Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1960)

COMPUTERS i Continued from jhil' the morning? Y&R's Campman answered for himself and his counterparts MNo!M Tnere will be a savin:: in personnel in the areas of estimating contracts and forwarding, he said, "but there will always be more to buying than the slide rule, or even the I nivac." \nd even the I nivac "agrees." Perhaps some da\ in the future, theorized Y\R when introducing its Remington Rand set-up. the computer ma\ be a self-contained "thinking mac bine."" But even the largest model new made, ''as complex and broadly useful as it is. can"t theorize, use independent judgment, or use intuition to arrive at a conclusion. "All these machines can do is to utilize and combine data which have been carefully broken down for them into a special code . . . the computer'? 'language.* This painstaking breakdown of facts and figures into it tiny components, which makes up the language, is called programing. "The only practical thinking machine now in existence is still the human brain."" ^ SPONSOR ASKS i Continued from page 51 I a smooth suave voice coming out <>f that machine when the product is beamed at the cracker barrel crowd. With this handv guide and your diners club card you'll wow "em on the avenue! Kathyrn Broman, director of uomen's activities, WIT LP, Springfield, Mass. Not only do I think that visits bystation management are a must for solidifying relations with the ad agencies, but I feel it is just as important for station personalities to take some time off from their radio or tv jobs to meet these people at agencies and give them a chance to get a first hand idea of how the personalities that may be doing their commercials look, act and handle themselves. A lot of agency people seem to To All Members of the BROADCAST PIONEERS New York City — Philadelphia Chapters you and your friends are cordially invited to attend a Gala Evening Entertainment Prizes Surprises at Savoy-Hilton Hotel 59th St.-Fifth Avenue Crystal Suite Tuesday — October 4th Cocktails at 6 DON'T MISS THIS FIRST BI-CHAPTER GALA EVENING WITH YOUR FELLOW PIONEERS. Price. i8.00 per ticket (including full course dinner, entertainment, gratuities and tax) For Reservations, phone M. H. Shapiro Plaza 9-1500 think that because the personality is not from New 1 ork he is liable to botch up a commercial or he might not be suited for the commercial product lor which the agencv is buying time. However, \>hen the agency people get a chance to meet the personalities, talk to them and discuss the type of program, audience and general market make-up they serve, most of their suspicions disappear. The visit to an ad agency by a station personality I think should be standard operating procedure at least two or three times a vear. Not onl] does a personal visit give the personality a chance to give a solid pitch for his or her own program but it also is a tremendous opportunity to sell the station as a whole. I know on several occasions I have gone to visit agencies in New York primarily to make a pitch for my own program on X^ ^ LP. and have run across the situation where the agencv timebuyer has a product that was not suited for my show. But after discussing the various shows on \^ \^ LP I was able to come away with the order for another show on the station. Another fallacv that I would like to punch full of holes is the oft-repeated grumble that the agency people don't have enough time to see station people or personalities, or that the\ wouldn't be welcome. I've found that the exact opposite is trupeople are delighted to meet ^ith personalities despite their heavy schedules and I have never received a "brush-off"' routine. They have been exceptionally gracious and have been more than pleased to learn more about the market, other personalities and the general make-up of the stations in the areas in which they are using campaigns. The proof of these personal visits is in the orders that come through. On the first trip I made to visit agencies I came back with four orders. And I have never yet made a visit to the agencies without coming back \\ith some orders. I try to make a trip to \ i~it the agencv people at least twice a year, and in the future I hope I can do it more often. I think that every station should make it a point that its personalities be given a chance to meet timebuyers at agencies with either the station representatives or the station management when they make their regular visits. ^ SPONSOR • 3 OCTOBER 1960