The Portland daily press., 1885-05-25
Failure of Private Advertising.
Why Cards, Circulars and the Like are
Failures as Advertising Mediums.
N. Y. Commercial Builetin.)


Within the last few years it has become
the fashion with some people to do their ad-
vertising in their own private way, instead
of through the newspapers. Some distribute
cards, some circulars, some pamphlets, some
even almanacs, and some ineoncelvable
monstrosities OF oddity, circulating them by
the hundreds or thousands through the
mails. The printers art has been taxed to
the utmost to crafty the tastes of these ad-
vertisers. Some of the finest as well as
some Of the basest specimens of the art Of
engraving, of chromo-lithographing and of
color printing are being produced for these
purposes, aud every conceivable style of
fancy paper is brought into requisition. The
advertisers vie with each other in the ele-
ganee of their designs and the costliness Of
their devices, taking il for granted that the
receivers will conform their estimate of the
status of the advertiser to the artistic pre-.
tensions of his advertisement. Some people
may regret that The noble art of printing, at
the period of its highest achievements,
should be subjected to such debasing uses:
but, to those who thus employ The art, Ii
should be equally matter of concern that
the debasement so completely fails OF the
object for which 1t 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 disgust that it relates to the ar
tistic pursuits of bis butcher or his boot
maker, or that the subjects of its elegant IL
lustrations are chairs and tables, refrlgera-
tors and brooms; he throws 1t down with
an indefnable, grudge against the man who
has been guilty of such ridiculous prosti-
tuition of art, and, without exactly knowing
1t, he is distinctly convinced that a trades
man who spends so much money in such an
incongruous way is not likely to be endowed
with the common sense of good man of
business or to sell eheaply.
In truth, however, those who take any no
tice whatever of this food of announcements
form but very small percentage of those
who receive them. They have come to be
the nuisance of both the parlor and the
counting room. At home they are never
opened but with disappointment, because
they 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 impatlently
consgns to his waste paper heap. In short,
if public vote could be taken, it would
unanimously declare these drumming mis-
sives to be an intolerable nuisance that
should be denied the privilege of the mails.
Men OF business who resort to this meth
Cd OF advertising cannot be ignorant of the
fact that the people whom they would reach
have become nauseated with it. They must
be aware that they themselves disregard all
such appeals for patronage; and what reason
have they to suppose that others receive
their applications with more patience? Saga
cious advertisers are beginning to see this
and are returning to the old method of pub
lie announcement. The newspaper Is, in
every sense, the best medium for advertis-
ing; and for given result. it is by much
the cheapest also. II reaches far greater
number of possible customers than any pri-
Vate announcement can; and 1t is more cer-
tain to receive attention. The private circu-
lar is thrown aside as thing which people
have come to regard as bore, and which
is neglected because Its recipients have no
time to attend to it. The newspaper is used
in each days hour of leisure, and readers
lind interest in reading its advertisements as
well as its news, because of the variety they
present and the information they convey re-
specting wide diversity of interests. It mar
be safely estimated that an announcement
made through she press is noticed by fifty
readers, where, made in a private way, It
would reach but one. II, therefore, the
same amount were expended in either case,
the result would be fifty-fold better from the
former method than from the latter. There
are, undoubtedly, cases in which the circu-
lar is better medium than the newspaper.
Such, for instance, as where the matter is
necessarily lengthy, and the cost of newspa-
per space would therefore be very large. But
such cases are quite exceptional; and the
sooner advertisers learn the folly Of their
present large expenditures in seeking public
ity through private means, the better for
their pockets and their success.