation show the median readership enjoyed by the various features comprising a newspaper. The figures (median) cover surveys of 71 different papers in the United States. Reader interest rates as follows : Men Women All editorial reading matter. . 43% 26% . 85% 80% Comic Pages 82% 79% . 27% . 42% 10% 52% Society News • 37% 84% Sport News ■ 78% 39% This information should serve as a guide to the showman when placing off-the-amusementpage advertising in order to attract the desired readers, either male or female or both as the case may be. As a yardstick by which you may judge the reader interest in various types of advertising in contrast to your ads on the amusement pages the following figures are median from the same 71 newspaper survey source. Men Women All Advertising (Except Classified) 80% 95% National Advertising 54% 62% Local Advertising 73% 94% Department Store 37% 84% Classified 33% 41% AMUSEMENTS 43% 58% To further show the conformity of readership traits not only in the United States but in Canada as well, three important Canadian news papers were surveyed to determine Amusement page reader interest with the following result : City Men Women Windsor 45% 63% Hamilton 66% 77% Montreal 56% 70% The survey further revealed the following reader interest comparisons : WINDSOR— Men Women 70 line theatre ad (Tivoli) . . . 34% 50% Publicity story (same page).. 3% 2% Scene Mat (same page) 20% 27% Caption un4er scene mat .... 1 7 % 24 % HAMILTON— Men Women Movie ads 52% 62% Readers 4% 3% MONTREAL— Men Women Theatre ad (Palace Theatre) 34% 47% Scene Mat 20% 29% Caption under scene mat.... 15% 25% Reader (in column with others) 6% 5% These statistics show ads topping both readers and scene mats and scene mats topping publicity stories in reader interest. Women predominate in advertising readership and this should be recognized in the preparation of copy. By and large, women influence the movie habits of the American family, therefore it is the wise showman who attempts to create advertising with a high degree of woman appeal. Where a picture possesses a stronger attraction for men it is good practice to prepare ads with definite woman appeal for off-the-amusementpage display, and, by the same token, when the balance swings toward women, special ads which will attract men should be placed on the sports pages. In either event these ads can only be supplemental to the regular amusement page advertising. Teaser ads with their appeal so directed are a very practical means of going off the amusement page for male or female reader interest. Brien Gets Fine Results From 'White Cliffs' Campaign Lige Brien of the Enright Theatre, Pittsburgh, put on an excellent campaign for "The White Cliffs of Dover." An art exhibit in a local store window featured the work of William Stepien, Pittsburgh artist, showing some of his prizewinning paintings and pencil portraits. Generous signwork pointed to the tieup with the picture. A large streamer across the window gave plugs to the "White Cliffs" date. The artist gave short talks to those who came into the store, with the film's title mentioned at each personal interview. Twelve days before the opening the theatre had a 28 X iS-foot display richly colored and covered with metallics, and containing colored photographs of Irene Dunne and Alan Marshal. Children attending the picture were given a set of 20 fighting planes of America. Six large store windows, illuminated during the evening, were used for displays. A local music store featured a window of album music from the picture. .A.I1 mirrors above the Enright's water fountains were painted with the message : "You are urged to see the 'White Cliffs of Dover' here soon." Thus anyone who took a drink of water observed these plugs. The picture was plugged for three days with spot announcements from the stage. Publishers of "White Cliffs" provided 15 large signs plugging the picture and book. These were placed in windows of book shops and inside the stores. Book covers were given to summer school students. A colored boy, a local Pittsburgh character, traveled the streets for four days, carrying a 30 X 40 sandwich board. SHOWMAN SAM SAYS: It's hard to get theatre supplies these days, but I don't know of any priorities on fireproofing juice for those draperies.