The National tribune., 1885-07-02
PRIVATE ADVERTISING.
Why Cards, Circulars and the Like are Failures as
Advertising Mediums.
[Ne,s York Commercial Bulletin.

INe,0 York Commercial Buletin.]
Within the last few years it has become the
fashion with some people to do their advertis-
ing in their own private way, instead of through
the newspapers. Some distribute cards, some
circulars some pamphlets, some even almanacs
and some inconceiyable monstrosities of oddity,
circulating them by the hundreds of thousands
through the mails. The printers art has been
taxed to the utmost to crafty the tastes of
these advertisers. Some of the finest as well
as some of the basest specimens of the art of
engraving, of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and of color
printing are being produced for these purposes,
and every conceivable style of fancy paper is
brought into requisition. The advertisers vie
with each other in the elegance of their de-
signs and the costliness of their devices, taking
it for granted that the receivers will conform
their estimate of the status of the advertiser to
the artistic pretensions of his advertisement.
Some people may regret that the noble art of
printing, at the period of its highest achieve
ments, should be subjected to such debasing
uses; but, to those who thus employ the art, it
should be equally matter of concern that the
debasement so completely fails of the object for
which it is intended. With him who notices
such advertisements at all, the first feeling on
receiving one of these superb specimens Of
Typography or engraving is apt to be one of dis
gust that it relates to the artistic pursuits of
his butcher or his bootmaker, or that the SUBJ
ject of its elegant illustrations are chairs and
tables, refrigeratOrs and broOmS; he throws it
down with an indefnable grudge against the
man who has been guilty of such ridiculous
prostitution of art, and, without exactly know
ing it, he is distinctly convinced that trades
man who spends so much money in such an
ineongruous way is not likely to be endowed
with the common sense of good man of busi-
ness or to sell cheaply.
In truth, however, those who take any no.
tice whatever of this flood of announcements
form but very small percentage of those who
receive them. They have come to be the nui-
sance of both the parlor and tho counting room.
At home they are never opened but with dis
appointment, because they have come in the
place of letters really hoped for. In the office
the merchant finds his morning mail stuffed
with these intruSiOnS upon the serious affairs
of his business, which he inwardly curses or
impatiently consigns to his waste-paper heap.
In short, if public vote could be taken, it
would unanimously declare these drumming
missives to be an intoeIable nuisance that
should be denied the privilege of the mails.
Men of business who resort to this method of
advertising cannot be ignorant of the fact that
the people whom they would reach have be-
come nauseated with it. They must be aware
that they themselves disregard all such appeals
for patronage; aud what reason have they to
suppose that others receive their applications
with more patience? Sagacous advertisers are
beginning to see this and are returning to the
old method of public announcement. The
newspaper is, in every sense, the best medium
for advertising; and, for given result, it is by
much the cheapest also. 1t reaches a far greater
number of possible customers than any private
announcement can. and it is more certain to
receive attention. The private circular is
thrown aside as a thing which people have
come to regard rs a bore, and which is neglect
ed because its recipients have no time to at
tend toit. The newspaper is used in each days
hour of leisure, and readers find interest in
reading its advertisements as well as its news,
because of the variety they present and the in
formation they convey respecting wide di
versity of interests. 1t may be safely estimated
that an announcement made through the press
is noticed by so readers, whaye, made in pri-
vate way, it would reach blA one If, there
fore, the same amount were expended in either
case, the result would be ffty-fold better from
tho former method than from the latter. There
are, undoubtedly, cases in which the circular is
q better medium than the newspaper. Snch,
for instance, as where the matter is necessarily
lengthy, and the cost of newspaper space would,
therefore, be very large. But such cases are
quite exceptional, and the sooner advertisers
learn the folly of their present large expendi- |
lures in seeking publicity through private |
means the better for their pockets and their |
success.