U. S. Radio (Oct 1957-Dec 1958)

"Keeping in mind that it takes a mucli more unusual message to gain attention these days because times, audiences and listening habits have changed," says Milton Guttenplan, agency vice president and account supervisor, "we have developed new techniques for our commercials. "We don't believe in gimmicks for their oAvn sake, however. .\nv device should lend itself immediately as a vehicle for telling the commercial storv." New Series The new series of commercials feature "entertaining dialogue" based on "ring the bell" situations. The sound of a bell replaces the word, and the type of bell — telephone, door, typewriter, dinner, school, or the one you ring to signal a bus driver — sets up the situation. Dialogue follows and the jingle finishes up. "The techniques used here," says Mr. Guttenplan, "have their origin in those developed during the period when soap opera was in its heyday. We have merely taken advantage of the many dimensions available in radio." One problem facing a "family shoe store," according to Mr. Guttenplan, is that it must reach all members of the household. Another is that National's stores are located in downtown sections, in suburbs and on highways. "Radio has the flexibilitv needed," states Mr. Guttenplan, "for National Shoes' policy of serving customers wherever they may be. This is especially pertinent in regard to the highway stores now opening. And radio stations, even more than printed media, have kept pace with the movement to suburbia. "As to reaching all members of the family, our messages arc directed at women and mothers in the uiorning, at men and young men adjacent to news programs, at teenagers on their favorite disc jockey shows, and so on. "Radio also affords us the flexibility of taking into consideration customer buying habits in an area," Mr. Guttenplan continues. "It gives us the advantage of running messages according to weather, season and local conditions." Media Testing National has a s|>ecial method of media testing which it employs each fall. It is a special discoimt offer made "to listeners to this program." Listeners are asked to write to National, giving their name and the time and station. In return they receive a 15 percent discount certificate. "It's amazing the information that these tests reveal — qualitative and quantitative," declares Mr. Guttenplan. "Not only do we get a comparison of stations but we are able, through the structure of the tests, to compare spots and programs within a station's own schedule." The tests results are also used to evaluate the effectiveness of the commercials, taking into consideration the conversion factors of certificates into sales. And timebuyers are aided by a correlation of radio time and numl)er of customers, and by an area coverage map indicating which stores are helped most by the messages. Stations Welcome Tests "We feel this is as exact as you can get in measuring which station is doing the best job," says Mr. Guttenplan. "And we find that stations welcome the tests because most feel that mutuality of interest between stations and advertisers is more than just a lij>service term, and that stations can only prosper to the extent that their advertisers prosper." The Mogul people have only one complaint against radio. There are a few station managers, they say, who will occasionally feel that demand is the sole factor in determining rates. For the most part, however. National and its agency have nothing but praise for "the medium to which we owe a great deal of our success." "The flexibility of radio is its greatest feature," Mr. Fried notes. "Stations have been educated to meeting the requirements of the advertiser in so far as frequency of the schedule is concerned: giving a peak schedule in season and cutting back at other times. Many station managers have learned to see-saw sched 30 U. S. RADIO May 1958