Sponsor (Jan-June 1953)

What can advertisers who are not in the multimillion dollar class do to meet rising television costs Mr. Mesnik THE PICKED PANEL ANSWERS Vim Stores sponsored the first package television show ever offered on WPIX. New York — a situation comedy starring Benny Rubin. This was about four years ago. Since then Vim has sponsored two major half-hour television shows presented during prime network hours on WNBT, New York. This campaign lasted approximately two years and cost Vim slightly less than one million dollars as a whole. Of course, since then production and time costs have climbed, so that it is impossible for a local sponsor to compete with the tremendous network productions now being televised. So rather than fight these Goliaths of television, you can join them by either sharing in local productions which invite participation, or else seek out strong spot availabilities adjacent to high-rated shows, thereby enabling you I the small TV advertiser ) to take advantage of the big TV advertiser's expenditure in this now very expensive advertising medium. It is the participation show which enables the frugal TV advertiser to take full advantage of obtaining maximum exposure of his product and name for the money which he wishes to invest in this ever growing medium of sight and sound. On the participation show, he can be kingpin at a time when the mammoth network shows are not competing and he has the opportunity of sharing in sponsorship of a "live" TV presentation, with definite benefits accruing. Also, his commercial is not "tagged on" but is rather an integrated part of the production. Usually the star of the show can be used to help deliver the sales "pitch," thereby lending his personality to what might otherwise be considered a cold commercial announcement. Leon Mesnik Advertising Manager Vim TV & Appliance Stores, N.Y.C. DuPont. with 80 advertising budgets, is hardly a small advertiser. But a duPont division, with a variety of products which in turn sub divide into individual promotions, can in that sense be a small advertiser. Rather than a big network operation suitable for the parent company, one particular division chose to concentrate the TV share of its budget on a seasonal campaign in selected markets on a spot basis. And like all advertisers, big or little, duPont is interested in getting the most for its advertising dollar. That "most" is measurable in a variety of ways. Advertising of a relatively new product, such as "Seven-ite" protective auto gloss, in a highly competitive market, has to count with the trade and car owner. There are relatively lew exclusive jobbers in automobile polishes, and many brands on the market. Dealers are constantly bein 2 solicited to take on this or that product, and their shelves bear testimony to the eloquence and persuasiveness of jobbers' and manufacturers' salesmen, and "missionaries." Mr. Scharps Now. although TV is no longer a thing to be tested as if it were an unknown quantity, to each new user of the medium it is an adventure into new ground. And so duPont Specialties selected 11 cities to try out a program with a combination of features, with future expansion indicated if the results appear to justify it. There are three angles to the promotion. First, a product which came off the production lines late last year, and is now being distributed in a number of markets all over the country, "Seven-ite" is what is known as a twostep automotive polish. That is to say, it is used in connection with a cleaner, if the finish of the car is weathered or dirty. With a new car, "Seven-ite" can be applied without preliminarycleaning. The advertising claims for the product supported by stop watch test, are: "Seven times faster than wax — Seven times easier to use." Second, polish for automobiles is basically a subject for spring advertising, and the season is necessarily brief. That indicates the use of spots. Furthermore, automobile products for the most part appeal to a man audience and that means Class A time pretty much. The 11 selected cities are big markets with high automobile registrations coast to coast. In them the best channels for minute and 20-second spots, as available, have been picked. Tied in with TV are newspaper announcements, because newspaper advertising lends itself to dealer listings and other tie-ups. I \ and newspaper programs appeal to the jobber, who is always influenced by localized activities in his home area. But as a third step, duPont adds an intensive sales operation. The duPont Specialties supervisor and his salesmen as a crew carry on an active program with the dealers in the respective job 60 SPONSOR