Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-09
ADVERTISING.
How to dc IL and How Not to do It,
Philadelphia Record.l

How to dc IL and How Not to do II
Philadelphia Record
Ihere are as many ways Of advertis
ing as there are ways to get to Jerusa
lem. But there is one obvious way O
going to Jerusalem and one obvious wal
Of advertising. 1t would generally b.
accounted folly to buy a ticket for Duluth
or take passage on a New Bedford whalel
with the expectation of being set down
in Joppa; but how much more rational ia
the man who, in order to advertise bis
business, spends his substance in paint
ing the fences and rocks of the suburban
country aud in aggravating pedestrians
and strewing the tootways With circular
handbllls? Jerusalem may be reached by
way of Duluth and Behring's Straits, and
business may come by way of plotting
pads and cheap circulars, but not often
and not much. The end sought is not
easily reached by any roundabout course
The newspaper in America is the recog
nized medium for all public information
To 1t the people turn with one accord
There Is no other means of communi.
eating with the public that compares
with 1t. The poor mar cannot do with
out 1t; neither can the rich man. In the
words of a contemporary, 1.-THE reader
who looks 10 1t to learn the news of the
day, the probable current Of events and
the consequences the weather ofthe after.
noon, the amusements Of the evening, in.
stlnctively looks to it also when he needs
any article of use or luxury. He in
s%tlnctively looks over its advertising
columns ever when he is not sure whether
he lacks anything or not. 1t is not ex.
aggeratlon to say that by its regular
readers the advertising columns of a
newspaper are consulted as regularly "a
its news or its opinions. Besides this
regular constituency which every news.
paper possesses, and no other agent but a
newspaper a expect to reach, the news.
paper addresses itself to the attention of
the casual inquirer much more frequent.
ly, aud, what is most to the purpose.
much more attractively, thaa the uuack
advertisement. The houses which have
advertised most freely and derived the
greatest benefit from their expenditure
have, without an exception, recognized
this fundsmeAtaltruth that the newspaper
is infinitely the best medium for reach.
ing the public" The testimony Of two
great New York houses on this subiect
is very explicit. One says that "in no
department OF business is there probably
so much money wasted, and 10 no de.
partment are good judgment ana expe.
rience more requisite" and it is added
that a quarter of a century has shown
the superior advantage and economv of
newspaper advertising over all other me.
diums. Another is not less explicit:
II what you have to say be strictly true.
say 1t in a good newspaper. For forty.
seven years nine.tcnths of our adyertis.
ing has been done on this plan, and of
the whole expenditure all hat we regret
is contained in the other tenth" Il is
needless to strengthen such testimony as
this, but the evidence OF these business
men in New York could be fortified by
the testimony OF hundreds of equally
successful business men in Philsdelphia.
We may admire the pllck and energy of
people who try to achieve business BY
o%rnamenting sign posts and thrustiug
circulars into the hands of passers. by.
but we cannot admire their judgment.
1t does well enough for blind men and
mountebasks, whose communications
must be of a personal sort, but no sue.
cessful business can be founded or sus.
tanned in this fashion, There may be as
much sport in following a single buffalo
as in shooting into a herd, but the latter
plan has its advantages for persons who
have gu eye to profit or who may desire
to get the money back they pay for pow
der and ball.