Sponsor (Jan-June 1953)

variet) show Thursday evenings over i BS Radio I 10:00-10:30 p.m.). In conjunction with the program, Heidi was I" appear in local auditoriums throughout the countr) w ith a two-anda-half-hour version ol the radio show. In mid-June, this entourage will have given 165 performances before more than 130.000 persons in 145 communities in '>!'> states i plus shows in I oronto and Vancouver). Vltogether, the troupe will have traveled 28,000 miles. His local sponsors will have included such organizations as the American i egion, Lions Club. Shriners, Chamber ind various high schools, universities, hospitals, and charities. Here's a run-down of a typical merchandising operation in Flint, Mich., one of the cities Heidt & Co. visited recentl) . Heidi was to appear with hi American If ay program in Flint in midApril. The merchandising crew contacted regional chains beforehand, had them mail letters plugging the show to managers ol all local stores. The letters emphasized Heidt's nationwide work for charity, and the fact that winners ol the local talent test might be given the chance to appear on the i oast-to-coasl radio show . Thc\ ad vised -tore managers they'd be cashing in on the publicitj 1>\ tying in with the show through displays oi Luckies. The merchandising crew itself arrived a few days before show night. It contacted jobbers, regional chains. \t one of the largest Flint super market-. Hamad) Bros., a 50-case display was arranged. Displays were set up in 12 other Hamad) Bros, markets. Window banners for all markets were supplied b) the owner, who also bought newspaper ads plugging Luckies and t\ in« in with the show. In addition, the show got some free publicit) in the papers and over local radio stations \\ FDF, \\ TAC. and \\ BBC. Results? \ letter from Boh Hainady reports, ". . . through the efforts of . . . your merchandise crew, it was possible to double our Lucky Strike sales through your promotion and mass displays. I highly recommend other super markets to also tie in with your 'Horace Heidi for Luck) Strike Promotion,' for it is a great cigarette sales builder, and was shown great interest on the part of our customers." Horace Heidt. a veteran of 30 years' experience in -how business, has 22 years of touring and merchandising behind him. Past sponsors have included Stew art-Warner I for Alemite Oil), Tunis, and Philip Morris. The present traveling show costs approximately $14,000 a week in salaries and expenses (exclusive of time). Strong factors connected with sales strategy are usually responsible for buys by advertisers of a competitor's former talent. Arthur Godfrey on TV was signed by Snow Crop in 1952 despite the fact that he'd advertised Hi-V orange juice in 1950. However, this case differs somewhat from that of American Tobacco with Heidt, because Hi-V is a regional brand of pasteurized orange juice while Snow Crop puts out a frozen juice, nationally distributed. The American Tobacco Co. presumably bought The Frank Sinatra Shoiv over CBS Radio in 1947 because Sinatra had top drawing power at the time, despite the fact that he'd been on for Old Golds for two years previously. In cases where a popular personality identified with one product was bought to sell another non-competitive one, the tar's drawing power is also given as the prime reason for the buy. After a 10-year run for General Foods on NBC Radio (1934-'44), on behalf of Jell-0 and Grape Nuts, Jack Benny was signed immediately by American Tobacco to sell Lucky Strikes. Another old-timer among top radio shows. Amos 'n' Andy, has had as among its sponsors: Pepsodent 1 1929"37 i: Campbell Soup (1938-'43); Lever Bros. (1943-'50); and Rexall Drugs ( since 1951 I . * * * MEDIA EVALUATION {Continued from page 40) in Life to get national distribution for a food product over a one-year span. It worked, the media supervisor told SPONSOR, for "it achieved national penetration, got into every market, and was wel< (imed hv dealers. Then we went into radio and TV. But I can't honestly say that we couldn't have done the same thing with some other medium just as easily." \ cigar client of this agency used to use mainly newspapers, plus a few magazines, and is now spending all his budget in radio and TV. It's one of the Fastest-growing cigars in the business, 86 SPONSOR