Sponsor (Nov 1947-Oct 1948)

The Picked Panel answers Mr. Planter Every year, sometimes more frequently, questions come to an advertiser's mind and he naturally turns to his agency for an answer. Sometimes these questions are familiar to us . Sometimes they are brand new. But, old or new, we approach every question with the obligation that the answer should be as complete and accurate as our facilities make possible. We were one of the first agencies to offer radio as an advertising medium to our clients. As this medium has develop>ed our services have expanded. In addition to our regular program department which covers production, script editing, timebuying, client contact, and sales, we maintain a radio commercial copy department, a radio research department, and a radio publicity and promotion department. The activities of each of these groups come under the supervision of its department head and our radio planning board. There are many services which our clients expect and get through these extensive facilities at BBD&O. In handling 1 1 network programs and a great amount of spot radio we keep up with the everchanging radio picture and feel that we are we]!-equipp>ed to render the many services Mr. Sponsor Asks... j "What should a radio advertiser expect in the way of service from the radio department of lii.s advertising agency?" i , . Id I Advertising Manager Adrian J. Hanter | BenruiWstch Co., Inc. which an advertiser expects from an agency. Arthur Pryor, Jr. Vp in Charge of Radio BBD&O, New York If I owned a railroad I would not employ engineers and expect them to be ticket sellers, switchmen, brakemen, conductors, or do any thing other than the special job for which I had hired them. (True, perhaps they could do these other jobs in an emergency, which would be an advantage.) By the same token, if I employed a major advertising agency to handle my advertising . . . from the radio department I would expect: programing. Period! In most major agencies today, the other highly specialized and skilled work can be done far better by the separate departments, such as publicity, promotion, research, and merchandising. By the use of the agency's entire facilities, I would expect my advertising to produce its best results. Therefore, I definitely say a radio department's chief function is programing. If the radio department has some knowledge of these other jobs and can be useful in those directions too, that is all to the good. Advertising coordination usually comes through an account executive whose close client contact keeps him aware of all policy matters. And the account executive supervises all the required radio service functions, because naturally there must be close cooperation in all of these departmental jobs. But none should overshadow the main advertising objective— a good program, whether it be network, spot, or whatever, so geared that it gives the advertiser the maximum audience among his truly potential customers. By way of postscript, another reading of Mr. Planter's question leads me to suspect he's suggesting that many functions besides programing should be encompassed in the magical 15 per cent discount. If that is so, 3,000 words instead of 300 are necessary to give him his answer . . . unless it suffices to say that agency net profit (and particularly from radio) is inordinately low. Blayne Butcher Radio director Newell'Emmett, N. Y. 1 think that a client has every right to expect from his advertising agency's radio department a complete service as to the planning and execution of all radioactivities. As background for the planning, the radio department should be expected to keep itself informed on the over-all radio picture — that is, current shows, available talent, talent trends, the status and standing of networks and stations, the listening habits and preferences of the public as to day-of-week, types of shows, etc. In connection with the execution of radio plans, a radio department should be expected to be equipped to carry out completely such radio plans as are made; specifically such things as the buying of time, handling of any and all contractual negotiations for radio time and their subsequent problems, the building and or buying of shows, bu>ing of talent, and the handling of any talent problems, contractual or otherwise, the writing of commercials, and the actual direction of shows — and by shows I mean everything 34 SPONSOR