P.D. 123 9 



have been an excellent investment. The advertising budget was made up by key 

 men in the different commodity groups, and the program consisted of certain sums 

 for exhibition of Massachusetts products at national events ; such as a poultry exhibit 

 at the Northeast Poultry Producers Council at Atlantic City, assistance in events 

 like the Nashobs Apple Blossom Festival, and other promotional work. 



The greatest expense was in a three-fold advertising program of : 



(o) Eleven hundred and seventy-six car cards in cars and busses in Greater 



Boston. This was accompanied by reprints of these very attractive car cards 



for store window displays. 



(b) One-minute radio spots on leading radio stations in the state, acquainting 

 consumers with the value of each commodity as it reached its peak of pro- 

 duction and low point in price. 



(c) Publication and dissemination of booklets on eggs, vegetables, and apples in 

 co-ordination with the car card and radio advertising. 



This advertising program showed definite results. The fact that early crops, such 

 as asparagus, dandelions, early spinach, and rhubarb were not advertised and brought 

 less money in 1940 than in 1939, seemed to show that the market was not too good. 

 The advertising program started in June, and such crops as corn, tomatoes, iceberg 

 lettuce, beans, and bunched carrots received the benefit of the program. They rallied, 

 and brought in the Boston Market over a half-million dollars more than in 1939. 

 This could not have been entirely a coincidence. 



Promotional JVork. — The Division of Markets, besides furnishing market reports, 

 furnishes five regular weekly radio features of five to ten minutes each, and is fre- 

 quently called on for additional broadcasts. 



The regular broadcasts include a vegetable marketing talk every Wednesday morn- 

 ing at 6:10 over WEEI, and a summary of growing and market conditions and crop 

 and sales prospects of apples over WEEI each Thursday at 6:10 a.m. 



Massachusetts is a leading consumer state, and always has been a leader in con- 

 sumer education. Every Thursday at 1 :30 p.m. our retail market investigator broad- 

 casts over WBZ on food values and the condition of the retail food market, and 

 conducts a special broadacst for farm women every Friday at 6:10 a.m. At 12:15 

 p.m. on Saturday there is a Colonial Network broadcast covering bargains of the 

 week, and featuring health and budget values of local products at their prime. 



By cooperation with the Department of Public Works and fruit and vegetable 

 growers, many promotional pictures of native products have been obtained without 

 expense, and have been widely used in newspapers, farm and grocery magazines. In 

 1940 literally millions of copies of pictures were published featuring the value of 

 native apples, squash, tomatoes, and a variety of commodities. Through the State 

 House News Service the newspapers have been most cooperative, and the news on 

 Massachusetts agriculture has appeared quickly and fully in the press. 



The division is really making a worthwhile contribution to the educational programs 

 of several radio stations, and in return the radio stations become of enormous adver- 

 tising value to Massachusetts agriculture and Massachusetts farm products. 



Public Relations Counsel. — Too frequently in the past farmers have assembled in 

 convention and made some very far-reaching decisions and proposed legislation without 

 much thought of the functions and difl^culties of the distributors or the attitude of 

 the consuming public. Grocers have not always been fully aware of the problems 

 of the producers, and. consumer groups have arisen who have had their own problems 

 only in mind. It has been the policy of the Division of Markets to familiarize each 

 group with the work of all factors in the food business, so that we may all work 

 for orderly marketing without overlapping, and without factional or vocational warfare. 



For the first time in the history of the National Association of Marketing Officials 

 their annual convention was held in the Hotel Bradford in Boston. The convention 

 was addressed by the Governor, and the group visited the Cape Cod cranberry bogs 

 and the old and new marketing facilities of the state. It was an opportunity to show 

 Massachusetts agriculture to a national group interested in agriculture, and also it 

 gave the representatives of large shipping states a first hand opportunity to visit 

 one of their best markets. 



