Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-08-25

CAN YOU AFFORD IT7
Pointed cuesfIons Put Plainly 10
Advertisers
WHO ARE snAkY JUST NOW
Reasons WIZ Merchants shssid Goa
sinse - Krep Their Names and
WAVES Besbre the Pabiic-
WHO ARE sHAkY JUST NOW


moHths has promptsd quite number
q the leading advertisers q the country
70 course which. Ia cur opinion. they
will regret Ia the end We siluds 70
the dlscontinuancs Of advertising con-
tracts On account II threatened hard
times. The experience q the past fur
nishcs plenty of examples 10 show that
such policy y invariably costly In it
results. and although thu temptation 70
seek relief from the responsibility for
advertising bills h great. yet In the
end the sum total Of the effect Of such q
course 10 shrinkage In business. and
the loss Of ground which had already
been gained in the competition for pub
lie favor.
The successful advertisers are those
who have kept eternally at IT, The
human memory Ia short The Law OF
composition admits Of no armisticc.
There can be no permanent vacancy IN
the grand army which 70 moving forward
to the assault Of public favor. IA soon
as one steps out OF the ranks for any
cause whatever. another quickly takes
his place.
Demand Il Eternal.
Human wants are substantially invari-
able. and the quantity Of things pur-
chased for the needs Of existence can
not be permanently Iessened No mat
ter how hard the times. just 90 many
pills will be taken In q year. 90 many
pairs Of shoes worn. and % many bottles
OF tonic will be drank. There may be a
temporary falling OF In the demand Tor
such things, but IL can only be tempo.
rary. The question h mainly as to who
shall supply the demand. III one man
ufacturer fails 10 do IL another will sup.
plant him. Patronage 10 easier held
than gained.
The advertising world IL familiar with
many trade marks that In times past
have been household words with the
masses, but which today are little more
than "reminiscences. This has not been
tho result OF change in the category oil
human wants. much less a diminution
OF consumption of articles OF this kind
The decline had almost invariably been
the result Of mistaken judgment or los
OF confidence on the part OF the proprie
tor whose goods had been advertised
into popular favor. Some OF the mos
successful advertisers have In the pas
boon impressed with the idea that theil
place was certain. that their trade wal
established. and that the battle will
competitors might be suspended with
out loss 10 themselves. The result hal
never been different. Ii has Away
eliminated In disaster II persisted II
long enough.
Cannot Anord TO Withdraw.
We call attention to this truism be
cause just at this time, rs stated in th'
heading. there are number OF the bes
known advertisers who seem 10 be finch
| ing from the strain imposed upon activ'
business. and 70 soothe their bettel
Judgment with the idea that they cal
afford for the time at least 10 Withdraw
from the columns Of the public prints
| We do not believe they can do IL.
We believe that In times like thes
sacrifices II necessary should be made
and expedients resorted 10 until ever,
effort shall have been exhausted. leay
ing only a. last resort tho withdraw
Of their advertising business.
There Ii little question but we hav
passed the crisis Of our troubles. Every
thing points to q resumption Of conf
dence in the near future. and with con
tidence will come better timcs Prescn
conditions have been brought about b
the diseased epidemic Of fancy rathe
than Of fact
No Cause Tor Alarm
The most sstute financiers OF Oh
country are unable to point TO any ade
quate cause for the late disaster Gu
people nave not been Frustrated by a
expensive war; famine has not DC
vaststed our fields or cities; no grea
coniiagration has swept up millions; bn
on the other hand We have just past
year % bountiful crops. fruitful mine,
beneflcient weather and intensely activ
factories. Every trade has been bus,
every barn has been full. The Who'll
thing IL financial nightmare. and th
cool heads that direct business in il
well known channels need have no caus
for apprehension.
IL Il rather time for increased sctio
than for relaxation. and our advice :
experienced advertisers whose bushes
IL based upoufarticlcs OF fixed value. 1
20 kesp right on. and not yield TO ia
temptation 10 check their course by SUI
rendering tho hold they have upon poy
SuIar favor from the suspension Of thei
advertising business Ia the columns G
the newspaper press OF the country
I. u