New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-18
INGENUITY IN ADVERTISING.
CLEVER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND QUICK RESPONSES
ROGERS PEET a co.'s SUCCESS.

CLEVER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND QUICK RESPONSES
ROGERS, PEET co.'s SUCCESS
Over the large and busting store of Rogers
Peet Co Is a bright. cheerful but plainly nttec up
ROOM one end OF which IL rallied on 20 anorn room Tor
bof dozen clerks while close hand the separate
tlc offices occupied by members Of the firm Sitting
at paper.ttered desk one Of these Offices TRIBUNE
reporter found Mr. Graham. the member OF the nrn to
whose energy and inventive talent IA due the clever
system Of advertising adoIed OF late years by the irm
with such marked success.
'You want know our principle ana methods OF al
vertising DO you e. said he. well ~ s easy enough 10
satisfy your curiosity and think something ~ the way
of history Is about the best thing start with Upu
s74 our firm confined sef strictly 10 tho Wholesale
business but that date determined 10 uHite the re
tail branch to the Wholesale. with that idea We engaged
an experienced manager and opened store IN hfoomo
st. Well business fairly good az first but soon be
Gan 10 drop OF We dismissed our manager and engaged
another: dismissed him and tried another. aud 40 GU
Finally eat and looked the situation IN the face
said 10 self thai IN view Of The great and bitter com
ne tton III our line Of business II was not enough 10 sell
good article al reasonable price but II was necessary
also to constantly tho attention OF the public bj
means OF advertising; and not advertising alone but
iudcious adverilsinR The principles OF udicious adj
ycrtising II seemed to NE, were frat 10 reach the
largest number OF the night cass at the smallest cost
and secondly appeal TO tho eyeb Of this class Win
freshness and originality Those principles have found
correct enough experience alone has taught me tho
best methods IN which 10 eubOdy them.
In the first place 20 the mere form OF the adyer-
tisemeut have found that posters, painted
signs and the like Of very litiie account,
and we accordingly employ them sparngly You see
painted sign along railroad track Is all very well In
IT, way but IT merely tells the people of the existence OF
Rogers, Peet Co.. and having done that Withholds
further information.
"Now a. regards our newspaper advertising. I'll show
a. nv Ia Mr. Graham
opeucd drawer and took out huge scrap-book, which
on being opened found to contain Newspaper cut
tngs Of all the firms adveI isemeDts beginning IN 1874
"You will see here" continued MI Graham, that
when our advertising in the hands OF our managers
II was commonplace and conventional attracting atcn-
tion and that only momentariy on account OF is size
or odd ARRANGEMENT of types Here you see about the
first advertisement inserted after took control myself
had said TO myself that novelty and originality were
the primary requisites 10 catch public attention, and
though this looks pary enough now nj that Time per-
formed Its duty we'll The walking fever at its
height and every interested In the great contest
I'm which ROwell was victor. had this cut Of figure In
check suit made with space left for the head. then
had cuts made of all the contestants and gave nstruc
lions TO the pOstOr TO clap The head OF the victor
when the result made known late at night Rowell
was lucky ns features adorned the cut and
The suit was cbristened the Roweli Suit For some
time my illustrations were atrocous. 0s you will see.
the fine lines all blurred Ia tee printing and snap or
20 pbout the drawings thcmEelves One day met
clever young artist Who caught what wanted aud our
present series OF bold outline dIawngs, possessing some
artistic merit. was 90" result lie pas been win US ever
since does the meOr part OF our work, though OF
course take ythlng clever from any source Thon
discovered another face, namely that 10 does not pay
10 repeat advertisements, so resolved that every
day would write out my advertsenients ana embody
new fscts and ideas In them, and this have kept mp
ever do not lay claim 10 high order of literary
something that public will read am entirely frank In
the frat place Every morning get areport from the
feel To be OF friendly note to the pubic the facts
they give us TO the goods ~ Their several depart
ments Then any striking or amusing
renee For instance man came In one day and bought
$50 overcoat, the salesman by mistake charged s32
advertised for hun next day, and not only excited hen-
era interest but got an answer from the man gave MIN
back ms SIS and secured permanent customer and his
friends ,.
yertiseneuts l rely almost exclusively on the local
morning payers We do not want eItensiye mailing
business 80 oul.oftown papers useless. so indeed
are many New-York papera We do not do much 10
the afternoon papers, because We cannot anord IT,
MY theory Il that every one who reads an afternoon
paper has already read morning paper. and n he has
seen advertisement once IN ne day II Ia enough AS
10 the hundreds aud hundreds Of allies and weekes
hIch solicit for business and make claims TO
circulation which II would take days TO investigate,
the Gordan knot by politely refusing them one and
ALI believe that when you nave once chosen "A me
dunn you should stick TO IL and by constant repetL
ton force yourself on the notice Of every
one OF iis rraders; and however many
other payers magazines n family may take. they
bound TO have one or another Of tue morning daes II
we could afford land III OF time hope shall
b. able do sol. would insert daly notice In every
one OF the New.YOrk morning PAPERS
"One thing il certain system. and that Is
that trace the result OF particular advertise
mcnt within iew hours. For instance, here IA the
notice We inserted hs morning about particular line
OF suits marked down to Sl2. have just been In the
store below, aud ind that twenty OF them have
been asked FOR and sold remember the Of par
ticular Overcost which was unsuitable account OF
| its being too heavy for fall and too light for
winter and stated the TACT marked down very low
and sold over eighty Of them the first day.
TO up eyerythiugI eau only say that attribute
such success As we have gained in great measure TO add
vertsing. and advertising III rational common sense
OF way. We attract the peoples attention and get
them 10 read our announcements; We never repeat
advertisement; are scTupul0usly careful TO
mediums, and suit each advertisement the class
expect will reach through the particular paper APP
pears In; and finally, do not look the public
FOOLS and perfectly frank aud honest in
noncement and do not say thing In the papers and
| another Ia the store"