The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-17
ADVERTISING IN DULL TIMES
Valuable suggestions to the Retail Mer-
chant for All Seasons.

Dry Goods Chronicle.
How to advertise successfully in dull
times for a general retail store is a diff
ficult subject to decide II is, at the
same time a subject upon which there
is a great diversity of opinion.
BY dull times we mean the seasons
of the year when trade is not usually
so brisk as il is at other times. AT
these times some merchants largely in
crease their advertising expenditures.
Others continue about the same as in
busy times. Business discretion
should, of course, be used by ALL but as
a rule we believe that those who do the
most advertising at these times have
the best of the argument, and can bring
up more good reasons to support their
side than the others.
II the purpose is to draw trade, then
why not advertise when you need trade
the most? OF course, this rule Is sub
ject TO the surroundings and the cir
cumstances. We realized that in dull
times II is much harder to bring peo-
pie TO the store, but that is one reason
why more advertising should be used,
or better advertisements should be
used, for IL is not always necessary TO
extend ones space where the same re-
suit may be accomplished by using the
same space in making the advertise
ment attractive.
IL possible, in dull seasons more in
ducements should be held out to the
customer than in brisk seasons. More
care should be used in selecting articles
to be advertised and more thought
should be given to advertisements 10
bring trade to your store; but. how
ever you may view this subject, do not
in any circumstances, drop your ad-
vertising entirely.
Advertising, TO a large extent, is GU
mulative in itse benefits. for the value
of present advertising depends largely
upon what has been done before. II
you discontinue advertising entirely
you are leaving out some Of the bricks
in the wall which you are construct
ing and will lose portion OF the ben
efts of accucmulative advertisements
when you begin again. there having
been a disconnection in what you did
before and that which you now intend
| TO do.
The benefits to be derived from ad-
vertising are i'm the future. as well as
what you may get at present. Adver-
| Using Is something like making q
snowball-the further you go the big
ger IL grows If, after you have rolled
your SNOWFALL a little distance you stoT
rolling IL and begin another one, YOU
| are expending an extra amount of la
/ Dor instead of accommodating, while Il
you had kept on rolling the old ball y
would soon grow to much larger pro
portions than any new one you could
start
II Is poor policy ever TO stop adver
Using altogether. In dull times. as W.
have said, II the amount expended
must be decreased. more care thar
ever should be used in the preparation
of the advertisements. When the fisl
| is harder to catch be more careful II
| selecting your bait.
The way 10 advertise is an importan
| point to consider. In dull times max
your offerings just as attractive a
you know how. and advertise season
able goods such as will be OF immedi
ate use. 1t is hard enough to sell un
seasonable goods when people buy free
ly. but Il is much harder 10 push ther
in unfaVorable times.