Betty Crocker

By the 1920s there were well-developed advertising vehicles to reach the women’s market. When General Mills ran an ad in national magazines with a puzzle for its Gold Medal brand flour in 1921, the contest generated thousands of responses, many of which included questions on food preparation. Since the company could not personally respond to every letter, it decided to send recipes collected from its employees and sign them with the friendly but fictitious name of Betty Crocker. Betty Crocker served as a valuable persona. Actresses representing her ran regional cooking schools and, beginning in 1924, regional radio programs. See betty crocker.