In an era long before retail media networks became a dominant force in advertising, CBS Television Stations launched a groundbreaking initiative that positioned local TV as a high-impact, ROI-driven solution for retailers. Conceived and implemented by Jack Myers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the CBS F.I.R.S.T.™ Program, Framework for Insuring Retail Success with Television, offered a data-informed, creatively strategic, and results-oriented approach to local television marketing. With the industry now seeking innovative ways to recapture advertising dollars and elevate linear media’s relevance, the F.I.R.S.T. blueprint is more relevant than ever.
CBS F.I.R.S.T. wasn’t just another marketing tool; it was a transformation of mindset. In the face of tightening consumer spending and intensifying competition, the program asserted that retailers could no longer rely on share-of-voice alone. They needed “Targeted Frequency,” a tactic that emphasized repeated messaging in short bursts over sustained periods to maximize next-day sales. It was a novel approach that challenged traditional GRP-driven media planning, instead arguing for a campaign philosophy that matched the rhythms of retail traffic, promotions, and customer engagement windows.
Retailers like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, and John Wanamaker bought in. So did grocery giants like Waldbaum’s and mass retailers like Venture Stores and May & Company. Over five years, more than $40 million in incremental advertising revenue was generated by Jack Myers and the CBS Station teams, driven by campaigns that focused not on reach alone but on market and classification dominance.
In materials developed by CBS and Myers at the time, the vision was clear: “You’ll have to capture a market segment and totally dominate it.” That meant owning the message, the creative, the schedule, and ultimately the customer’s attention, well before ‘retail media’ became a buzzword and category.
The CBS F.I.R.S.T. program was built on five foundational pillars that remain strikingly contemporary:
1. Strategic Targeting Over Tonnage:
Rather than focusing solely on gross rating points (GRPs), F.I.R.S.T. introduced a Targeted Frequency model, optimizing exposure within specific short-term sales windows. Retailers could leverage concentrated message bursts across key programs most likely to reach high-conversion audiences.
2. Retailer Partnership and Custom Planning:
CBS didn’t offer cookie-cutter schedules. The program was built on deep retailer collaboration, customizing creative, selecting formats, and aligning schedules to store-level promotions. Television stations became strategic partners, not just media vendors.
3. Creative That Sells:
The F.I.R.S.T. guidelines outlined the ideal length, tone, and structure of retail spots: 30-second ads for top-of-mind recall, 60-second spots for brand-building, and 10-second reminders to close the sale. Creative was designed not only for awareness but for action - immediate store visits and measurable response.
4. Measurement Tools and Accountability:
F.I.R.S.T. included the Consumer Response Index™ (CRI) and a Media Mix Evaluative Research Program, advanced for their time. These tools estimated the effectiveness of different creative and media combinations, offering advertisers clear direction and data-backed justification for spend.
5. Category and Competitive Intelligence:
By providing CBS stations with insights into competing retailers' strategies, the program allowed clients to respond quickly and aggressively, shaping their own dominance strategies based on local market dynamics.
What made CBS F.I.R.S.T. truly visionary was not just its structure; it was its purpose. It anticipated today’s retail media movement by decades, aligning content, commerce, and data. In many ways, it laid the groundwork for local television stations to play the role of modern-day retail media networks, offering retailer-specific ad tools, consumer targeting, data insights, and outcome-based pricing models.
Even more forward-thinking was Myers’ expansion of F.I.R.S.T. into the CBS Infomarketing Program, which ushered fashion retailers into television advertising for the first time. With clients like Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, Sassoon, and Murjani Inc. leading the designer jeans boom, Myers helped reposition local TV as a platform not just for promotion -- but for brand storytelling and trend creation.
Fast forward to 2025, and retail media networks are the hottest topic in advertising. Retailers are now content creators, data companies, and media sellers. But local broadcasters, especially those with linear reach and digital extensions are well-positioned to compete. They have the infrastructure, creative know-how, audience trust, and, if they adopt F.I.R.S.T.-like models, a roadmap to offer retail clients something they desperately need: measurable results with emotional impact.
For today’s TV station groups, revisiting and reimagining F.I.R.S.T. offers a tactical and strategic opportunity. The lessons remain timeless: dominate the customer’s mind, focus on high-frequency exposure within key timeframes, and partner deeply with advertisers to drive sales, not just awareness.
In an age of automated buys, siloed data, and fragmented attention, CBS F.I.R.S.T. reminds us that advertising is still about human behavior. Attention is earned, not bought in bulk. Relevance comes from repetition. And success is built on partnership and performance.
As local TV looks to reclaim its role in the media mix, the original F.I.R.S.T. Program stands as a compelling “back-to-the-future” playbook, offering a time-tested model to connect retail dollars with tangible outcomes. The format may evolve, but the philosophy - dominate the moment, drive the sale, measure the impact - has never been more urgent.
To explore a modern adaptation of the CBS F.I.R.S.T. Program and its alignment with current retail media network strategies, visit.