BRITISH GOODS

Evening Star, Issue 19792, 16 February 1928, Page 9

BRITISH GOODS

MUST BE BRANDED AND ADVERTISED In the course of a recent address, Mr E. H. Cooper, managing director of the Autostrop Company, stated: — Five years ago, when 1 wont round Australia and New Zealand, it was universally reported to me by the merchants of thoso countries that dm ing the years 1917, 1918, and 1919, when British manufacturers could not ml their customary orders, these merchants were obliged to find substitutes for British goods in America and Japan. In the years 1920 and LEI, British goods came largely into their own again. Such is the value or a goodwill, and everywhere I went 1 found thjdfc however our capital at Home might have been impaired hy tho sale of foreign securities, our giealest capital, our goodwill, was intact. . But during that interregnum ot three or four years the American goods in particular Had left their impress on the market, not through any superiority of product, but solelj through superiority of sales methods. AMERICAN HATS. Let me take a specific case. .1 was told in New Zealand that almost all the hats imported into New Zealand before the war were hats of Bntisn manufacture, but during this interregnum the hat shops of New Zealand had to have American hats, not being able to fill their ordinary requirements from British factories. Obtaining an entree into the market, the American manufacturers commenced an advertising programme and campaign, and. immediately made the name or their product familiar to the New Zealand people, so that when the British manufacturers could supply they found themselves faced with a new situation —that while the Now Zealand people still wanted a British product they were more familiar with the individual brand of the American product than they were with that of the British maker, and T was told that until the Britisher supported his initial goodwill with advertising campaigns that familiarised the New Zealand peop e with his individual brand, he could not hope to obtain the volume of trade that he was justified in securing through the sympathy of the New Zealand consumer. It is surely not my duty here to advocate advertising or dwell upon its importance in sales efforts. It xequires great courage when we embark on it. We are given a little slip or paper by the advertising agent, who tolls us simply as a matter of detail that we will have to find £5,000, or £IO,OOO, or £50,000 out c< petty cash. So far as results from that expenditure are concerned wo are certain only of this—that we shall in due time receive an invoice that reouires payment. But if we examine further we may be sure also (in most lines, at least) that if wo do not advertise we shall be beaten by the competitor who does. 1 admit that advertising adds nothing to the intrinsic value of goods Irom a manufacturer’s point of view. “'it intrinsic value is not the same Bom a public point of view as that of the dealer. Human nature is such that a purchaser gives preference to the article that is advertised over Hie one that is not advertised. He feels that it must have move virtue, and ho is more certain of standard quality if the manufacturer has the courage to spend money on telling the world about it. And so if we are going to hold our goodwill in the export markets, including the dominions, we must brand our goods and advertise them locally. It is not sufficient that they should be known as British goods; they must be known by the name of their brand, and in addition “ Made in Britain. Utlicrwise manufacturers may find themselves in the position of the Empire Marketing Board at the present time. They are advertising Empire produce to the British public, hut it is my experience that if one asks, lor instance, whether the fruit with which one is seived is British, the reply universally is that there is nothing to indicate on the goods in the shop whether they are British or not. I believe the Empire Marketing Board calls this “want or identification,” and 1 do hope they will be able to lead the way in this matter by arranging for the branding of overseas products, so that the British housewife may know when choosing her purchases whether or not she is acting up to the inculcations contained in the advertisements of the Empire Marketing Board. A very valuable lesson has been given in this respect hy the orange growers of California, who have a co-operative organisation for the standardising, branding, and advertising of their oranges. «