Sponsor (July-Dec 1951)

WHY NOT A MEASURE OF IMPACT FOR RADIO! IN addition to continuing reports in its radio and television markets, Pulse regularly does surveys of the buying habits of listeners and non listeners to selected programs. For example, consider the following sales impact of three programs recently surveyed: NEWS PROGRAM 26% WOMAN'S SERVICE PROGRAM 96% "EARLY MORNING" . .60% FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PULSE ASK THE PULSE THE PULSE Incorporated 15 West 46th Street New York 19, N. Y. CHAP STICK [Continued from page 25) next March. An estimated $150,000— a quarter of the total advertising appropriations— will be devoted to selling Chap-ans and Chap Stick in 30 cities over 35 radio stations. The number of announcements normally used will be stepped up in 19 of the 30 markets, and, says Gumbinner. "We may add four or five new stations to OU] list. Where remains to be seen, since we're still in our planning stage." (The other three-quarter slice of the total ad appropriations is used largely for slick magazines, like Holiday, Life and Look; trade magazines, like Drug Topics, in which the radio advertising is merchandised to druggists; and posters and cardboard displays designed for the counters of retail outlets.) Chap Stick lip balm, which grosses about $1,750,000 a year, dominates its next biggest rival, Chesebrough Manufacturing Company's Chesebrough Lip Ice. From October until March (via McCann-Erickson) Chesebrough spends "over $60,000" to participate in alternate weeks on Dr. Christian, CBS radio. Chap Stick's other big competitor, Roger & Gallet's Lip Ade (via Hicks & Greist. New York) uses no broadcast advertising whatsoever. With regard to Chap-ans. which grosses an estimated $3,000,000 a year, Gumbinner says: "We simply have no competitors. In the men's hand cream realm. Chap-ans is the big explorer." Chap Stick first began exploring its masculine market during World War II. when the Government asked it to turn out a palliative to aid G.I.'s cracked, chapped, and weather-dried lips. Its Chap Stick lip balm soon became part of aviators' kits and was used heavily by troops in Alaska. "The second world war did for Chap Stick what World War I did for the wrist watch," says Paul Gumbinner. "Men were no longer ashamed to use them." Right after the war. Chap Stick tinned to producing its lip balm for the consumer market. Since women arc apt to use their ordinary lipstick to protect their lips, it was decided to direct the selling to men, and, to some extent, to children. Advertising for the lip balm, though, was restricted to the printed media. Only in 1948, when the company began manufacturing Chap-ans, was it decided to push both products via radio. There were several reasons why Ad Manager Bond was prompted to let the Gumbinner Agency handle the account. First of all, it had experience in the drug trade, having guided Norwich Pharmacal Company through many an advertising crisis since 1930. Secondly, it knew its business about radio, having introduced the famous vaudeville team. Weber & Fields, to CBS for Webster Cigars as long ago as 1925. The decision proved sound. Lawrence Gumbinner, account supervisor, and Paul Gumbinner. account executive, assisted by Erwin A. Levine, planned to give both products a radio test debut in the New York market. To get the male ear, announcements were scheduled over WCBS, immediately after football games. These were then backed up by announcements over Jack Sterling's disk jockey show on WCBS. "The results were so darned good," says Paul Gumbinner. "that we knew radio was for us. And it was then we decided what broadcast formula we'd use — morning disk jockeys (to get the men before they go to work) and a few evening sports and news participations (between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., to get the men at the supper table.)" The company's wisdom in hopping into radio was confirmed next year, when it made a two-week sample offer over disk jockey shows on some 18 stations. "Again the results were extraordinarily good," says Paul Gumbinner. "The average inquiry cost us 12c — and in some cases as low as 3c. Home interviews conducted for us by Fact Finders Inc., and an analysis of the Nielsen Drug Index showed us that sales were very strong in those areas where we used radio. Besides, the company would get appreciative letters from druggists, saying, 'I see where disk jockey so-and-so is helping us sell your products. Keep up the good work. In buying announcements and participations over some 35 stations. Gumbinner is usually concerned with several points. His strategy runs something like this: 1. Use disk jockey shows with established audiences; shy away from the fledglings. 2. Try to buy into a platter-spinning show in which the d.j. has a relaxed, rather than high-pressure, style. Then give him complete freedom to adapt the copy to his style. 3. Use both large and medium sta 38 SPONSOR