Sponsor (Apr-June 1964)

proposed using theii formula: hit and hit hard and often in what the pci tumc industry considers women's trade hooks periodicals like I ogue, Harper's Bazaar. Glamour. I uvache's genera] manager Roll Warner took the cue and, through .1 house agency, bought punt for several years running. At the same time, he tried for what he considered the best exposure — television — at the lowest cost possible. Unable to fit it into his budget, he managed to get 10 seconds of air-mention by having Jungle Gardenia given as a prize on audience participation shows. "It's surprising the letters we'd get from tv." Warner recalls today. I he personalities who conduct i hose programs really build a great loyalty with their listeners. They'd write in and ask all sorts of questions about the perfume. . ." Respect for that listener loyalty remained in Warner's mind. So when a top New York radio station urged that radio be given a six-week trial to test its selling power, the proposal was accepted only on the basis that the commercials be handled by good strong-sell personalities. Warner thus gave the nod, and that spring his company started a iadio test campaign in. of all places, New York. "Although our trade considers New York the roughest place in the world to break," he says, "we thought we'd try it anyway because we're nice and close to it and could keep an eye on it. If we could make it here, we figured we could make it anywhere." Those first tentative radio steps were taken by Tuvache under the expert guidance of two real radio pros — WCBS's Jack Sterling and WOR's Pegeen Fitzgerald. The new sponsor met with these broadcast experts and explained the product — its features and its sales personalities. They also explained the target: they merely wanted the most — to build up distribution. They already had access to the top boutiques, but now needed department and drug store volumes. Since metropolitan cosmetic buyers are a pretty cagey bunch (who've had everything from pigeons to pistol-shots fired at them in order to make an impression), access to their shelves could realistically be hoped for only from the outside — i.e., by getting actual customers to come in and ask for the product by name. Jack and Pegeen, taking care not to fog their mikes, set to work. Six weeks later, Tuvache's Jungle Gardenia was available in 50 percent more stores. After a summer hiatus, the new sponsor bought another flight. This time, Tuvache almost completed its distribution in New York and actual sales volume had doubled. That test, conducted in the autumn of 1962. allowed 13 weeks on both New York stations. Slim schedules started in late September, then accelerated every second week until, from mid-November through the Christmas rush, the barrage was heavy. Tuvache rode out the usual winter lull in the perfume business (with a few print inserts, some coop stuff), then came back to New York — and radio — in March on both WCBS and WOR aeain. A PS ir, -": Si :,D ter Perfume by The Case' .an1 Jy s ■ Wiiaa-uh, so who's selling perfume? Casey Stengel? You bet — in one of the smartest promotion ideas of the season. It's soundly based on an idiosyncrasy of the $250 million fragrance industry — that 75 percent of the total product is bought at Christmas and that "the vast majority" ol customers are males. That means American men pay out something like $150 million a year for perfume, a substantial whiff of the industry's successful sweet smell. And if l.anvin. Inc. has its say — which, thanks to Stengel, it \er\ likely will — male New Yorkers will be preconditioned to buying their products come Christmas because of a summer-long campaign on W H\ Radio, a Slorcr station. Literally in the field the infield — WHN's Weber holds mike after signing new announcer Casey Stengel, who holds $500 f .icon The Mets' language-fracturing manager will be heard in at least ^ one 10-second spot on WHN before every Met game, at home or away, during their 162-game season. In fact, first commercials of the series were taped at the dugout just half an hour before the season's somewhat confused opener. Remember? Teams were breaking-in the spanking new facilities of Shea stadium. Fans couldn't even get there because ol a severe traffic tie-up (and subsequent parkins problem) caused in part by the arim ol workers putting hurried, lastminute touches to the nearby World's Fair. And to add to the general gloom, the Mets lost. It might be said, though, that Lamm wiin. for. alter mild difficulties, they got then commercials taped and on the air. Credit for the idea goes to_ W UN's general sales manager Herb Weber who. lunching with Marty L\ m neat \?: m.( ■ \ SPONSOR