The talking machine world (July-Dec 1926)

26 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD September 15, 1926 Halloween Tie-Ups Created Radio Sales Dealers Can Increase Sales in Radio Departments by Intelligent Tie-ups With Forthcoming Holidays — Some Concrete Examples By W. B. Stoddard One of the metropolitan newspapers recenth said, editorially: "Radio as a craze or fad is over, but more people are buying radio sets than ever before." Radio has become standardized and people are having it installed just as they would a telephone or a phonograph, for the pleasure and convenience it offers. In traveling over the country this Summer I was more than ever impressed with the fruth of this statement. In hundreds, literally thousands, of homes there are now radio sets whose owners know no more about the construction of same than they do about the mechanism of their telephone. This I^ockford Hardware The newest and best for your every requirement is included in the Rockford Line of Hardware. A complete line — more than 300 items for pianos, phonographs and radio cabinets. For bettering cabinet work and cutting cost use Rockford Hard ware. Write today for samples of items you use, and catalog. Rational Jiock Co., HockfordJII. U. S.A. Cable Address — Natlock Branch Sales Offices : Chicago, 111^ Indianapolis, Ind. Cincinnati, Ohio Detroit, Mich. Evansville, Ind. Grand Rapids.Mich High Point, N.C. St. Louis, Mo. Jamestown, N. Y. Los Angeles, Calif. Milwaukee, Wis. Seattle, Wash. Sheboygan, Wis. is particularly true of women — who buy a radio set as they would a player-piano and when anything goes wrong expect a skilled mechanic from the firm from which they purchased to come and repair it, just as he would their phonograph. Dealers should recognize this fact and conduct a special sales campaign for the benefit of this large class, ignoring altogether the radio parts, but selling their customers a new and delightful form of entertainment. Just as phonographs are pushed for party entertainments radio should now be featured. The music companies themselves have seen the light and have been among the first to advertise the musical side of it. Effective Halloween Publicity Halloween is an excellent time to call these radio sets to the attention of the public, for in the lull of the games the voices snatched from the air will harmonize perfectly with the spooky atmosphere which characterizes All Saints' Eve. An excellent example of Halloween publicity was that of the Hancock Music Co., whose ad showed at the top a party listening to the strains of music on the radio, while outside could be seen witches, goblins, black cats, owls and bats. In a compact paragraph in the center, surrounded by plenty of white space, they made the following suggestion: New Way to Spend Halloween Eve Last year and for a number of years preceding perhaps, you attended a Halloween party and were amused by the games and sports of the past. This year make it A Radio Halloween and let a sparkling and amusing Halloween program entertain you and your guests. In order to visualize this new type of entertainment they arranged a window which showed an entire room set for a Halloween party. The walls were black and two long French windows were hung with curtains of orange silk. Through these windows could be seen a sweep of murky sky, with a yellow moon struggling through the clouds, black tree branches, a fence on which were black cats with bristling tails, and a witch on her broom. Betvveen the windows was a tall mantel with a cheerful fire in the grate, and overhead orange letters fastened to the wall to form the word "Radiolas." On a table was a Radiola set, while another was shown on the floor, both being tied with orange ribbons. A big floor lamp had a black and orange shade and the room was illumined with an orange glow. "Make It a Radio Halloween" The Wiley B. Allen Co., Los Angeles, called instant attention to its radio sets with a rather striking ad; Make It a Radio Halloween "Sorry, madam, but our musicians are all engaged for Halloween 1" Your plans are all made. Invitations are out. Pumpkin lanterns all made. Even the wax is ready to slick up the floor for the Halloween dance. Then the bottom drops out. The Musical Exchange is out of musicians. Was there ever a worse calamity? A Halloween party without music I That's where A Radio It Worth Its Weight in Gold It places the nation's best dance orchestras at your command — and singers, musicians, entertainers — artists you wouldn't dream of hiring. You Can Get One in Time for the Halloween Party The window backing up the printed ad had walls of yellow upon which were strips of orange and black paper, while a large orange half-moon had appliqued to it two black cats with green eyes. A tripod was formed of gnarled branches, from which hung a grinning jack o'lantern, while strips of orange and black paper ran to the four corners of the window. Long strips of orange paper, upon which were black owls, were laid across the floor, while paper hats, horns and bells, to give a carnival atmosphere, were strewn about. On a gilded easel was an orange card lettered in black, with a black witch in the corner, saying: "For a Merry Halloween Party." Two radio sets, upon one of which perched a black cat and on the other an owl, were shown at each side of the window. Phonograph-Radio Halloween Tie-up The Phonograph & Radio Shop, of Oakland, Cal., combined the two as features for Halloween entertainment in its large window. The black wall was hung with waterfalls of orange paper and in the center of the display was the cut-out figure of a witch four feet high, with long, skinny fingers, pointing to a phonograph on one side and a radio set on the other. A big orange card overhead had printed in black: WITCH Radio or Phonograph? In front of the witch was a big black cauldron, on which was painted in white "Come and we will demonstrate both." Cardboard pumpkins were set about and dance records were strewn over the floor. How Hobrechts Tied Up With the Holiday Hobrechts, Sacramento, Cal., had on the wall cards of gray and orange on which were painted black cats. A lamp with orange parchment shade had long streamers of black, and twisted streamers of orange and black paper extending to the four corners of the room. In one corner was a palm, and on a raised platform were two radio sets. Beside one of the sets was a loud speaker, with a black cat in the mouth of the horn. Standing behind the radio was a little fellow in carnival costume of black, white and orange, bearing a card suggesting "Entertain Your Halloween Guests With Radio." Several other radio sets were placed on the floor close to the glass, where they could be examined at close range. Effort of Persistent Sales Promotion Is Cumulative Here is a little true story with a moral. A certain dealer spent a year in building up a record business. He advertised and utilized all the other methods of publicity and sales promotion which experience had taught him would bring his record department up to a profitable basis. However, progress was slow and in two years, because of keen competition, the department was not making the money he thought it should. He determined to close out the record branch of his business, and accordingly he sold it to a dealer a block away, the clerk who had been connected with the record end of the business from the beginning changing positions and remaining with the record department. Two months after the department was sold business suddenly commenced to pick up and every month since a gain of 200 per cent to 400 per cent in record business over the same period the preceding year, when the first dealer was still the owner, has been enjoyed, according to the sales clerk. The first dealer had sold his record department just when the cumulative effect of his persistent promotion methods were about to return him a handsome profit. Columbia Ad Creates Sales Large advertisements in the Chicago Defender and the Baltimore Afro-Defender of the Columbia race record "Whip It to a Jelly," sung by Clara Smith, resulted in unusual sales of this recording.