The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-14
"SNAP ADVERTISING. j"
The Multifarious Schemes Whereby Adver-
tisers Are SWindled Ont Of Their Money.


--u-
The following paper. by w. Fl. Brearley, OF
the Detroit Evening Journal read before
the recent reunion of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association, and its publication
voted:
The origin and significance of the word
''Snap." as describing all advertising schemes OF
doubtful paternity and value, whether they pass
under the name OF newspaper. or Otherwise Is
matter not easily determined There is no
doubt of it's antiquity, however, for We read
that Sampson was an ususually active canvasser
among the Philistines with his jaw bone. II he
had not made an error of Judgment and pushed
his talking to fatal results, he could have
gathered them In again the following year.
Modern schemes are wiser.
Under this classic designation, therefore, all
those schemes should be grouped, concerning
whose reason for existence as well as their value
when they have been safely accouched, much
abundant light was thrown upon by the ques-
ton of certain eccentric minister, and the
answer of an opportune small boy.
The minister began speaking by thrice pro-
pounding with great elaboration, the follow
ing startling query: 'sWhy was bornf-"Why
was bornf'-'Why was borna" The answer
boy in the ealfery-"i give it up"
IL would be manifestly unjust if the adver-
tissr We're to initiate the small boy and give
up as worthless every snap advertising
scheme that presented itself, but he will be
saved from many a mistake if he should
pause long enough before swapping" them up,
the questions have already been suggested.
First has it any reason for being in existence
apart from the sale of the advertising it
talnsf Second has II a relative value that justi
fies the investment; and to these should be added
the third, viz: What assurance is offered that
the contract will be honestly carried QUIT
will treat briefly of these three divisions in
their order, for an advertiser should base his de-
cision upon a fair consideration of not one or
two but of ali these points.
First, then, why it born2 The newspaper.
the hook, the programme that is issued to
meet a real or fancied demand of readers has in
it the element of legitimacy: With varying
limits, any one OF these, bears a certain
comparison to train upol a recognized
line of railroad, IN contrast to a scheme
for fifty 100 advertisers to club together and
build road of their own, for the sole object OF
riding it once, after which the road is TO be
abandoned To make the comparison complete
it should be added that the contractor who
builds and wrecks the road is the only one who
makes any money out of the transaction. and.
also, that the trains on these snap advertising
roads often start out WE'LL but never arrive at
their destination.
Second. relative value. ] am not prepared TO
say that value should invariably be rigidly held
down to a commercial standard. Personal
siderations, reciprocation. and the desired favor
or business of the publisher has a certain place
in thisSvery difficult problem. These consldera-
tons cannot be reduced to figures for the sake
OF comparison. however, and the money thus
expended should BIO charged to charity, aud not
to advertising.
Let us be charitable enough to shut our eyes
to all outside considerations and concentrate
our attention upon the conditions that pertain
more strictly to the science of advertising, as
viewed from a standpoint of the who has
but $40 or 500. and desires to invest il where ii
would do him the most good. The advertiser il
ere met by several subdivisions of this head;
first the price per inch per thousand copies
printed and distributed; second character of cir
culaton, illustrating whether the class OF peoI le
among whom 1T is distributed those he de-
sires to reach; third whether the copies are 10
be sold or to be given away, the former being
many times the value of the latter as an ad-
vertlsng medium; fourth, position; fifth, dis
play. To attempt to discuss these subdivi-
sions would require me TO transgress my p:ivi-
lege as TO time, bnt will make the single point
that many a merchant thoughtlessly invests SIS
In . little space in some scheme that is to DO
given away, and of which he has been
promised only 1000 circulation always
remembering that he usually never
asks for or receives the slightest guarantee that
he will honestly get his 1000 circulation) when
the same five-dollar bill would have bought just
as large space in as conspicuous position.
he can have ample guarantee that 10000 over
are actually sold and delivered.
If the comparison is left upon that of circula-
ton alone. then it stands, in this case, 20 to
in favor of the paper; but if to this is added
that the paper is sold and the other scheme
given away, then the difference is far greater
still.
Of course if any advertiser wants to pay
twenty forty prices for his advertising and
does it willingly and knowingly, else
need object
The third general point is that of securing
tangible evidence that work contrac ted for has
been faithfully executed in every resp ect. This
should be easy to secure to verify any bill
of goods that tho advertiser purchases. but, IN
two difficulties mbarrass
his attempt so to do One is
from without The advertiser himself too
often fails TO keep any exact written copy of the
statement of the conditions and representations
made to him by the protector of the ''snap"
scheme and in week two afterwards the
terms OF the contract are wholly partially
forgotten. The difficulty from without is the
un willingness inability of the protector of tho
scheme to deal honorably by his customers and
fulfill his contract, the latter being usually the
case, for the claims often made
posterous in what they promise that
it is simply impossible for even the large price
asked, to execute them as agreed. will there
fore suggest to newspaper publishers a practi-
cal and sufficient method of correcting this enor-
nous evil flor it stops little short. in many
d crime in lawi, that Businessmen should be adj
vised to keep blank book for the purpose,
and when q canvasser calls him, ask
him to write out on page IN the
book full description OF his scheme, to-
gether with all his promises and claims. together
he wishes to SELL and then postpone decision for
q day or two, or until he should have had time
60 look into, first. the legitimacy of the scheme;
second, the relative value OF 1T as compared with
newspaper advertising, and then. third. If he
makes a contract, demand absolute proof that
the contract has been compiled with In all OF
its conditions before making payment
have sufficient confidence in the foregoing
proposition to add that if il were generally OBJ
served, two-thirds of all snap advertising
schemes would cease to exist within year.