This Food Non-Fiction podcast episode reveals the creation of Betty Crocker. In 1921, the Washburn-Crosby (now General Mills), created a non-existent employee named "Betty Crocker" who was "chief of correspondence". All customer inquiries about domestic matters were responded to immediately in personal letters signed by Betty Crocker. People loved her. Betty's replies were always prompt and informative. She not only taught people cooking and cleaning techniques, but she also guided women in how to keep happy relationships. Eventually, Betty Crocker's voice was heard on the radio. Washburn-Crosby Company bought a failing radio station and renamed it WCCO. Betty Crocker hosted a cooking radio show that has graduated over a million students.
References:
Article: "Home Cooking: Betty Crocker and Womanhood in Early Twentieth-Century America"
MN90: WCCO - How Betty Crocker Became a Good Neighbor
MN90: The Invention of Betty Crocker
Article: The Radio Made Betty (by Sarah Murray)
Book: Finding Betty Crocker (by Susan Marks)