Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02
THE FAILURE OF PRIVATE AD-
VERTISING.
why Cards. Circulars and the Like
Are Failures Advertising Medt-
INNS
New York Commercial Bulletin

| are Fa11ures as Advertising wear
| ums
New York Commercial Bulletin.
Within tAe past few years it has
become the fashion with some people
to do their advertising in their own
private way, instead of through the
newspapers. Some distribute cards,
some circulars, some pamphlets, some
even almanacs and some inconceivN
| able monstro-i4;as of ndditv- circulat-
ing them by the hundreds or thou
sands through the mails. Tie prin-
| ter's art has been taxed to the utmost
to crafty the tastes of those adver~
tlsers. Some of the finest as well as
some of the basest specimens of the
arts of engraving, of chromo-litho~
graphing 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 designs 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 pre-
| tensions of his advertisement. Some
people may regret that the noble art
of printing, at the period of its high
est achievements, should be subjected
to such debasing use; but, to those
who thus employ the art, it should be
equally a matter of concern that the
debasement SO completely fails
of the object for which it was intend
ed. With him who notices such ad-
vertisements at all, the first feeling on
receiving one of these supeb speci~
mems of Typography or engraving is
apt to be one of disgust that it relates
to the artistic pursuits of his butcher
or his bootmaker, or that the subject
of It's elegant illustrations are chairs
and tables, refrlgerators and brooms !;
he throws it down with an inde Enable
grudge against the man who has been
guilty Of such a ridiculous prostitu-
tion of art, and, without exactly
knowing it, he is distinctly convinced
that tradesman who spends SO much
money in such an incongruous way is
not likely to be endowed with the
common sense of good man OF susl>
ness or to sell cheaply.
In truth, however, those who take
any notice whatever Of this Hood Of
announcements form 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 open
ed but with disappointment, because
they come in the place Of letters really
hoped for. In the Office the merchanr
finds his morning mail stuffed with
these intrusiops upon the serious af-
fairs of his business, which he inward
ly curses Or impatiently consigns to
his waste basket heap. In short, if a
public vote could be taken, i would
unanimously declare these drumming
missives to be an intolerable nuisance
that should be denied the privilege of
the mails.
Men of business who resort to this
method of advertising can not be ig-
norant 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? Sagacious advertisers
|
turning to the old method of public
announcement. The newspaper is,
in every sense, the best medium for
advertising; and, for a given result, it
is by much the cheapest also. Itreach-
es far greater number Of possible
customerSthan any private announce
ment can; and it is more certain to
receive attention. The private circu
lar is thrown aside as q 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 newspaper is used IN each days
| hour Of leisure. and readers find in
terest in reading It's advertisements as
well as its news, because of the
variety they present and the informa-
| ton they convey respecting wide
diversity of interests. It may be
safely estimated that an announce
mGnt made through the press is noticJ
ed by fifteen readers, where, made IN
private way, it would reach but one
If, 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 circular is better medium
than the newspaper. Such, for in
stance, as where the matter is necesr
sal ily lengthy and the cost of news,
paper space would therefore be very
large. But such cases are quite exr
ceptional; and the sooner advertisers
learn the folly of their present large
expenditures in seeking publicity
through private means, tne better for
their pockets and their success.
| The Dead Iattnr Office