Sponsor (July-Dec 1953)

round-up ager the objectives of your advertising campaign. Have a cooperative spirit. Either advertiser or agency should send the station manager a memo explaining the purpose of the campaign, whom the sponsor wants to reach with his message; in other words, all the information pertinent to the sponsor's strategy. If the station manager is so equipped with information, he will he able to add his knowledge of the local market to putting the campaign over. His knowledge of the listening habits in his area, of the programing preferences, the shopping tastes of the people are apt to be a great deal more personal than information derived solely out of market research. Todd Storz, general manager of KOWH, Omaha, Neb., feels that all too often the agency's or advertiser's attitude towards independents, far from being cooperative, can be summed up like this: "All independent stations are dogs. We don't buy independent stations unless we can get a 'deal.' Our client automatically buys a 50,000 watt station whenever available because 50,000 watts is the highest power authorized by the FCC and is always the best. We don't usualK buy independent stations, but in this case we're making an exception. Incidentally, please have your salesmen report to us daily on the results of their calls on the 348 drug stores listed on the attached list." Bill Simpson of KOL, Seattle, Wash, says: "The average radio station is more anxious today than ever before to produce maximum results for every dollar spent. Most independent operators are sincerel) interested in working closeh with the account. If a national advertiser were to ask the local station management's advice on how to use their facilities most effectively, the station would 'break its back' to make sound recommendations, tailored to that specific account's problems." WXLW, Indianapolis, had this advice: "Listen to local and regional sales managers and get their station preferences. Buy saturation promotion if your problem is to move merchandise immediately. . . . WXLW listeners are not just program listeners — they are listeners to the station turning their sets on in the morning and leaving them on all day. . . . Take the management of independent stations into \our confidence. They know the market — they know the unique selling impact of station operation and will sincerely advise and assist in achieving maximum selling power for the client involved. Determine the extent of merchandising cooperation that can be made readily available to the support of any promotion campaign." CKNW, New Westminster, B.C., also stressed merchandising heavily in advising a close tie between station management and sponsor: "Maintain constant liaison between account executives at agencies and/or advertisers' local representatives with station staff. Give local agencies or local branch outlet leeway in keeping radio campaign flexible to meet local conditions. Help station's merchandising department with ideas, and supply station with display material for the product advertised. Send along information about the campaign to all advertisers outlets, wholesale and retail." 3. Tell the station the names of local distributors or other sales representatives. Frequently, the independent station will go out of its way to work hand in hand with the sponsor's local sales forces. Here, for example, are some of the extra services provided Many indies stress cooperation with retailer outlets, supply in-store displays, point-of-sale merchandising posters, such as CKNW, New West minster, permanent grocery display (left), CKY "Chain Action Merchandising" in Manitoba (center), KOL, Seattle, shelf displays (right) 44 SPONSOR