695-1181 Makeover

"Dish it to Downing" gets more email about those "695-1181" commercials than any other single topic. But, there have been some changes made. The question is: will those changes be permanent? Nearly everyone knows this jingle and that's no accident. Bill Homewood, known only as "the satellite guy" to many in the community, says the approach was the same as used by your teacher when you learned your multiplication tables and your ABC's. "The key to education is repetition," said Homewood. "People learn things, and what I wanted to teach them is satellite is better than cable. How do you get satellite? Call our number."

Homewood is the first to admit that the commercials may have been played too much, though.

"People all the time ask me, "Bill, why do you play that commercial so much?,"" Homewood recalls. "The answer is because its successful and repetition is the key to learning."

Now, a new commercial is running. The number is still there and so, too is a small portion of the jingle. Gone however, is the satellite guy.

"It's one of the steps in our marketing strategy," says RPM Owner Steve Call. "This is a big deal with our commercials, but we're not gonna let the community down. We have a reason for what we're doing and we're not going to let the community down. We've done good with the community, we've grown with the community, we are the community."

So, have we seen the last of the satellite guy? Don't bet on it.

"I've been the satellite guy since 1995, and I don't see myself stopping," said Homewood. "I'm very good at those spots for some reason. I've been involved in the satellite business from the very beginning."

Still, it's hard to argue with success and both men say that you may see the commercials return someday.

"I don't think it's going away forever. I mean, why would it?" notes Homewood. "It's been so successful. A trend is your friend and if something works, you need to stay with it. I mean, if you don't you're crazy."

"I love it. You know, U get calls and there are kids singing our song at birthday parties. There are kids barely able to read, but they know our song," said Call. "Do you think that was effective?"

Steve Call said that in the months to come, RPM will be having a lot more product development going on.

Will the satellite guy be back?

Well, only time will tell....