CHATS TO BUSINESS MEN

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 478, 30 May 1919, Page 2

CHATS TO BUSINESS MEN

How Not to Advertise In one of the daily papers recently an advertisement from a wellknown millinery and drapery firm was displayed. As it appeared just prior to the commencement of what might be called " the farmers' week," when the annual conference of the N.Z Farmers' Union sits, obviously the advertisement was intended to appeal to the ladies of the farming community. The contents of the display were similar to what such advertisements are usually composed of, depicting ladies wearing hats and costumes of various designs, but in the top left-hand corner was the figure of a pig. Now, though the sleek suillline may have been representative of the farm, nevertheless, the picture was widely resented among country people. It seemed to them as though the advertiser, in his mind, looked on country people as so many swineherds, loutish bumpkin folk, too gaucherie to appreciate the refinements of life. Now-a-days large numbers of farmers are well-educated, they own their own motor car 9, and nearly all of them and their families dress well. The picture of the primal porker would not appeal to them at all. The writer has heard many expressions of resentment about that ad., which is not likely to increase the business of the firm whose name is at the foot The thing is in bad taste. Moral: In your advertising matter never commit an offence against good taste, J >l3? LAY The proper display of the matter composing your advertisement amounts to a fine art, but though we cannot all bo experts in this important selling factor, still, there aro a few simple rules easy enough to remember and apply. Firstly, you should look on advertising arrangement as being similar to hang ing pictures on a wall: there must be blank space to get the effect of contrast. That is why a double column advertisement has treble, and even quadruple the value of a siDgle column. A wider space, of course, is correspondingly more valuable still. If you crowd too much matter into one advertisement, then the chances are that it will appear as a blur, to some extent, and will not be read widely. The aim should be to make people read it whether they want to or not. The bettor plan is to put in a little and often, specializing one or two articles each time. The Times allows free replaces monthly, and extra charges for fortnightly or weekly alterations.