The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-18
DO PEOPLE READ ADVERTISEMENTS
Some Excellent Reasons Showing that They
Do When Properly Presented.

Do people read advertisements This question
is propounded daily by business men to them
selves, and many are unable to answer it salts
factorily. And yet the answer is simple, and
should be easy for all. Some advertisements are
regularly and thoroughly read by the people;
other advertisements are seldom read at all
The time was when regulation standing adver
tisements or business cards, running from month
to month, and even from year, accomplished lit
tie for either newspapers or advertisers and so
far as that antiouated system fingers in the adj
vertising of to-day, just so far is advertising
comparatively valueless. 1t is offensive to the
reader, curse to the newspaper and nearly
dead loss to the advertiser
But newspapers have been revoluti0nized with
in the last few years, and one of the most i'm
portant revolutions effected by the progressive
newspaper is in the character freshness, AZ .lstit
features and value of advertising. The live
newspaper of to-day makes no cheap contracts
for standing advertisements, and they have
ceased to be known in journals which are taken
to be read in their advertising as well as in their
news and editorial departments. They are as
fresh in their advertisements as in their com
pete news, their varied correspondence and their
crisp criticisms upon the events of the day, and
the bungEng Typography formerly exhibited III
displaying advertisements has given place to the
most artistic presentation of business displays
The progressive newspaper never presents page
of advertisements, and seldom so much as col
umn. in sameness for two consecutive days. It's
advertising columns are as valuable as its news
the other.
There are plenty of oldtme journals which
yet reprint cheap standing advertisements, and
which take contracts for economical composition
at low rates; but all such cheap rates arc the
most costly to business houses, as they are all
cost and profit. Being cheap job lots, they are
set up slovenly, are battered from corner to
corner, and are as repulsive in appearance as
valueless to either publisher of patron. The
newspaper that has varied prices for the same
space is always cheating somebody, and that
somebody is usually its cheapest class of adver-
tisers. journal that has not character enough
to command uniform rates to the same class Of
advertisers has not character enough to be of
material value to any, and it cannot afford the
artistic presentation of business advertisements
necessary to the beauty and freshness which
alone attract readers
The proof that advertisements are read when
presented in readable newspapers in a readable
manner is in the commanding success of bust
ness houses which have advertised wisely
Some of our best business houses now
employ the very best talent to be found simply
to write their advertisements, and they the
men who understand the fundamental principle
of advertising. They understand that adver-
tisements must be fresh and sparkling as we'll as
reliable; they understand that they must have
a newspaper that is taken and read because it is
wanted by intelligent readers, and they under
stand that artistic presentation is as necessary in
an advertisements as in picture. To business men
who thus advertise there is absolute certainty
that their advertisements will be read and that
their outlay will come back to them multiplied
to those who advertise in cheap newspapers. in
cheap style, there is absolute certainty that peo
pie will not read their advertisements and that
their slovenly advertising is little more or less
than so much waste of money People read adj
vertisements when they are fresh, attractive and
truthful; they do not read them when stupid,
repulsive and obviously untruthfuL