Sponsor (Jan-June 1956)

allocate to avertising, and we're getting about three times the results of ordinary advertising for homes in the same price class." The saturation announcement drive on KRIZ has had a real payoff: Breen has been selling at least one $13,270 lor more) home per day. The "Super Six": If the airselling technique developed by KRIZ and Del Webb officials could be reduced to a single phrase, it might be this: "Look, ma, no script!" The construction firm this past summer had one of the heaviest schedules on the station — 48 participations weekly, costing about $1,000 a month and representing 75/V of the firm's ad budget — but none of it was done from prepared copy. General Manager Howard Loeb of KRIZ, a 24-hour independent, believes firmly in another approach, that of complete informality. The station has six announcers who are actually better classified as "air salesmen."" They work with "fact sheets." and ad-lib their live announcements. This is a blanket policy on the station. "As part of his job, each of our 'Super Six' salesmen is required to visit the place of business of our station clients, and to get thoroughly acquainted with the operation and personality of the business," Commercial Manager Sheldon Engel reports. "We don't have a single copywriter on our staff. Clients submit fact sheets and, after they've been briefed in a personal visit, our 'Super Six' salesmen ad-lib commercials from these client notes. Usually, they run about a minute. Some run a few seconds long. But our air salesmen don't hesitate to stop talking when they've had their say, even if it runs a little short. Advertisers don't complain about 'short commercials" because they're getting results." The stations sextet of air personalities holds daily meetings with Manager Loeb and Commercial Chief Engel. Current campaigns, such as the Del Webb drive, are discussed. Those not producing top results for advertisers are discussed and analyzed, and changed where necessary. From the station's standpoint, the approach has been highly successful. KRIZ gets the highest local rate of any of the 9 outlets in the area, and is talking about a radio rate increase. And the station's availabilities are virtually sold out. From the client's standpoint, as in the case of Del Webb's Camelback Village, the "no script" approach spelled a record pace in Phoenix real estate history — at a time when sales of homes should have taken a normal summer slump. Mew gimmick: KRIZ and the Del Webb executives built their radio approach around one of the slickest appliances to come from giant General Electric: a combination single unit that consists of an automatic range with oven, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, and garbage disposal unit, cabinets and sink — a $1,500 package. Breen heard about the new GE units, and ordered several scores of them, long before they had been officially introduced elsewhere. In Louisville. Ky., where General Electric has its Kitchen Center Divi sion, officials filled the order, and then started keeping a close eye on the Phoenix "pilot operation" to see how the new unit would catch on with the home-buying public. Breen had used KRIZ before to sell homes in other sections, and had found the station's informal approach highly successful. Thus it was that Breen met with KRIZ executives to hatch a selling campaign for Camelback Village. This was the plan worked out: 1. Del Webb would use a saturation drive on the station, spotted throughout the broadcast day in recorded music shows. Four dozen participations weekly were to be used. 2. A novel theme was worked out. The GE unit was to be known as "Heart of the Home." 3. In radio terms, the "Heart" idea was to be carried through with a special audio gimmick: the tape-re I Please turn to page 93) THIS STRATEGY SOLD HOUSES FOR PHOENIX BUILDER 1. Saturation drive set at 48 participations weekly. Novel theme built around kitchen unit (Heart of the Home) introduced to give campaign positive identity. 2. Impact-producing audio device selected. Taperecorded sound effect of heart beat used to open and close commercials to hypo "Heart of the Home" theme. 3. Station air salesmen toured builder's homes. Typical home buyers' questions answered to give commercial direction. Fact sheets were prepared for air salesmen. 4. Teaser barrage launched around heartbeat sound. Question "Where is the heart of the home?" asked behind sound. Selling tack switched after teaser campaign. 5. Commercial took final form with heartbeat, slogan (The Heart of a Home is in the Home with a Heart) and creation of fictitious character for further identification. 6. Great latitude given air salesmen in copy presentation. Individual approaches stressed. Outdoor display to link commercials to actual homes to guide visitors. 9 JANUARY 1956 35