Robert Sandelman, Sales Promotion Pioneer, Dies At 81
Wall Street Journal, Friday, September 18, 2009 10:45 AM
Robert M. Sandelman, a sales promotion giant and pioneer in cross merchandising -- in one 1987 promotion, children redeemed box-tops from Cheerios cereal in return for free trips aboard a Trailways bus (if accompanied by parents at full fare) -- died earlier this week at 81. Stephen Miller writes that he was "a barker standing at the corner where companies and customers meet."
In one of Sandelman's promotions, boxtops could be redeemed for canine haberdashery he dubbed "bonedanas." In 1989, he put magicians in Sloan's supermarkets in New York City. "Imagine people laughing and applauding while they're waiting in line," Sandelman said. He also conceived of a campaign to convince restaurateurs to abandon the practice of presenting customers with a free glass of unasked-for water. "The excuse was to save water during a drought," Miller recounts. "His client was the United States Brewers Association."
A native of The Bronx and graduate of Taft High School, Sandelman played clarinet in a swing band with fellow students Stanley Kubrick on drums and Eydie Gormé on vocals. He then studied marketing at NYU and opened Robert Brian Associates Inc. in 1954. Some say it was the first pure sales promotion agency.
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In one of Sandelman's promotions, boxtops could be redeemed for canine haberdashery he dubbed "bonedanas." In 1989, he put magicians in Sloan's supermarkets in New York City. "Imagine people laughing and applauding while they're waiting in line," Sandelman said. He also conceived of a campaign to convince restaurateurs to abandon the practice of presenting customers with a free glass of unasked-for water. "The excuse was to save water during a drought," Miller recounts. "His client was the United States Brewers Association."
A native of The Bronx and graduate of Taft High School, Sandelman played clarinet in a swing band with fellow students Stanley Kubrick on drums and Eydie Gormé on vocals. He then studied marketing at NYU and opened Robert Brian Associates Inc. in 1954. Some say it was the first pure sales promotion agency.
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