ADVERTISERS’ PLIGHT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4627, 19 November 1923, Page 1

ADVERTISERS’ PLIGHT.

THE STRIKE IN NEW YORK. The sensational strike of the pressmen employed on the New York newspapers some little time ago has wrought untold havoc to advertisers, writes a New York contributor to the “ Press,” and the subsequent continued lack o£ advertising space, as a result of the strike, has been reflected in all branches of finance, commerce and industry. For the first time in the history of the country, people generally have begun tp learn that store advertising is looked upon by the shopping public as news, for immense space is paid for by the large departmental stores of New York. Department store heads, merchants and business men of all kinds state that business has been seriously hampered, and they expressed the fear that unemployment might become general from longer crippling of the medium of contact between merchant and buyer. “ The slump in business undoubtedly is due to our inability to advertise in the newspapers,” declared the head of one of the largest depar mental stores. “ The dearth of women shoppers at the height of the bargain season can be laid'to nothing other than the fact that New York is without newspapers.” The strike of newspaper pressmen compelled the New York newspapers to issue curtailed editions, groups of publishers issuing a joint print of but a few papers. Obviously that meant that all advertisements had to be limited. Stores, which used to take a page or a half-page, to tell of bargains and new styles, were now restricted to four or six inch announcements. In this, exigency all sorts of advertising schemes have been resorted to in an effort to attract the trade, but without result. It was demonstrated, as never before, how greatly the public, and especially women, are swayed into making decisions to buy merchandise through newspaper advertising. “ Most women,” a departmental manager said, “ don’t go out, aimlessly hunting bargains, like a man on a duck-hunting expedition. In many cases they are induced to start on shopping tours by our newspaper advertisements. With the newspaper advertisements moved there is np way of attracting them. Even the ultra fashionable Fifth Avenue shops have been seriously affected. “ Our clients are postponing their purchases until they see in the newspapers what they can buy,” one such stor.e owner said. All this indicates that advertisements appealing to women are just as necessary as the hear and home topics, the society column, what women shall wear, and other features of the newspapers. Printed circulars mailed to customers were tried in New York, but they did not have the drawing power of the customary advertisement, and, furthermore, mailing made the circulars prohibitive. Just as the New York newspapers were going to press at midnight the pressmen quit quietly from their posts after removing the plates without authority, and walked out, leaving the publishers helpless. There had been dissatisfaction among the ranks of the strikers, but it was not known that a walk-out was imminent.