The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-30
DOES ADVERTISING PAY2
II Certainly Does II the Medium Is
Selected With Proper
Care.
BY far the Best Method Is Through
the Columns Of a
Paper.
Fake Devices Of All sprts Improbable
The Use Of IN Advertsement-Wha
1t Does.

Profitable advertising ia only proourable
in something of value, and even this admits
of qualification. The price paid, tho actual
extent of the advertisements circulation,
and the value placed upon the medium by
the recipient, must all be taken into consid-
Grafton. No amount of ELUSIVE talk will
bring profit to an advertiser in a fake" or
to be moro explanatory-in q valueless me-
dium, says the Denver Times. An adver-
tisement may be u marvel Of the compost
tors art. il may be- the most catchy con-
ecivabls in its literature-it goes for nauRht
unless the medium contains matter Of
interest to the reader.
1t will not do to insist that the advertise
ment of itself is OF sufficient interest (though
there are exceptions few and far betwsen).
If it be, for instance, in tho form of q hand
bill, eigh5y-eight times in every 100 its
contents are forgotten the second the
readers eye meets tho next object, and to
be exceedingly liberal in tho estimate,
seventy-fve times in every 100
the entire bill is unread. Many advertisers
have learned by experience the costliness
of this method, and many have the lesson
still to learn. The cause OF failure to secure
profit by the hand-bill and similar methods
Of advertising, is because, presumably, at
least. there Is nothing of interest within it
10 the recipient; and even though it might
contain a deed to an inexhaustible gold
mine, to be delivered in return for a silver
dollar, unread it would BE- ~valueless to tho
advertiser.
In the opinion of the most successful ad-
advertisers. by far the best method of reach
ing tho people is through the columns of
the newspaper. There is nothing new in
this assertion, but it will bear reitsration.
for despite the fact that it has been so &C.
k~nowledged by those who ought to know
those who from hundreds have bred thou
(ands, and those who from thousands have
bred millions of dollars in this hatchery of
wsalth-there are still many who endeavor
to do business without this requisite to euc-
cess, c~lineing tenaciously to illegitimate
rival fakes, and expanding annually in IS
and $25 installments, sufficient to insert
Cat least during certain s%easons) q respecta-
BILE sized advertisement in a daily paper.
And what does it profit them? Do they
keep books? Perhaps. Do they keep a
else their profits, if any, would be proper
tionally larger by the amounts "fakely''
expended.
1t Ia not uncommon to hear certain
classes of merchants loudly argue against
newspaper advertising. There are still not
q few, bat many, who voritably believe
"the advertisements are never read" Yet
there are firms. even in Denver, who ex-
pend as high rs $4,000 per snnum in this
class of advertising alone. Can it be rosson-
ably asserted that these firms are composed
of prodigal idiots, who kindly hand over to
the newspapers these large amounts for the
publication of unread announcements?
There are still other business men whose
businesses neither warrant nor require it,
who look with disfavor upon newspaper adj
vertising because they cannot affoid to buy
space for three-inch type. They forget that
a comparatively small advertisement prop
erly written may be made more attractive
and profitable. Indeed, large advertisers
have on numbcrless occasions divided up a
Roodly amount Of space into small portions
and "soattered" it in as many different
parts of a paper.
Again there are business men who expect
too much from newspaper advertising, and
failing in their expectations, on every and
all occasions heartily denounce it. 1t may
be deemed e1aggeration, but evidently
these particular people believe an adver-
tisement in the columns of their choice of
newspapers should not only bring them a
daily crowd of customers, but in addition
sell the goods and collect all outstanding in
debtedness.
A newspaper advertisement, no matter
what it's attractions, no matter what it may
announce, cannot force q purchase, for
despite the asserted prodigality Of the
American people, there are comparatively
few who will buy what they do not need. A
newspaper advertisement can suggest, can
in many cases create q desire, and in every
case associate the name, number and street
with the class of merchandise, SO that when
the desire for a particular ware or commoa-
ity has become in the mind of the would
be purchaser a real or imaginary necessity.
the mental inquiry, Where shall ] get it?'
is answered by the memory of the an
nouneement. This being the true value
of Newspaper advertising, the necessity
for its continuity, in these days of sharp
petual persistency is more requisite
to success than s~plurges by seasons.
A merchant in active business always has
something to sell, and there is always some
body to purchase. Hence the praoticability
of a continuous announcement. 1t is not
reasonable to suppose a person of proper
Judgment would pull up a pump simply be-
cause this we'll was low. In theory that is
exactly what the advertiser does who dis
continues during dull s%easons." 1t has
'out-of-season-and-in" advertisers reap
the largest profits from their Investments.
1t has been alike repeatedly demonstrated
that out OF season. customers, secured by
continuous newspaper advertising have
often become good and large buvers in sea-
son In fact ''out Of season" customers
courteously received and honorably treated,
given that attention which the dull time
guarantees, arc much mora likely to become
steady patrons than the observation-disclosures
tomer-waitinR''-lookc of the busy time.
A mar cannot partaks of wine and meat
with his mouth hut-no more can he bens-
fit by q silenced advertisement. Briefly,
no advertisement, no customers. Common
sensible speaking, the sultry dog-days md
that season 'twixt winter and spring, when
the tide of business is at the lowest ebb, ia
the very time in tho yearly span, the shrswd
and far-seeing seller of ANYTHING will not
put away from him the servant Of his sue