Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-25
WHEN TO ADVERTISE.
The Dull Times Are when wideawake
Merchants Do IT.

y bIdue journal entitled, ''Bulld-
ing Business, throws out some excel
lent suggestions on the subject of
advertising, and when to depend
upon it the most for results. In
word the wholesome theory is held
out that there need be no quiet sea-
son unless the merchant of his own
volition withdraws from the world of
trade for season of rest. We will
permit the journal referred to to do
its own talking:
There are many shrewd business
men who have succeeded in making
moderate fortunes, and still retain
the opinion that it pays to advertise
when trade is good, but that adver-
Using 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 dur
ing any other season of the year. By
observation it can be easily proved
that there are as many papers and
books read between the 1st of June
and the LIST OF September, as are read
at any other time of the year. 1t is
then hot and uncomfortable and peo-
pie ''let down the bars" of
business and straight-laced society
duties to spend their time upon the
piazzaS, at the seashore, in the noun
tainS, or by the lakes. There never
was Il man or woman, with brains
enough to comprehend the headline
IN newspaper, who did not carry to
the summer cottage or summer no
tel, or to the home about as large a
stock of books and papers as of
closhes and necessities. The scram-
BILE for daily papers and magazines in
the reading room of every hotel, and
ut the news stand of every country
resort, during the hot months.
teaches n kindergarten lesson of pos
tive fact. The statement made that
it is too hot to read is built upon
nothing; il is never too hot TO read;
ii is frequently too hot to work.
y Little Effort Necessary
One reason why so few goods are
sold during the summer is that deal
ers make comparatively little effort
to sell goods. If people purchased
what they wanted. and knew what
they wanted, there would be no drum
mers and no advertising. Goods
would simply be put on the shelves.
and description and price be placed
on them. Customers would come in
10 the store. look around to find what
they wanted. carry the goods to the
girl to have il bundled. and pay the
check at the cashiers desk. Trade
would.he like the bill ofrfare in a res
taraunt. There can be no duh season
in live store. where seasonable
goods are placed upon sale and
heavily advertised. The secret
of profitable advertising in the
duh season is simply to arrange it so
a, to appeal directly to the require
ments of the season and to the COM
ing 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 4 tennis coat
until they have thought of the mat
ter several weeks. The average
woman considers Il baby carriage a
month before she buys one. 1t is the
little suggestion which turns the
possible customer in the direction of
any particular store or article. This
suggestion is generally the adver-
tisement, which forces into the mind
a not yet recognized desire. If the
advertisement continues it is sure to
strengthen and to fan into life the
germ which it planted the first time
it was seen.
The shrewdest of national adver-
tisers have advertised extensively
during the summer months. Vaca-
ton time is the season to '.eat, sleep
and read. the time when the bust
ness 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. because he
then has the time in which to con-
slider it. The assertion can safely be
made that fully one-half of the goods
purchased between the LIST of Sep
TENDER and LIST of Decem Der
have been bought, in the hand of the
purchaser. during July and August
The best advertisers are realizing
this. and are keeping their advertise
mcnts in the papers. not only during
the selling seasons, but between sea-
sons, when the strength of advertis-
ing is latent, vet there, although
not easily seen by the foolish man
who casts his dollars on the financial
waters, to have them come back to
him with the next flooding of the
tide.