Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1960)

WHY FOOD BROKERS LIKE SPOT ^ Study reveals food brokers show a preference for local media for introduction and advertising of groceries ^ Brokers ask agencies to consult with them on local market conditions before making final media decisions ■ ood brokers in effect gave a boost to local radio/tv advertising for food products in a report on broker advertising opinions released recently by the National Food Brokers Assn. and Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove. In essence the brokers feel national advertising for grocery items is most effective when accompanied by local tie ins. The report also showed that brokers are critical of advertising agencies which depend more on ratings than their (brokers') opinions, in making local media decisions. With the increase in the importance of supermarkets over the last 10 years, food brokers have emerged as a forceful voice in media decisions, r\ NFBA-KM&G study reveals brokers stress local media for groceries Wm. J. Gillilan (I), KM&G marketing v.p., Watson Rogers, NFBA pres., analyze study FOOD BROKERS were asked by NFBA and KM&G how they felt about networks, magazines as vital advertising media for selling grocery products as opposed to local media. Responses are shown below. NFBA also noted that many brokers sell local and regional products as well as nationally advertised grocery lines. REPLIES NATIONAL LOCAL Yes 63.4 93.9 /Vo 31.5 5.2 Don' t Know 5.1 .9 100.0 100.0 the report points out. "The broker has his finger on the pulse of the market he serves and knows his grocery marketing," said NFBA. Brokers' criticized the agencies on the following counts: • "Failure to realize how little coverage we get from some network programs when our local stations do not carry the program." • "Too much reliance on rating books and not enough on local audience loyalty to local personalities ( viz. a local 4.8 audience on tv is going to buy more of a sponsor's product than a regular audience of an average 6.9 program)." Brokers stressed that if a principal is going to use network tv, attempts should also be made to use local media tie-ins. "Chain stores and retailers are not impressed with national advertising and usually ask: What are you doing in this market? I don't care about N. Y., Chicago, and Los Angeles," one broker commented in the report. "The demand is for local support," he said. It is in this area that food brokers feel they can be of utmost help to agencies. "We feel it is absolutely essential that the advertising agency consult with the broker in the territory and closely cooperate with him if satisfactory results are to be achieved by the agency, the broker and his principal," said one broker. A food broker, as the report states, is not directly concerned with the national aspects of a network tv program. He is, however, interested in showing a grocery buyer that the network program will reach a specific number of families with desired buying characteristics within the buyer's market, and will thus move goods. The report is quick to point out that brokers do not feel that network advertising is ineffective in any sense. But they feel that first its need must be explained in local terms to them and to their customers, and that it is desirable to team it with local advertising when practical. Responses to a question on lead {Please turn to page 52 I 36 SPONSOR • 19 DECEMBER 1960