Reindeer, stagecoach rides, ice-cream, airplanes, helicopters, radio and newspaper advertisements were all items found in the bag of tools Harold Shipp employed to sell and promote Applewood Acres over the years.
He had a recipe for sprouting ‘sold signs’ and the proof was certainly in the pudding. One of his promotional campaigns resulted in the sale of 135 houses in a seven-day period, with some 50 homes being sold on the weekend alone. Harold Shipp was the consummate salesman. When he sat down with Howard Wilson of McKim Advertising Ltd. of Toronto, the pair developed a marketing plan to sell Applewood Acres such as had never been seen before.
The plan consisted of inserting full-page advertisements in the three Toronto daily newspapers on Saturday (May 10, 1952), and running one-minute radio commercials all weekend on a Toronto radio station. In addition, they arranged advertising support from suppliers and sub-contractors, which ran in the newspapers in conjunction with the Shipp ads. A helicopter towing a banner “Visit Applewood Acres” was flown high over Toronto May 9 and 10 for two hours each day.
This advertising produced publicity ranging from an article and pictures in one Toronto paper to a wire-service release across Canada and a mention on the CBC Radio Canada newscast. On site, customers were treated to free ice cream courtesy of Borden’s, more than two truckloads in all.
The entire campaign proved to be an outstanding success. It had been carefully thought out and, anticipating the response, they knew it would be impossible for the sales people in the model homes to try and explain all the features and details to the public. A giant tent was set up and inside the area was divided into booths along the lines of a trade-show. Various sub-contractors and suppliers erected their own displays.
The tent performed two functions. It assured a steady flow of traffic through the model homes and provided more direct and comprehensive information to the potential buyers. A pretty girl was placed in each model home to keep traffic flowing, answer general questions and hand out more than 20,000 brochures.
Some 16 men and women acted as sales staff, mingling with the crowd and making as many contacts as possible. If a sale was anticipated, the salesman directed the prospect to the office where Mr. Shipp finalized the deal. When the 500th home was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Utting, William Pope, Applewood Acres’ General Manager, presented the family with a bouquet of roses, and of course, the news media was on hand to snap the picture. First year purchasers were presented with flowers on the following Mother’s Day, the actual anniversary of the start of sales in Applewood. Also, in keeping with that appreciative touch, the Shipps delivered plants at Christmas to those first buyers.
A sales pavilion was the first stop for customers.