Sponsor (Nov 1948-June 1949)

fc# #** From rose hushi's to trailers, rural programing delivers top sales at loir cost From Charlotte, Y (... to Des Moines, Iowa, case histories based upon farm service programs or announcements point to the fact that the rural audience buys and buys and buys. WNAX's report of selling $30,000 worth of farm machinery with a $12.00 announcement is unusual, but Uiis station's record of delivering sales includes manj other ease histories with just as effective selling. This doesn't mean that the Cowles station promises results at this ratio but that it's reaching farmers who want to buy. It must also be remembered that SPONSOR'S Farm < ase Histories are all based upon advertisers using the know-how of stations for commercials. There have been main other case histories where rural advertisers have failed because they've closed their ears to station men who know the selling answer. Rose Bushes SPONSOR: Charlotte Nurseries AGENCY: Placed direct CAPSULE CASE HISTORY: Selling rose bushes via radio advertising would seem to be somewhat of a problem, which makes the results achieved by Grady Cole, WBT's Farm Editor, rather amazing. In three months of plugging the bushes (priced for the first three weeks at $3.95, and thereafter at $1), he pulled 54,412 orders — an average of 575 bushes a day. The advertising came on Cole's early a.m. program six times weekly, with a little later spot on Sundays. Programs feature popular and folk music, news, and home and farm service. WBT. Charlotte. N. C. PROGRAM: "Grady Cole Time' Auto Seat Covers SPONSOR: Gaylark Company AGENCY: Robert Kahn CAPSULE CASE HISTORY: The "New England Almanac" on WEEI was bought for Gaylark, manufacturers of automobile seat covers, with a two-week cancellation clause in case the show didn't pan out. Within ten days the cancellation clause itself was cancelled, and the campaign continued for a full 20 weeks. Results were 3,907 direct orders for $23,442 worth of seat covers, at a total advertising cost of $3,496 less than $1 per order. Worthy of note is the fact that the campaign went on in the Fall, not a normal time for car seat-cover buying. WEEI. Boston PROGRAM: "New England Almanac' Machinery SPONSOR: Francis Beehner AGENCY: Flaced direct CAPSULE CASE HISTORY: On July, 1948, Francis Beehner, of Sioux Falls, S. D., bought a 30-second announcement on WNAX to advertise 13 new and used combines. The announcement was broadcast at 6:45 a.m., following Chris Mack's "Farm Journal." All 13 combines — more than $30,000 worth of farm machinery — were sold as a result of the single $12 announcement. Beehner reported that he could have sold the combines within 15 minutes, having received immediate long distance calls from three states, in addition to the many local calls. WNAX, Yankton, S. D. PROGRAM: Announcement Feed SPONSOR: International Elevator AGENCY: Placed direct CAPSULE CASE HISTORY: The Star-Hi Feed Division of the International Elevator Company staged a weightguessing contest over Star-Hi's Farm Program. The weight to be guessed was that of "Star", a Star-Hi-fed steer, with the first prize being "Star" himself. One of the rules was that no contestant could submit more than one entry. The contest was plugged 25 times over Star-Hi's program, 12:00-12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. A remarkable total of 901,238 pieces of mail was received, with no duplication from the same people. WDAY, Fargo. N. D. PROGRAM: Star-Hi Breakfast Food SPONSOR: Coco-Wheats AGENCY: Rogers and Smith CAPSULE CASE HISTORY: This breakfast-food advertiser had never employed a salesman or a broker in the state of Iowa, nor had he ever used any advertising medium other than WHO. Within six months after starting on the station, however, the account had 100% distribution in the area covered by WHO, thereby presenting a clear-cut picture of the credit due radio for alone forcing this distribution. An average mail count over a 12-week period totaled 30,216 letters containing more than 36,000 Coco-Wheats box tops. WHO, Des Moines, la. PROGRAM: Farm program Trailers SPONSOR: Kansas City Trailer Co. AGENCY: Placed direct CAPSULE CASE HISTORY: The Kansas City Trailer Company sponsored a campaign of one-minute announcements over this Kansas City station, involving a letterwriting contest for I I prizes. Announcements invited listeners to submit in 25 words an explanation of why they would like to own a trailer. First prize was a house trailer valued at $2,000, with ten other lesser prizes offered by the trailer company. Result was a flood of more than 15,000 entries from people throughout the rich Kansas City farm trade area. KMBC-KFRM, Kansas City. Mo. PROGRAM: Announcements