The Republican journal., 1885-07-09
Failure of Private Advertising.

Within the last few years it has become
the fashion with some people to do their
advertising in their own private way, in
stead of through the newspapers. Some
| distribute cards, some circulars, some
pamphlets, some even almanacs, and
some inconceivable monstrosties of od-
dity, circulating them by the hundreds of
thousands through the mails. The print
er's art has been taxed to the utmost to
gIatity the tastes of these advertisers
Some of the finest as we'll as the basest
specimens of the art of engraving, of
chromo-lithographing, and of colored
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 design and the
costliness of their devices, taking it for
granted that the receivers will conform
their estimates of the status of the adver-
tlser to The artistic pretensions 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 it
should be equally matter of concern
that the debasement 50 completely fails
of the object for which it is intended
With him who notices such advertise
ments at all the first feeling on receiving
one of these superb specimens of typo
graphy 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 subjects of its elegant illustrations are
chairs and tables, retrigerators and
brooms he throws it down with an in
detinable grudge against the man who
has been guilty of such ridiculous pros
titution of art, and without exactly
knowing it, he is distinctly convinced
that a tradesman who spends SO much
| money in such an incongruous way is not
likely to be endowed with the common
| sense of a good man of business or to
sell cheaply.
In truth, however, those who take anv
notice whatever of this flood of announce
ments form but a very small per cent
age of those who receive them. They
parlor and the counting room. At home
they are never opened but with disap-
pointment, 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 impatently con
signs to his waste paper heap. In short,
if a public vote could be taken, it would
unanimously declare these drumming
missives to be an intoerable nuisance
that should be denied the privilege of the
mails
Men of business who resort to this
method of advertising cannot be ign0r-
ant of the fact that the people whom they
would reach have become nauSeated with
it. They must be aware that they them
selves disregard all such appeals for
patronage; and what reason have they
TO suppose that others receive their
applications with more patience? Sa-
gaciOuS advertisers are beginning to see
this, and are returning to the old method
of public announcements. The news
paper is, in every sense, the best medium
for advertising; and, for a given result.
it is by much the cheapest also, 1t
reaches a tar greater number Of possible
customers than any private announce
ment can and it is more certain to re
ceive attention. The private circular is
thrown aside as thing which people
have come to regard as a bore, and
which is neglected because its recipients
| have no time to attend to it. The news
paper is used in each days hour of
leisure, and readers find interest in read
ING its advertisements as we'll as its news,
because of the variety they present and
the information they convey respecting
a wide diversity of interests. 1t may be
safely estimated that an announcement
made through the press is noticed by
fifty readers, where, made in a private
way, it would reach but one. If, there
fore, 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, undoubted
", cases in which the circular is a better
medium than the newspaper. Such, for
instance, as where the matter is necesSa-
rily lengthy, and the cost Of newspaper
space would be very large. But such
eases are quite exceptional and the
sooner advertisers learn the folly of their
present large expenditures in seeking
publicity through private means, the
better for their pockets and their success.
y. \. Commercial Bulletin.