DOES IT PAY TO ADVERTISE?.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1847, 2 July 1918, Page 1

DOES IT PAY TO ADVERTISE?.

THE PURPOSES AND RESULTS OF ADVERTISING.

(By Frank Goldberg, managing Director of the Goldberg Advertising A gene v, Ltd., Wellington, N.Z.) '

There are a great many business men who take up advertising—who knows why? —but .judging from their efforts, without any definite reason or purpose, and with the most absurd expectations from it imaginable. Why do they advertise? Wc wish we could ask every advertiser that question individually. There are many who do not know why they advertise, except it is that their competitor does so, and the newspaper man has persuaded them to take some space in the same paper. They have a dim. idea that it is expected of them, that it is the proper thing to do —in much the same way that people subscribe to church or political funds. They look upon it as a polite “hold-up,” which will do them a questionable amount of good —eventually, but not in the near future. They never look at the question from the rational standpoint of a business investment —wise, if done rightly and consistently; unwise if done badly. To their minds it is an expense that must be put up with and borne with true Christian resignation, an expense they cannot very well get out of; because they are between the devil and the deep blue see —the devil being the advertisement canvasser of the local paper, and the deep blue sea being their competitor’s ambitions which makes him advertise. Let it lie said that these men do not expect any immediate benefit from their advertisements. There are others who think that advertising is; something miraculous — press (lie button, and the advertisement docs the rest —buy newspaper space, let your name appear, and the eager crowd of buyers will flock to your, shop, anxious to gxfdmnge.. their hard-earned gold for some commodity of everyday use —and if a single advertisement fails to have, this effect they quickly lose their faith in advertising. Those two extremes of people exist, because wc have met them; but between the two extremes there are many hard-beaded business men who hesitate to advertise, and stranger still, hesitate to do it well. Are you one, brother? No! gentlemen; advertising is neither miraculous nor useless —it is one of the wisest investments you ean make in your business, and it is the purpose, of these articles to prove to you its necessity! its wisdom, and the sure returns it brings to YOU.

Advertising is a selling force. The purpose of your advertising is to sell something. Simple and selfevident as this may be, it is ofttimes forgotten even by experienced advertisers, judging by their advertisements, and is commonly overlooked by beginners. The result desired and expected, then, is an immediate increase in the sales of the article or articles advertised.

In retail advertising, where the advertising is directed to those in the immediate vicinity, and where the articles are ready for delivery over the counter there should be an increase in the sales of the articles as soon as the regular customers ean conveniently reach the shop—provided, of course, that the advertising has been well done and the prices are right. It is also probable that some who are not regular customers will be attracted by the offer made in the advertisement.

Thus the advertising increases the immediate sales of the article or articles advertised, in two ways: (1) by stimulating the trade of regular customers, and (2) by bringing new customers into the shop. And it is generally the case that these customers buy something else while in the shop. To bring a new customer into your shop is a great opportunity which only too few retailers take proper advantage of. You can never explain in print to a man or woman how well and nicely you can serve them half as well as you can show them when they enter your shop; and, as we stated before, it is bad policy to bring people into your shop unless you are going to please them, and make them come again.

All good advertising (well written, well displayed, truthful advertisements, plus right prices, right quality, good service, courtesy, etc.) has a future or 'cumulative effect. That is to say, that not only does a 'satisfied customer buy more goods from you more frequently, but also he or she eventually tell other people about your shop. These other people will come to you—it may be

.for something quite smell, hui if your treatment of them is all that they expect they -will in turn tell their friends. Don’t forget the fable of the angel in the guise of a beggar who visited a man. Look upon every customer‘as a possible angel. When a man' begins to advertise he is in the position of a stranger seeking credit. He asks the public to buy his goods, which he says are desirable and, worth the price, to The chief result he shoujd hope for from his first advertising is to gain the confidence of the “buyers” in the community. His first attempts affect only the most susceptible. After a while the continued appearance of his advertise-ments-gives him something of the standing of an old friend, and the more cautious people become customers, This is the turning point in his advertising expenditure. Previous to this it may have cost all or more than it has produced. Once this point is passed the tide turns, and the advertising proves to be a fug paying investment. To stop his advertising, or to cut down bis space or frequency of bis insertions, is deliberately to throw overboard the credit, the confidence, he has spent so much time, effort and money to create; and also to make a breach in the fortifying wall which he has been building around Ins trade —through which- his competitors can attack his trade. Such discontinuance would' have the same effect as the withdrawal of all its “travellers” by a bouse whoso business had been bijilt up entirely on the orders these men obtained. As a means of defence merely advertising pays, even after it is no longer required for the extension of the business. Yon may have all the customers that you want, but you cannot forget that many other retailers would like to have them, and will get them if you do not maintain yom* hold by persistent advertising. We see, therefore, that advertising pays in more senses than oiie. It pays by—Making your usual customers spend more money than

they otherwise would; creating a new customers,, whichjio, business can continue without; by these old and new customers telling other prospective customers of your business, the value you give, your courtesy, etc.; by preventing your competitors encroaching on vonr trade.

These things are the inevitable result of good advertising judiciously carried out.

Four men entered an omnibus in London. Three of them wore Australian uniforms,, while (lie fourth was a wandering musician cairrying a concertina. The four engaged in animated conversation, to which the unkempt musician contributed an intelligent share. ily-iind-by two of the soldiers and the musician left the ’bus. Then an Englishman ventured to remark to the remaining Australian, “It’s surprising how you Australian fellows talk, to anybody you come across. I’m no great shakes socially myself, but I do draw the line at a street musician.” The Australian looked at him. “I don’t know what you mean over here by ‘great shakes socially,’ ” he said. “I’m a graduate at Melbourne University myself. But in my country it’s an understood thing that any man with brains has a right to be heard, and the rest,” —with somewhat dire significance—“can hold their tongues.”