Sponsor (Apr-June 1962)

nett's idea of a well-conceived, ideally programed radio/tv station — one that their media people consider a good buy. He explained that Burnett prefers to place client advertising on those stations which fulfill a real need in their communities, and pointed out that the station which refuses to recognize its responsibile position in its community will probably not be successful over a long period of time. "With a total approach to media planning, however," Tillson says, "we rarely isolate and trace sales results to a single station — radio or tv. Radio and tv stations are in partnership with us and our clients in the business of effectively communicating a message to our clients' prime prospects. Our vote and dollars usually go to the station which can offer the best opportunity to allow these prime prospects to be attensive to what we have to say. This, of course, involves programing which delivers the audience we seek by the quantity we need on a consistent basis without overcommercialization." In the area of station trips, Burnett buyers do travel, but not on a regularly scheduled basis. Tillson explains, "Most of our station traveling is to problem markets, though our people who ordinarily travel on other business are encouraged to make station calls." The Burnett Company has been acknowledged by trade observers, as one of the major influences in the continued demand for minute commercials, since most of their availabilitly requests have been and still are for minutes. When asked about this. Tillson said the heavy demand is primarily a creative consideration. "Also," he added, "with television becoming so overly-commercialized, we think it is increasingly difficult to catch the viewers' attention and interest in 20-seconds without knocking him over the head, which is not our usual approach." With one exception, Burnett has no plans to use 30 or 40-second announcements in the coming year. "The major reason," Tillson says, "is that the cost is out of line with the creative opportunity afforded by the extra length. They have priced themselves out of our market." In pricing, Tillson said his agency would suggest this as a more realistic approach: For a 30-second, 115% of a 20; and for a 40, 145% of a 20. The Burnett attitude toward preemptible rate cards is verv favorable, Tillson says. "They give the station great flexibility in establishing prices commensurate with delivery, and obviate the necessity of complicated rate cars or constant revision of cards." But he adds: "As spot tv becomes tighter, the pre-emptible rates are becoming less functional. Since more and more of our purchases are made on Section I in order to maintain franchises, the pre-emptible feature of rate cards fails to serve its intended purpose. Prices, as always, reflect supply and demand." Tillson feels that the establishment of summer rates would encourage greater use of spot tv during the summer months. Amplifying this he says, "In quite a few cases, we take a hiatus during the summer or cut back to better spots only because the penalty in cpm is so steep. The networks long ago recognized the sensibility of adjusting rates to audience potential, and stations should do the same. Rates should be reduced during the summer months in direct ratio to drop in sets-in-use by time of day." On the subject of local public service sponsorship and association, Tillson says such shows are becoming vastly more desirable for advertisers as more stations place these programs in prime time: "Heretofore, the major stumbling block has been the very low audiences (due to poor time periods) in relation to the cost of a well done program." Tillson feels that Chicago stations are doing a particularly fine job in local public service, and he points out that some of their shows are currently under consideration for several Burnett clients. In the recent past, sellers of radio time have become acutely concerned over Burnett's — the bellwether Chicago agency — diminishing use of radio. Of its estimated $66 million broadcast dollars during 1961, only 11% of the total went to radio — mostly spot. But, Tillson points out that Burnett's media department is constantly exposed to most all radio research studies, and information on all phases of radio is disseminated to each supervisor and buyer. Burnett's most recent major radio presentation was from the RAB about a month ago. Of this, Tillson says: "We think the Bureau is doing an< excellent job. and we encourage the networks and major representative firms to assist the Bureau by devel oping more full scale radio presenta lions. The Bureau should not be expected to carry the ball singlehandedly." In spite of Burnett's relatively minor radio schedule placement — chiefly for Brown Shoe, Kellogg, Philip Morris, Pfizer. Pure Oil, Schlitz. and Tea Council — the agency has some surprisingly positive convictions concerning the medium. Of these. Till son says that Burnett finds there are more than enough good, well-programed stations to provide adequate coverage on a local, regional, or national basis, without relying on stations which pursue any programing course to produce ratings. "We'll always try the best station, but we certainly cannot endorse a policy of confining radio schedules to one type of station," he adds. Burnett and its clients are watching developments in new broadcast dimensions: the commercial possibilities of fm, and the potential in color tv commercials. Tillson says that although Burnetl activity in fm has been minor thus far, it is being given more consideration all the time and he points out this common advertiser grievance "While we have great faith in fm's) effectiveness, the fm broadcaster! should supply more information on fm in general and on individual sUV tions to help us make the sale." On the subject of client interest irl color tv commercials, Tillson report* that while some Burnett clients an quite interested in the growth of thi medium, to date color commerci production has been limited to adver tisers appearing in color programs plus a few for experimentation. A tribute to the professionalism o Burnett's media department is tht manner in which clients respect it' decisions. Clients naturally influenci media selection since they ultimately approve all recommendations. But ui terms of station selection, Tillsoi says, clients, either from headquar ters or locally, seldom exert any in fluence or pressure. "They recogniz< our specialization in this area, anc accept our recommendations as par of the many services for which tin agency is paid." ^ ti 50 SPONSOR 2 april 196: