Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

tional spot billing is up 18% for the first half of 1962 and they want their national advertising billing to increase 18%. Economics of tv spot. "They don't realize that only about 5% of all national spot goes into 100 or more markets; that better than 70% goes into market lists of 25 and less because that's where we reach most of the people for the least dollars." To check this sponsor tabulated the TvB-Rorabaugh Report on Spot TV Advertising for the second quarter of 1962. Every brand using a minimum of three stations in more than one state was totalled, (see chart on page 29) , and many of the lists of stations were checked for the number of markets. The tabulations showed that the longer the list of markets the more maximum coverage, or multi-station, markets on the list. One 35market campaign used 53 stations, another 68. A 20-market list might use 25 stations. Even an 18-market list used 31 stations. And the longest market list, 162, used 266 stations. What must be done. How then does the tv station operator in a tv market ranked below the first 50 go about cutting a piece of the national advertising pie? What are the ground rules? Do they work or are they just talk? According to experienced timebuyers, many with more than 15 years of service, agency media people, and station reps with superior track records, the lesser market stations must keep six markers in mind. These are: 1. Rates. Rate cards often are not realistic. In some lesser tv markets rates are too high, making radio a better buy. A strong enough station story may get the business but an out-of-line price makes the job tougher. One agency suggested a 3-or-4-to1 ratio of tv over radio. Another pillllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 6 ways to slice national ad cake i REALISTIC RATES are essential if you don't want other media to get the dollars you want. And don't raise rates without a valid reason. 2 KNOWLEDGE of your market is a must if you are to create a character, a personality for your station. Find out how your market, station and audience are different. 3 DEVELOP A PLUS, an exclusive identity for your market and station. This can be a face, an idea, a fact, a combination of elements. But it must be unique and real. 4 THE GROUP BUY, linking several minor markets into a regional combination, can be attractive to timebuyers when properly assembled, documented, priced and presented. 5 THE LOCAL CONTACT can be productive; especially the food and drug brokers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers and chainstores. To them an adman will listen. 6 PROMOTE THE MARKET instead of slugging your competition. The smaller the market the more everyone wants national ad dollars and the less they do to get them. = j|llllllll!llllllllll!llillllllllllllilitllllllllllll!llllllllllll!llllllllllllll!l!llilllilllllllllll!iy advised shooting for a $1.50-$2.50 c-p-m. Others spoke bluntly about stations trying to keep pace with major market outlets by raising rates because the bigger station did, not because circulation was up; and about station owners who act as if their license were a franchise to get-rkh-quick. 2. Knowledge. Know your market— its past, present, and future. Use research to chart growth and potential in terms of business and industry as well as audience and tune-in. Get to know the warehousing and distribution pattern of nationally advertised products in your area. Find out what is different about your station, its audience and the market. The birth rate in your market may be above average and so provide a peg for a pitch to the makers of baby foods. 3. Develop a plus. The trick is to give your market an exclusive identity, a personality all its own. This has innumerable variations ranging from the cigar and face of Joe Floyd, who used showmanship to spotlight KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, S. D., to the sightseeing tours for timebuyers staged by WITNTV in Washington, N C. Other less spectacular yet infinitely more creative and often more productive market development techniques are: The test market as developed by The Meeker Company and WSAUTV in Wausau, Wis. This requires a lot of digging for facts, diplomacy in dealing with other media in the market, and a savvy of marketing. But if the market is isolated from outside media, has high audience circulation, has a stable and varied economy, is accessible to warehouse facilities, and retail cooperation in promotion and audit of products is available, then it can mean national billing as it has in Wausau. The new market as developed by A. Donovan Faust, general manager of WJRT-TV in Flint, Mich., and Harrington, Righter & Parsons. Five years ago, before the station went on the air, Flint was regarded as a bonus that went with buying Detroit. The station and 30 SPONSOR/ 1 October 1962