U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

NATIONWIDE RADIO Conti?iued from page 39 ( ire illation magazines and passed out window streamers, bumper strips, direct mail letters, promotional discs, and book matches to all its agents. Television also was used in 17 areas that contained a high ratio of agents. Nationwide, with 6,000 agents in the 29 states, is one of country's largest multi-line insurance companies. Car insurance is only one of the many types of coverage that the ( ompany offers. By 1963, according to Kelley, the company's rate ol expansion — which has been rising steadily in the last 10 years— should make it literally a nationwide organization. Nationwide is not a complete stranger to radio. Two years ago, it sponsored an Edward R. M in row documentary program, Hidden Revolution, which captured a Peabody award, and dm ing its drives into new states about 20 per cent of the advertisering money finds its way into 1 ;ulio. It has never, however, run a radio campaign that covered as much ground — or air — as the one this summer. What about the future? \\ ill radio continue to play a role in Nationwide advertising? Hal Graves says the answer is a definite "yes." "Next year radio may well be one of Nationwide's prime ( ai t iers." Although the success of the campaign is subject to the final sales figures, Graves said that "the initial reaction has been surprisingly good." "The company received a immediate response from both the public and its own field forces. It all points to radio as an effective and efficient selling medium." Although the advertising plans for the near future are still in the planning stage, Graves believes that this type of campaign could be a "forerunner of what will be used in the future." Nationwide still will continue to employ various forms of media, but Graves thinks it will move more and more toward the direction of radio. "Radio has provided us with a dramatic change of pace and it should receive an increasingly larger share of the ad budget in the future," he said. ■ SO YOU WANT TO SURVIVE we will still have to check out every spot. OP)\l would never allow automatic make-goods by a station because sometimes we may want makegoods, other times we may not. On the other hand, we are not interested in an automatic rebate for a missed spot because we may not earn the first bought rate." \h ( iiinii Ki ic kson's assistant controller, Earle Bengsten, approves of the plan as a "step in the right direction." He notes that "at the present time each media section here is dealing with many reps in lining up confirmations of schedules. Everyone li.is a different style form. By working with standard forms the confirmation serves as billing to the agency and saves considerable time." One problem that such a system would raise, he says, is: "If you do not have all stations conforming to the practice, you are ridding yourself of only a portion of the problem." Bengsten would also like to know what such a system would cost the agen< j William G. Carmody, secretary and assistant treasurer, Geyer, Morey, Madden & Ballard Inc., an agency that has pioneered with the "sight draft" system of paying stations, calls the BCH proposals "very good. They seem to be very complete. The advantages to our agency would be 1) standardization of forms, 2) speeding up of payments and 3) getting detailed paper work out of the shop." Disadvantages to the agency, he says, would be that the system would be costly if there were frequent schedule changes, as well as the problem of arranging make-goods. Foote, Cone Sc Belding Inc.'s Ed Barz, coordinator of media services, says that the idea sounds like a good, practical one "if it really works." He thinks it might save everyone money and is anxious to know wThat stations and reps think of the plan. Jack Boyd, manager of data processing for Benton & Bowles Inc., thinks the plan is an "ideal, logical approach" to a problem common to the industry. Another agency that is not sure central billing would do much to solve agency paperwork is Ted Bates 8c Co. "We benefit from anything, THE SPOT PAPER JUNGLE! Continued from page 57 naturally, that improves things on the other side of the fence, but we will still have to follow up rebates and adjustments as we did before. Confirmation may even be slower with an additional agent in the transaction, unless it can be speeded up in some way." The question most prominent in agency accounting circles regards the efficiency of the plan concerning make-goods. Under the BCH plan, the confirmation order which initiates the transaction and authorizes the clearing house to proceed with billing offers the agency the choice of either giving the station power to run make-goods automatically or leave the make-good arrangements to the discretion of the agency. Some agenices feel that if they do not authorize make-goods by the station; but re-negotiate for them with the station and the rep, any speed gained in billing will be lost. BCH's Mehlig says that his organization will leave the make-good ironing-out to the agencies and reps. Thus, he admits, the make-good negotiations will continue as they are presently handled. But he is certain that both stations and agencies, aware that the bill is in a stage of swift processing, will psychologically want to hasten the makegood agreement. The economic savings evident in the central clearing agency concept are clear: lower costs thus increased profits through saving in paper, time, people and space. The psychological savings are clear, too, if the system will alleviate arguments, misunderstandings and lengthy negotiations between agency and station. Ultimately and most important, if the central clearing house concept becomes a working, practical reality, national spot radio's gross billings will take a giant step forward. Such a step could only produce more profit for all concerned— agency, advertiser, station, representative. ■ Free to WRITERS seeking a book publisher Two fact-filled, illustrated brochures tell how to publish your book, get 40% royalties, national advertising, publicity and promotion. Free editorial appraisal. Write Dept. R-9 Exposition Press, 386 Park Ave. S., N.Y. 16. N Y 58 U. S. RADIO/ September 1961