The Anaconda standard., 1895-11-24
THE ART OF ADVERTISING.
Pertinent Pointers Given by an Expert
enced Advertiser.

FRANK A. Lee. president or the John
Church company. read a paper before
the Manufactures club Saturday even
Ing. In which some points were pre-
sented that are OF great interest to
business men.
Mr.. Lee showed that the volume OF
advertising OF the present day In the
United states is about twenty times
what II was in 1s45. and twice what II
| was In 1850, while the past FIVE years
are thought to have shown an increase
of 20 per cent. over 1890. The annual
receipts of advertising of some of the
big magazines are s325.000 to $3.50. 200.
and this country now expends $685.
100000 annually in advertising.
Continuing, Mr.. Lee spoke as fol-
| lows:
| Avoid the excessive use of superla-
tives. simply stating your article Is the
best II u Is the best no objection can
exist to statements OF certain facts
| which you know make IL best. Sub
| stantiate what you say remembering
| you have to convince people who live
in a skeptical age. Take space suffi-
cient or more for your wants. and then
cut down your matter. Say what you
have to say In fewer rather than more
words. and keep in mind the fact that
reciprocity Is the first law OF business,
and that IL the public feels from your
advertising that you are trying to get
something for nothing. that you may
as well or better withdraw that adver-
tisement, even II you pay for the blank
space IL occupied.
Nor is an advertisement a good one
which neither excites comment nor
creates interest among those for whom
IL is intended. II Is not a good invest
ment. and would best remain unwrit-
ten. Certain space you must pay for
in an educational way. and treat the
cost of II as you would the effort OF a
man who makes no sales, but you
know he is going to after limited ex-
perience. Advertise strongly on special
points or features OF your product.
Those common to every machine OF the
same make let some other man exploit.
He is doing it for your product as well
as his own. Do not ticket your adver-
tisement with technical stock or trade
terms (unless you explain them): or
dinarily they mean nothing to a Gus
toner. and are stumbling blocks to the
discriminating public.
The question. II YOU cannot do both.
as to whether you will advertise to In
fiuence the trade OF the consumer alone
or the dealer who buys your product
for resale h sometimes hard one to
decide.
Personally. 1 incline far to the side
of advertising entirely to influence the
for the goods hard enough you don't
have to advertise to catch the dealers
trade. The best advertising is that
which comes nearest to actually SELL
ing goods TO the greatest number. and
each advertise should be imbued
with the idea which may result in an
order There Is perhaps unfortunately
little true originality to be brought
forth in advertising: therefore, / can
not see that new combinations are not
legitima tely formed from the best
parts of others. In advertising you
can rarely be entirely original IL you
want to be: YOU would be foolish IL
you always wanted to be. II you start
out to equip your matter with thor
oughly new Ideas without culling from
others you have a hard Job. What on
earth has all the advertising OF the
world been for N II cannot help US I'm
some thing? You can take an old Idea
and with scant reverence for it's skin
dried form place II In new dress ap-
plicable to your wares. and make OF II
a better and more effective ad. than
another which NAV be full OF brain
power and originality. yet with faults
which kill its trade-pulling power. So
called originality should not be carried
to an extreme. The ad. not original
which comes nearest to selling goods
Is better than the ultra-original which
brings no returns. Bear in mind. how
ever that people are unlike; one style
constantly persisted in reaches one
portion only. A tudicious variation Is
necessary 10 influence all classes who
buy your product. Bright thoughts on
presenta ton of your matter may often
come from employees VINO have no con-
nection with your advertising depart
ment. You don't know how bright
some OF the people under you are. IL
ii. A. arfxr frrss
agement TO express himself and leave
with him a desire TO help out next
time with what may be a timely sug-
gestion.
Have your matter set up to attract
the eye. Here occurs room for the ex-
ercise OF Individual taste. and after
this Is accomplished as a whole. set
forth or emphasize the feature OF your
matter. As a rule. strength and plain
ness In Typography make a better I'M
preston than more ornate forms. To
advertise advantageously requires both
experience and judgment. Without a
knowledge of the character and circu-
lation OF the public journals much OF
your expenditure may be wasted on
mediums which. while good In them
selves. may have a divided or an In
appropriate circulation. The point OF
view of each advertiser is a different
one varying as to product and experi-
ence. To each the value OF no medium
depends on the quantity OF circulation.
but rather on a circulation and the
quality or chayacter OF such circula-
ton. When content with this and It's
worth to you. buv advertising space
as you would mercantile supplies Of
any kind. Do not overload. and pur-
chase with knowledge that the most
expensive mediums are not always too
high in price; they may have right
TO be Just where they are. and also
that the poorest advertising Is not
necessarily the lowest in price. nor that
the lowest priced medium Is perforce
the most economical In the best way
you can advertise all your business
will permit-not more-but beware The
Scylla OF not advertising enough In
avoiding the charybdis Of too ex-
cesslve expenditure.
our present trade or manufacture Is
founded on a past OF greater or less
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