Sponsor (Sept-Dec 1958)

lire's what revision means save such an advertiser a dollar expenditure running to six figures, which is what it now spends for cut-ins within those markets where it now has no distribution for the product line it advertises nationally. Thus the dropping of "must buy" could be a big spur to the large national advertisers whose distribution is really regional. Among these are multi-brand food manufacturers, oil and gasoline sponsors, beers and soft drinks, dairies and ice creams, clothing and textiles. It is strange in a way that tv is just about the only medium plagued by this special situation. Back in 1956, Dr. Frank Stanton, president of CBS, before the Antitrust Subcommittee hearings, expressed it: "It is no more sensible to permit an advertiser who wants to use network television to choose a few scattered markets and reject a substantial part of the network than it is to say that an advertiser who buys space in Life or Saturday Evening Post must be permitted to reject the advertisement in those copies of the magazine distributed in Los Angeles, Louisville or Kalamazoo. "To let an advertiser," Stanton continued, "pick and choose a few scattered stations would make network operations, geared for activity on a far larger scale, uneconomic." A client advertising executive voiced this same opinion to sponsor. "We never think much about our distribution problems when we buy magazine media, but somehow with tv it has become important. Maybe it's because of tv"s impact on the audience. At any rate, we've tried advertising on network "must buy" line ups products which are not sold in some of the markets. The results have been in one way an encouraging testimonial for tv, in another way, a terrific headache. Stations in those markets have reported their phone switchboards lit up like a Christmas tree from viewers who couldn't find the advertised product in the stores. Retailers and distributors in those areas have been beleaguered, and at our home office we're gotten all kinds of mail. Rather than put up with this, we've resorted to expensive cutins." {Please turn to page 63) AGENCY -ADVERTISER REACTIONS ALTERNATE SPONSORS: "What happens to alternate tv sponsors who have tvorked out a mutually satisfactory station lineup based on network "must buy" requirements — and their cross-plugs? Since cross-plugs, which have become so valuable, are a station-bystation-bonus, what about the case where sponsors don't agree on markets that up until now have been picked for them by the net?" RESPONSIBIUTY: "This move by CBS TV actually takes the burden of performance from the network and places it on both individual affiliate stations and on the agencies and advertisers. Stations must prove they deserve to be in our lineup; we, in turn, can no longer justify a weak market because the net forced us to buy it." EARTHSHAKING? "It probably will make very little difference in station lists when advertisers start building their own networks. With few exceptions they'll be buying about the same CBS stations." CLEARANCES: "Under 'must buy' there was never a problem with clearances ; now we may be faced with the clearing problem." FLEXIBILITY: "We welcome any move that makes network more flexible in tailoring a station pattern to meet our client's marketing objectives — with the obvious qualification that such a change does not penalize the advertiser in terms of discount structure or in increased total dollar requirement for discounts." TREND? "Let's hope it sets a trend. I've always considered 'must buy' as antiquated. I don't see how NBC TV can avoid following." SPOT TV: "We've got areas in our present network buys that we don't think are delivering what they should. If 'must buy' is dropped, we might welcome the chance to go into such regions with a spot campaign instead; we try to stay with the same medium." MORE ON SPOT: "/ don't see where CBS TV dropping its 'must buy' ivill have any effect on spot business. The net will undoubtedly still call for a 'satisfactory' buy before delivering a lineup, and the chances of an advertiser saying, 'I want everything but the Northeast and the Southwest' ivill hardly qualify them for a show." CUT-INS: "At present, we're spending in six figures for local cutins in those markets where we have no distribution for the product we advertise nationally on network tv. If we can spend our money in the markets where it should be spent, it should save us money. Thegreatest effect of the CBS move will be upon the strategy of advertisers who have areas of no distribution." 13 DECEMBER 1958