Category: Viewers and advertising
GOING DOWN! The cost of reaching them
Average cost per 1,000 homes for a 30-second commercial at peak time (7.30p.m. – 10.30p.m.)
Average cost per 1,000 homes for a 30-second commercial AFTER peak time (Oct. 1959)
All statistics concerning viewers and costs per thousand are based on information supplied by Television Audience Measurement Ltd.
Advertising – a successful first year
Southern Television has a coverage of 52% of homes in the Southern I.T.V. area, and 1,425,000 viewers. Every kind of product shown on T.V. in Britain has at some time been carried by Southern and, for a period of several weeks, more commercial seconds of advertising in total were transmitted than in any other area!
Among the many good reasons for this success story is the company’s policy of making commercial television a thoroughly practical form of marketing for those products and services wishing to expand or introduce business in the South. Southern Television believes in providing a service which makes sense financially in the final analysis of profit and loss for a given product. An indication of this policy is shown in the Southern rate card which came into effect on 12th September, 1959, and showed an over-all reduction of almost 10 per cent.
BONUS COVERAGE
It is also part of Southern Television’s policy to wait for at least three months after its opening before making a charge for the important new coverage in the South East area which will be gained by the Dover Transmitter. It is thought to be only fair to wait until the true value of Dover in terms of set coverage is known before the additional rate for this area is set. So, a completely new area opens up as a BONUS to all users of Southern Television!
VALUABLE TEST AREA
The value of the South as a test area is now well known to many big and small advertisers. Research has shown that the population in the South of England has plenty of money to spend and a way of life which encourages experiments in buying. The amount of money spent per head on certain products and services far exceeds the national average. And being so close to London, the characteristics of the area are very similar to the most important marketing centre in the country. This is why Southern Television enjoys a large test market business. Advertisers can learn so much at such a reasonable cost.
The success we have enjoyed in our first year is, we believe, a reflection of the benefit brought to advertisers by Southern Television coverage — and of our policy to maintain the high value of our air time in every classification.
SOUTHERN TELEVISION and SOUTHERN VIEWERS
Southern’s relations with its viewers must be as close as possible if the station is to be truly regional.
Probably nothing can do so much to this end as the Outside Broadcast Unit—going everywhere, being seen by everybody, getting people to participate in their television service.
People who appear regularly on the screen are in constant demand for opening fetes, judging beauty contests, talking to clubs and signing autographs. All these requests are carefully considered, and complied with whenever possible. It is always worthwhile to let people see their television favourites in the flesh.
No letter from a viewer, praising, criticising, or asking for information, goes unanswered.
Another facet of public relations is organising audiences for lunchtime shows. There is a growing waiting list of clubs, women’s institutes and other organisations all over the South. It is all part of the job of making people feel that Southern Television is their station.
1 Jim Dale and Janie Marden with some of the audience at the Lunchtime show, “Take it easy”.
2 Meryl O’Keeffe, one of the four station announcers, making a persona! appearance at a local speedway track.
