Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-08-03
DULL TIME ADVERTISING.

1t May Probably lie Done In Summer.
n. G. Fowler Jr's., Building Busl
ness. There are many shrewd bust
ness men who have succeeded in max
ing moderate fortunes, and still re-
tain the opinion that it pays to ad,
vertise when trade is good, but that
advertising cannot be profitable when
trade is supposed to be stagnant. 1t
is proposed to argue this question
along the trodden path of automatic
truth, in order that it may be proved
that there is as much reading done
during the summer as is done during
any other season of the year. By OBJ
servation it can be easily proved that
there are as many papers and books
read between the first Of June and the
first of September as are read at any
other time of the year. 1t is then hot
and uncomfortable, and people let
down the bars" of business and
straight-laced society duties to spend
their time upon the piaZzaS, at the
SeaShOre, in the mountains. or by the
lakes. There never was 4 man or
woman, with brains enough to COM
prehend the headline in newspaper,
who did not carry to the summer cot
tage, or summer hotel, or to the
home, about as large a stock of books
and papers as Of clothes and neceSSi.
ties. The scramble for daily papers
and magazines i'll the reading-rOOE of
every hotel, and at the newsstand of
every country resort, during the hot
months, teaches a kindergarten lesson
of positive fact. The statement made
that it is too hot to read is built upon
nothing; it it never too hot to read;
it is frequently to hot to work.
One reason why so few good are
sold during the summer is that dealers
make comparatively little effort to sell
goods. If people purchased what they
wanted, and knew what they wanted,
there would be no drummerS and no
,, advertising Goods would simply be
put on the shelves, and a card of
description and price be placed on
them. Customers would come into the
store, look around to find what they
| wanted, carry the goods to the girl to
have it bundled, and pay the check at
! the cashiers desk. Trade would be
| like the bill-Of-fare in a restaurant
F.! There can be no dull season in a live
store, where seasonable goods are
placed upon sale and heavily adver-
tised The secret of profitable advertis-
ing in the dull season is simply to ar
range it so as to appeal directly to the
requirements Of the season and to
| the coming seasons. 1t has been
! proved that the sale of everything
except the absolute necessities is
made two or three months before the
definite order is given. The majority
of men do not even buy a tennis coat
until they have thought Of the matter
several weeks. The average woman
considers a baby carriage month be-
| fore she buys one. 1t is the little sug,
gestions which turns the possible
customer in the direction Of any par,
| ticular store or article. This sugges-
| ton is generally the advertisement
which forces into the mind a not yet
recognized desire. If the advertisement
/ to fan into life the germ which II
planted the first time it was seen.
The shrewdest of national advertisers
have advertised extensively during the
summer months. Vacation time is the
season of 'eat, sleep and read" the
time when the business man turns his
attention to home and home comforts
and makes UP his mind that he wants
this or that, long before he buys it, be
cause he then has the time in which
to consider it. The assertion can be
safely made that fully One-half Of the
goods purchased between the first Oh
September and the first of December
have been bought, in the mind of the
purchaser, during July and August
The best advertisers are realizing this
and are keeping their advertisements
in the papers, not only during the sell
ing seasons. but between seasons, wher
the strength of advertising is latent
yet there, although not easily seen by
the foolish man who casts his dollar
on the financial waters, to have them
come back to him with the next food
ing of the tide.