Sponsor (Jan-June 1951)

RELAXED „? Yes, and easy listening, too — heard nightly Monday through Friday at 7:00 on WRC. In just a few short weeks, "BATTERS' PLATTERS" has grown to the listening stature of an early evening stand-by. Charlie Batters' casual style has a long-lasting way with habit audience, based on good music and off-hand comment — spiced but balanced. This regular half-hour, in peak time has a few participations open, certainly worth your planning for STRONG coverage in the ever-growing Washington market. Batters' style isn't studied . . . it's designed for hard selling. His growing list of sponsors is our best recommendation. MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 7:00 PM YOUR BEST BUY IS IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL FIRST in WASHINGTON 5,000 Watts • 980 KC |C JPOT SAUS advertised via an announcement schedule over KBOR. Retailers, who know immediately when their advertising is pulling, have been able to come up with results like the following on Spanish broadcasts: Thrifty Drugs. Fresno, Calif. Twenty minutes after an announcement about a ball point pen sale over KGST, Fresno, a line half a block long had assembled outside the store. Another California retailer. Perrin's Jewelers of Riverside. The store put on a special campaign for a nationally advertised watch at $49.95 over KBUC, Corona. Within six days, 43 units were sold. In Los Angeles, Angel Lerma, KALI m.c., held a children's Christmas party for the J. J. Newberry store. Promotion consisted of a heavy announcement schedule for one week in advance of the event. Six thousand attended the party and another 6,000 had to be turned away. But most significant was a 27r/c increase in the Spanish trade. KUNO, Corpus Christi, Tex., worked out a successful promotion with the Lee Baking Company in that city. The bakery tried announcements in both English and Spanish to publicize the launching of its new bakery. The Spanish response was overwhelming. Approximately 85% of the 80,000 visitors to the plant during a four-day open house were in the Spanish-speakgroup. Tn trying to reach these people," says Frank Stewart of KTXN, "you can know all the fundamentals of radio advertising and marketing and still lose your shirt." It takes skill and experience, he maintains, and the stations working in this market have learned the answers. A prudent advertiser will listen to the advice and suggestions of these stations and specialized advertising agencies. In urging sponsors to consult with stations on their advertising, several Texas broadcasters tell about the regional beer account which built its copy theme on the excellence of the water used in his brewing process. The reaction of the listening was immediate— and negative; and the switch to other brands was almost disastrous. ''Who wants water! We want beer!" the customers were saying. The advertiser finally learned that Mexicans do not like to be reminded about water in beer. In Mexico, water is regarded with little enthusiasm because il is rarch safe to drink right out of well or stream. One station was able to save another brewery from making a costly mistake in its merchandising. The station was shown a proposed illustration for a point-of-sale display. The art consisted of an attractive Latin-American girl showing some bosom and holding a glass of beer in one hand, a bottle in the other. To complete the effect, she was peeking over one shoulder and winking at the spectator. The station clamped down like a Boston censor, pointed out that no proper Latin-American girl is ever seen in a "cantina" or bar. One of the unusual twists in writing copy for the Spanish-language audience is the way that descriptions of the labels or packages have to be adjusted to hit home. One example: White Wings Flour is converted to La Paloma I the dove ) . Another: when Swan soap failed to move off the grocers' shelves, KCOR, San Antonio, found that grocery consumers were not familiar with the Spanish word for Swan. Instead, the listeners were told to look for the patito I little duck or water chicken). This time results were quick and excellent. No matter how familiar the copywriter may be with Spanish as it is spoken in Mexico, copy still has to be checked at the local level to see that all expressions are understood and acceptable as idiomatic in that area. One station, KCOR, insisted that Tex-Mex, a slang type of Spanish spoken in Texas, must be used in the market. Other broadcasters do not go along with this thinking. One said, "The Spanish can be simple and well understood without resorting to this lingo." On the programing side, dance music, news, soap operas, and sports draw the largest audiences. KTXN's Stewart says, "Block programing is the only effective Spanish programing. Like all Latins, these people have an inherent love of music. Our musical shows are scheduled in blocks covering the entire spectrum, from Sunday semi-classical concerts to Mexican hillbilly. Other types of shows that pull well for use are news shows of the back-fence gossip variety, and audience participation programs." An intensely emotional people, the Spanish-Americans tune in consistently to dramatic productions ( these are transcribed in Mexico City or Texas) . One station. KOWL. Los Angeles, aims a program called Chico Siving 52 SPONSOR