The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-04-19
How Bonner and Barnum Ad-
.r verGised.

There are only three men in this
country who thoroughly understand
advertising-Barnum, and sStewart, of
New York, and Bonner of the ~ y
Ledger. iia. Dia
Not one man out Of ten knows how
to write an advertisement SO as to
attract the attention and excite the
interest of the reader. Stewart pays
a man $22, 900 year for writing his
advertisements.
The great mistake in most adver-
tisers is that they crowd too much in
one advertisement. Almost every
thing they have to sell must be named
+ in their advertisement, and not one
man in fifty reads it. One thing at a
time should be advertised. and that
frequently; and the aim should be to
excite, not satisfy the curiosity of the
readers. For instance, adyertise-Su-
gar Sugar Sugar! People would have
their attention attracted by that one
word, and would buy sugar. The re-
suit would be established. Stewart ad-
yertised his cotton alone all over the
country. 1t brought him immense re-
turns, and to-day he is the merchant
prince Of New York city. Bonner
bought the Ledger for 5000, when it
had only one hundred and seventy-fye
circulation.
He went to see Mr.. Barnum, to con-
suit what was the best plan for adver-
tising. They at last fixed upon plan,
which was to have story written for
the purpose and printed in every paper
in the State of New York, in cities,
and towns, and villages. The name Of
the story was the "Gun maker of Mos
cow" The first part of this story pas
put in every paper on the same Satur-
day morning. At the end Of part first
| it stated it would be continued in the
New York Ledger, published by Bonner
| The story was copied into Massachusetts,
papers, thence into Pennsylvania papers,
and thence into those of other States,
and Mr.. Bonner soon became one o.
the richest publishers in the United
States. The great advantage of hav.
ing a large column advertised in the
paper was, that it crowded other sdver
tisements-people could not help see
ing it. 7'7 81
Mr.. Bonner once went to Bennett
the editor of the New York Herald
and asked him il he could leave thret
columns in the morrow's papers for hi
advertisements of the LedgerS ''Doubl'
rates for it he might have as much a
he pleased" Upon which Mr.. Bonne
said he would like to have the whole
paper. The consequence was that thu
next day the paper had nothing bu
| IBonners advertisement in il.
/ ! On one page in large letters, it wa
stated that an article written by Henry
Ward Beecher would be in the Ledger
and so on through the eight pages
Mr.. Bonner did not advertise all he hac
. to sell, but only attracted attention t
the Ledger, 7sh .r.tJ
To-day the Ledger has over thre'
hundred thousand circulation, anc
Bonner drives his twenty Thousand
dollar span of horses.
9Barnum paid 5000 for his museum
with debt of $4,000 upon it H
thought of advertising, and finally hi
upon the following plan: He employees
number of painters, making then
promise not to say anything about wha
he was going to do, and ordered then
to paint pictures of all the animals j
the country. These were one nigh
stuck all over the building. Whel
people came past in the morning, the
wondered where they came from; an
: before the day was over, the museum
was crowded.
Mr.. -Barnum says of advertising
Il never patronize a business tha
| don't advertise, for the reason that
, invariably get cheated. The penuriou
principle that prevents man fror
! keeping his business before the peopl
. by advertising, viii prevent him fror
selling cheap"
4