Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-25
sESNAP ADVERfIsIN6."
BY ". n. Brsarley OF "rhe Detroit Even
ing Journal"

ing Journal"
The origin AID significance of the wor
"Snsp," as describing all sGvertisID
schemes Of doubtful pattern ity and value
whether they passunder the name If ne We
paper, or otherwise, is matter not easily
determined. There is no doubt OF It's al
tiquity, however, for we read that Ssmp,
son Was an unusually sctiva CanvssseI
among the Philistines with his isw bone
IL ne had not made 81 error of Judgment
and pushed his talking 20 fatal results
be could have gathered them in again tue
following year. Modern schemers are
wiser.
Under this classic designation, there.
| fore, all those sch mes should be groupe
concerning W Ose reason for existence
as well As their value when they have
been safely accouched much abundant
light was thrown upon by the question of
q certain eccentric minister and the an
sTer OF an opp5 rtune small boy.
The minister began speaking by thrice
propounding with great deliberation, the
following startling query: "Wny wss I
2"-Wny was l borb?"-"Why WAS
l bcrn?" The answer came in 8 piping
voice from the boy in the gallery-"I give
tup"
1t would be miniiestly unjust if the ad-
vertiser were TO initiate he small boy
and "give up' as worthless every snap
advertising scheme that presents itself,
but he Will be saved from
many mistake, II he Should pause long
enough before ''snsppIpg" them up, to
ssk each schem thee questions. Two
OF the questions have alresry been sug.
gested. First, has 1t any reason for be-
ing in existence spart from the sale OF
the advertising it contains? Second, has
1t reistiVe value that iustif the IL
vestmenti and TO these should be added
the third, viz: What assurance is offer
ed inst the contract will be honestly car
ried QUIZ
L will treat briefly of these three dIvis.
Ions in the order, for an advertiser should
base his decision npon feir considera-
ton OF, not one or two, but Of all these
points.
First, then, why WAS it born2 The
newspaper, the book or the programme
that is issued TO meet real or fancied
demand of readers. has In 1t the element
Of legitimacy. With varying limits any
one OF these bears a certain comparison
TO train upon 5 recognized line Of rail-
road, ING contrast to scheme for fifty or |
lGO advertisers 10 club together and Guild |
q road Of their OVID, for the sole OBJECT Of |
riding over it once, after which the road |
ts to De abandoned. To make the com |
parison complete it should be added, that |
the contractor who builds aud wrecks the |
road is the only one wco makes any
money out Of the transaction, and also |
that the ttaiEs on these snsp advertising
roads often start out well, but never ar |
rive ST their destination.
2. Relstive value. l am not prepared |
to ssy that value should invariably be
rigidly held down 70 3 commercial stand
ard. Persoosl considerations, reciprcca-
tioD, and the desired favor or business
81 the publisher has certain piscs in
his very difficult problem. These con-
sideratlo1s csn not be reduced to figures
Tor the sake of the comparison, however,
and the money thus expended should be
;oarged to charity, ana not to sdVertis-
ng.
Let Us be charitable enough to shut our
syes to all outside consideration and con.
;ensrste our attention upon the conditions
Inst pertain more strictly to the science
II advertising, as viewed from a stand
POINT OF the man who has but $40 or 800
md desires to invest 1t where 1t would do /
I'm the most good. The advertiser Is /,
iere met By several sab divisions Of this