The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-09
ADVERTISING RATES.
Apparently High Rates Sometimes the
Lowest.

Where Cheapness of Rates is the
Only Inducement--Some Facts and
Figures Which Tell Truthful Story
and Save the Advertisers Money
Bv Nathaniel G. Fowler, Jr., Doctor
of Advertising.
Copyright, 1898, by The Trade Co., Boston.
No progressive paper asks less than it
can conveniently get
Good advertising space comes high.
'Tis not so much how much you pay,
tits what you get for what you pay.
The retailer must advertise 1t is his
duty to pay as little as he can, to buy at
sub-bottom.
Advertising space in any respectable
newspaper is merchandise, and must be
reckoned as a barrel of -four, or as a yard
of calico.
No responsible merchant sells -four or
calico for less than its value. No good
newspaper peddles advertising space for
less than it is worth to itself, and to the
local advertiser
The majority of papers of "sticktuitive"
one price, are the papers of circulation,
and of positive advertising value.
A cut in the price of molasses, or in any
other commodity, creates suspicion that
it is not good, or that there is no demand
for it,
An unusual cut in advertising rates, I'M
natural discounts, or any of this seeing
ou-rll-do-so-and-s so, " is evidence that
the advertising space is not worth what
is asked for it, and generally much less
than that obtained for it.
The advertiser has no more right to
beat down the advertising rates of a
newspaper than has the newspaper a
right to demand suicidal discount in the
purchase of his clothes, provisions, or fur
niture.
No first-class publication will go below
its regular scale for anybody, except in
exceptional exceptions, and these are gen
orally handled with the incest care, that
no one but the persons interested may be
familiar in the premises
1t is impossible for any one to dictate a
scale of rates to apply generally, for each
publication has the same right to make
its rates as has the merchant to fix a
price upon his goods, but the law of gen
eral averages applies more or less to this
paper, and to all other papers,
An established proportionate rate is one
cent a line, per thousand circulation, on
regular yearly contracts, but many large
dai.ies cut this rate in two twice, while
some other dailies are not able to bring
their rates down to this propOrtionate
figure. There are newspapers in which
advertising is worth more than one cent a
line per thousand circulation, and there
newspapers in which advertising is not
worth one fifth, or one tenth, of cent a
line per thousand circulation. but any
respectable local paper which depends
upon news for its success, can maintain a
rate of from one fourth of a cent to cent
and a half a line per thousand circulation,
for display advertising with a lesser rate
for regular want advertisements, while
local weeklies, if their circulation be
limited, have a right to ask from cent to
two cents line per thousand circulation
on yearly contracts.
A few very large dailies maintain their
rates, without regular discount, whether
the number of insertions be | or 800, but
the majority of local dailies give from 10
per cent. to 30 per cent. discount from
REGULAR card rates, on yearly business.
The advertiser is warned against those
papers which only hive quality and high
rates as inducements. The society sheet,
printed upon fine paper, with select Gil
cuauOn of not exceeding 1000 copies
land there are few society papers with
over 1000 circulation) cannot consistently
ASK over cents line per thousand cir
cuatlon, and the advertiser some
Ilmes finds it advisable to pay this, if he
De an extensive advertiser, as he desires
70 cover his field completely, not because
me space is worth that in comparison
WIN the rates charged by leading news
papers, but because even at this appar-
VVuuS eXOrbitant rate, enough
araue may come from the advertise
Mg zen TO Justify the extravaganza.
ne best criterion for every retailer is
70 thoroughly investigate the best paper
III ms city, circulation and quality both
t.Dnsldered, take for an established rate
sie lowest rate of this paper, apply that
a&ve' ploportionately, to all papers of
CHARACTER, or of less circulation, and not
anoW himself to materially vary from
Instances
81 tnis leading paper, with the circula
' yon Oh iOOOO, charges five cents line, on
SCoIty business, more respectable pa
PER, ana Of higher literary grade, with
az, tlIculatlon of only 1000, certainly can
n no. consistently demand more than two
VI ;, Shfee cents line, and yet this paper
~ ask from five to ten cents, and the
advertiser must then decide whether. he
f a dHord to buy space at this high rate.
t ill., AiloWs that he is obliged to pay many
c c,'-ies more proportionately, and THAT he
e1loU Duy space for less than the asked
55ree, He has simply then to take it or
!, iop IT, being biased in favor of dropping
ing. -iie'iioU III pi"oiiiS "U q US
generally the local advertiser cannot
ouoro not to advertise a little in all re
fIretla0le local papers, but the bulk of his
ltiiiess should go into the one or more
iSeaulng local dailies or weeklies, which
aa'e iair amount of quality, very large
~ 5tounl OF quantity, with advertising
vice given. '' -0
low clsdll let me say beware of the paper Of
ro,. lales. Rates must beconsidered pro
t,.oH93tely. In many papers twenty
rsA,s line is not one tenth as much. pro
f..--'-.,llalely. as ten cents a line is in a
printed alongside Of them.
WIZ what you get for your money, not
Et You pay IN apparent rates
sb,... Illustration, ii have attempted TO
,Ir .4e same advertisement set up in
instinct styles frequently when
cruiser cannot think Of anything