St. Paul daily globe., 1892-02-11
THE ADVERTISING AGENT

THE ADVERTISING AGENT
Proyokes the Old Stereotyped Dis.
cussion.
j. l.. Stacks paper Oil The Relations
OF the Advertising Agency to the COun-
try Publisher, Followed, and provoked a
lengthy discussion. Mr.. Stack said:
The advertising agent is the link be-
tween the publisher and the new busi-
ness lie is seeking, and as he is the
friend OF the publisher he should be al
lowed commissions cut from figures
quoted to advertisers. The plan Of
valuing space the same to the local and
the foreign advertiser is an injustice to
the latter. A discount should he made
the latter because he can appeal TO only
small proportion of the readers OF the
paper. While the former appeals to his
friends ana neighbors. The foreign adj
vertiser also duplicates his ground. in
using both local and general publica-
tIOns. The publishers interests will
be best and most permanently subSerVed
by uniting his efforts with those OF the
advertlelng agency. proving to the adj
vertlSer that for the consideration he
asks, the columns of his publication
off+r an ample equivalent. The puO-
Usher must never lose sight of the fact
that the shrewd and successful adver-
tiser places his newspaper advertising
through reputable and responsible
secure for its client the greatest value
for the money to be expended. both in
extent and quality of circulation. Ii
matters not 10 the agent whether he
places the advertisement in one paper
of 10000 circulation, Or in ten papers OF
1000 each, and il rests with the indi-
vidual publishers whether they shall
share in the money invested, or allow
one of tsieir number to secure it all.
l.. Osborn. OF the Glyndon News, took
issue with the essayist. mo advertis-
ing agent or reader of paper on the
subject" he said, '.haS ever approached
the subject of the value of the country
newspaper circulation in q candid. fair,
just, and, may say. Intelligent spirit.
The value of advertising in the country
newspaper Is not to be determined by
the horizontal rule of circulation. This
omnibus way of treating it can never be
correct. The advertising agent ignores
the element OF cost in furnishing the
commodity he wants to bny." The
speaker thought there ought 10 be found
medium between the extremes of local
rates and the advertising agents price.
If the paper has 4 circulation of 400
every week, and covers its field well,
that circumstance ought to count III the
price. The paper may be worth more
as an advertising medium than cireu-
lation OF 900 fifty miles away. The
way i'll which paper covers Its terri
tory, he continued, ought to be con-
sidered III fixing the rates of for
cign advertising. If patent medi-
cine manufacturers want TO intro
duce their remedies in new field, adj
vertising in that field is worth more tG
them. if the field is new, than in any
other locality. The country publisher
doesn't ask the foreign advertiser to pay
more than he can afford. The two should
begin right-begin together. The adj
vertising agent is entitled to his com-
mission. but the country publisher cam
not cut his rates below a living price.
In concluding, the speaker said: I'VE
ought to learn lessons from other busi
ness. The advertising agent says: We
ought TO get together. We ought to
begin right, and the way to do it is for
you to come over TO me- 1t begins that
way and it ends that way"
Joseph Lecht. of Die Westlcher
Herold, at WinOna. declared the trouble
all lay in the fact that too many pub
fishers were not business men. Too
many men failing in all other business
have started weekly papers. "There
are men in the profession" he said,
"WhO ought to be in state prison instead
OF in newspaper work. They are dead
beats-don't pay their honest debts.''
In reference to the habit of borrowing
ones neigh6Or'S paper, the speaker de-
clared that every man ought to have a
wife and Il paper of his own, and insist
ing on the value of country advertising.
Mr.. Leicht concluded among laughter
and applause.
joel p. HcatWol asked of Mr.. Stack
the difference between local and foreign
advertising.
Mr.. Stack maintained that inasmuch
as the local advertiser was addressing
friends and neighbOrS, and was selling
goods everybody in the community
needed, he could afford to pay more for
advertising than an outside advertiser.
MIR. HeatWOle WAS not satisfied with
Mr.. Stacks explanation, and contendtd
that as Il merchant would not sell yard
OF calico cheaper to man out Of town,
so the publisher should not discriminate
between local and foreign advertisers.
"The worst enemy we have" he said.
us the cutting of rates." and declared
"a declaration received with applause
that he charged foreign advertisers
j. q. Hamlin, of the Blue Earth City
Post, said that inasmuch as the local adj
Vertiser really supported the paper, he
ought not to be Disseminated against.
Mr.. Jennson gave it as his conviction
that the publishers would get more ad-
vertisementS i'll the long run if no dis
count were made to foreign advertis-
ers. at is mistake" he declared,
that LOCO circulation is 1000 circula-
ton everywhere, and that the same
amount OF circulation is worth the same
no matter in what locality found" He
advised editors not to be in a hurry with
foreign advertisers, not to waste post
age, but TO wait for them 10 come to
time.
E. A. Paradis, of the Midway News,
in urging the advantage of advertise
ments in country papers. said that an
advertisement in large daily would
often be overlooked, while everything
in the country paper. is read. The
magazine, the daily and the weekly
paper all have their especial fields.
Mr.. Heatwole was convinced that the
rates offered by advertising agents are
low because the publishers don't insist
on higher rates. +. G. Gottry, OF the
Pine County Pioneer. and Soren Listoe,
OF the NordVcSten, gave personal eX- +
DerienceS with ADVERTISING agents w