The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-09-20
ADVERTISING A CIRCUS.
ut,Y MEN ENPTOYED ND MUrH
NONFi SPENT.
Something over Twenty-siS Hundred Dol
lars often Spent in IL city OF the size Oh
Richmond-IIow IL l. Done

Perhaps Few Of the people who see the
caily colored and flaming posters adyer-
Using the coming OF the ROBINSON ana
Franklin Circus 20 RichmOnC-Lrlday ot
this week ever give the matter sec
ond thought. except 10 mentally comment
on the fact that they DO a great deal OF
adyertislng or the thought naanes
through their mind. II bet they don't
NJ. b. RAYMOND one Of the agents OF
the show i'm question was interviewed by
a Times reporter an evening or Two az
and when the question OF no" arc snVH,o
advertised" was asked him re SeDlleu'
"Somotfrneg truthfully. and sometimes
otherwise, but those that advertise otntr-
visa are usually unsuccessful. snow
may 60 through the country ana huhDuB
the uooule once but when they come the
second time their business is anything
but profitable. and shows that pretend 10
be OF q business standard DO not resort
10 the inscriptions methods that We're
I'm vogue a few years. Barnum once salu,
people want 20 be humbugged.' Perhaps
they did I'm Barnum's days. but not now.
Times and things have changed since ne
was a representative snowman, tAdt -
when he was In his prime, and snow
man cannot take a few pigeons through
the country with dyed feathers ana tell
people they are birds Of paradise these
days. or course. they are all me great
est People say n is natural ior
Snowman 10 foot his own horn but
n he did not do IL his horn would not
ret footed / can assure you. ION VIII
pass along the streets OF your city ana
see n sign I'm window proclaiming that
the wares inside are the best ever
brought 20 the city, and that they are
soflinC them below cost. Did YOU ever
stop go think what that 'beloW cost
meant as I understand II means below
usual cost or wnat the article would have
cost You on some former occasion. mer-
chant. don't sell goods below cost any
moro shan all shows are the greatest.
PeOrie IN America have been educated
90 cXfrayagant advertising iu every line
az business and any tipe you see a good
advertiser YOU find n successful business
man. People who keep their light under
q busher find that their Ugh. either
goes ont or smokes the measure. ana
people who let you know that they are
doing business I'm progressive way are
tho people yor usually want 10 spend
your morey with.
Few people know how much 70 adver-
tise that is they try 10 10 a ten thou.
sand dollar business on a tWO-thOu3and
dollar capitol IL has been tried and
won't work. Advertising a circus Is one
OF tho most important branches Of the
concern. and receives as much or more
attention as any or tho many depart
montN.
About the 1st Of January tho prorr,e.
and call IN their yearly AGENTS and begin
10 figure on what amount of money
20 Will De best 10 spend in the advance
OF tho show. Everything must DE figured
from basis and it-wOuid puzzle you 10
guess how they figure on the amount
~ money 20 bee spent In this way. Well.
IN the first place n show az a certain
size can play 20 about so much money
day gross. Long experience has taught
circus managers these things and 10 viii
surprise .Ou when 7 tell YOU that as a
rllo there Is but . ner cent. Of tho pcO-
pio IN county that pay 20 see shows,
The South IS only profitable 20 two or
three shows for as rule Southern DoO-
pie do nor stump nc conclusions. they
want 10 know what they are spending
The West Is different. Az rule n new
show VIII do better than an old one.
They Ike new ideas out West. they want
new political parties anil new amuse-
western product myself and maybe that
u why / am new But 20 GET back to
tho subject.
Tho general advertiser Of circus Us
q very high-salaried man. Air. William
FRANKLIN % the shows represent naf
drawn as high ms seven thousand dollars
and aU expenses for H season W0r., il
This department when re was ON 9al-
arr Then There IS an assistant who A.
tends 10 the lttnIst next comes % cone
build an advertising board on your prop
orgy. lHe mon Who |iIl railroads como
next. They are supplied with transporra-
ton ana sometimes tlNir manager does
not see them for weeks nc n flme Though
each day Doe hears from them. knows
how many sheets OF printed matter they
Use. and how many tickets they give FOR
tIs privilege of uronfrlv displaying them
The first advertising car is usually from
two 10 three weeks in advance ana care
rira from fifteen 20 twenty-five men. the
number varying according tO the cOuu-
try they are in. Between the first and
% U f. DID,