The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-01-21
Ias.aiou, Aav.rti.inr.


The New York l'ri5sas reports AZ inter
view with member Of leading New
ior6 clothing firm, which is noted for
Us hoeral and successful advertising !:
ION want to know our principal methods
OF advertising, do you r. said he. well.
II IS Easy enough to satisfy your curiosity.
ana think something in the way Of his
kTy IS ABOUT the best thing to thing to
start with, Up till 1874 our firm confined
itSelt strictly to the wholesale business,
OUT AZ tnat We determined to unite the
tetsil branch TO the wholesale. With that
lues We engaged an experienced manager
anu opened store in Broome street.
wen, business was fairly good at first, but
soon began 70 drop on. We dismissed our
manager and engaged another, dismissed
nim and tried another and so on Finally.
sat down and looked the situation in the
lace L SAID to myself that in view of the
great and bitter competition in our line of
business, II was not enough to sell a good
article at reason able price, but it was
necessary also to constantly engage the
attention OF the public by advertising ;;
ana not advertising alone, but judicious |
advertising. The principles of judicious |
su'erusing, 1t seemed TO me, were first to |
reach the largest number of the right |
class at the smallest cost, and secondly. to !
appeal to the eyes of this class with fresh
ness ard originality. These principles /
nave found correct enough, but experience
alone has taught me the best methods in
which to embOdy them.
In the trst place as to the mere form
OF the advertisement, have found that
posters, painted signs and the like are Of
very, little account, and We accordingly
employ them sparingly You see. a
painted sign along a railroad track is all
very well IN its way, but it merely tells of
the existence of the firm, and having done
thst wlthholds further information.
NOW, as regards our newspaper adyer-
using, III show you something that NAV q
interest you, and he opened drawer and .
TOOK our huge scrap-book, which'on be-
ing opened was found to contain news
paper cuttings of all the firms advertise
ments, beginning in 1874.
You will see here continued he. ..that
when our advertising was in the hands of =
our managers it was commonplace and
attracting attention, and that
only momentarlly, on account of its size
or odd arrangement of types. Here Won
see about the trst advertisement inserted
inter- took control myself. had said TO
myself the novelty and originality were r
ne primary requisites to catch public at |
entlon, and though this looks paltry
,,nouRh now, at that time it performed its
luty we'll The walking match fever was
u It's height, and every one was interested I
the great contest in which Rowen was =
lctor. had this cut of figure in a In,
neck SUIT made, with space left for the
lead, then had cuts made of all the CON
estants, and gave instructions to the com
'ositor to clap on the head of the victor i
Tnen the the result was made known
ate at night. Rowell was the lucky
nan so bus features adorned the cuf
no no the suit was christened the Row
II suit. For some time the illustrations n
,ere atrocIous, as you will see, the fine lines
II blurred IN the printing, and no .snap'
go about the drawings themselves. w
me day met clever young artist who
aught what l wanted, and our present
erles OF bold outline drawings, possessing E
'me artistic merit, was the result. He
as Deen with us ever since, and does the
lalor part of our work, though of course
e take any thing clever from any source
men discovered another fact, namely.
Lat IL does not pay to repeat an adyer n
'enent' so resolved that every day IN
ould write out my advertisements and
nbody new facts and ideas in them. and
is have kept up ever since. 1 do NOT n
Z claim to a higher order of literary vi
Ill, but manage to say something that
g public will read am entirely frank
the tirst place. Every morning / GET
port from the various heads Of depart- r
ants; and embody in what feel to be II
TT OF friendly note to the public the facts
ey give me as to the goods in their seye-
departments. Then 1 seize ON anv
liking or amusing occurrence. For in
nee M man came in one day and bought z
.hlrty dollar overcoat /; the salesman by -
stake charged thirty -fivel dollars. and
ported the occurrence after the man had
I. advertised for him next dav. and 7
only excited general interest, but GOT
answer from the man, give him bsck AID
hTe dollars, and received a permanent
stomer and his friends.
Now as TO the medium in which wa in Pa,
t our advertisements, rely almost eT.
slyely on the local morning papers. We
not want an expensive mailing business Age
out-ot-toWn papers are useless. So in
ID are many New York papers. Wedo
do much in the afternoon papers. be