The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-08-22
An AD EXPERTS IDEAS
HE TELLS HOW SELLING BUSINESS
MAY BE DOOMED.
Judicious Summer Advertising a Pay
Pointers for Business Men.



In most of the large commercial CEN
ters of the United States there is not
such marked falling off in the adj
vertising space taken by the leading
retail merchants during the summer
months as there is right here in San
Francisco. The advertising solicitors
of the several daily papers when going
their rounds at this season of the year
are confronted with statements like
these:
Business is so dull that we cannot
afford to advertise"
almost everybody is out of town
now and it would not pay us to adver-
tse."
"The goods that we sell are only
in active demand at Christmas time"
"The lines we handle are broken
now-only a few of a kind left, and
we must get in our new stock before
we commence advertising again"
There are some exceptions, of
/
sistently and continuously all the year
round; and strange to say these same
men have the reputation of doing the
largest business of any house in their
respective lines. While indiscriminate
advertising, without aim or limit,
would be the height of folly, and
would bring ultimate ruin to the adj
vertiser, judicfous summer advertising
may be made to yield rich returns.
Mr.. w. +. Joslyn, the advertising
manager of the Emporium, who is sue
cessfully filing the most responsible
advertising position in California and
who believes firmly in liberal advertis-
ing during the so-called dull season,
expressed himself in substance as fol-
lows, on the four excuses most fire.
quently given by those who cut down
their advertising during the summer:
THE statement that almost every
Joslyn, sis not true, unless Everybody
means the 400 The people of wealth
and leisure who can afford to shut up
their homes and spend the summer at
the seaside or mountain resorts form
less than 1 per cent of our entire pop
ulation, and such trade as they care
to bestow on San Francisco merchants
has already been secured before they
leave the city for their summer out
ing-the few ordinary dresses for
themselves and the children, the little
forgotten odds and ends that are
bought at the last moment-for the
majority of the ultra-faShionable set
tunes direct from Felix of Paris, their
tailor-made gowns and outing suits
from Redfern of New York or from
some equally renowned dictators OF
fashion. Many of the men in the
smart set have their measure in some
fashionable London or New York shop
and order their morning, afternoon
evening, golf, yachting, cycling and
numerous other suits from samples OF
materials regularly sent to them.
1T is not from this class of trad,
that the majority of the merchants Of
this or any other city derive theil
profitable business. 1t is from the
great mass of people who work fol
their living six days of the week will
their hands or brain. They are the
money earners-they are the money
spenders. Few of this busy throng .
wage earners have more than two
weeks vacation from their labors d
rest during the year. They are her,
in the city all of the remaining week
earning, say, their average of 81
weekly, and spending it for living eX
shoes, and such luXuries as they cal
afford after the necessities of existence
have been provided for.
Two hundred thousand people, a
least, constantly living in San Fran
cisco with an average income and out
, lay of $40 each week, means that So,
100000 are being spent weekly in thi
!. city, summer and winter alike. Thi
is low estimate, for the statistic
r say that our population is more thar
=. 300, 00c, and, besides that, we have sew
eral large suburban cities to draw
trade from.
Il would say to the merchant VIII
does not advertise his wares-who ha
them shelved within the four walls D
his store-'hid under the bushel' as i
were, comparatively few people know
ing that he has the goods for sale
would say to him, if | were an adj
t vertising solicitor: Are you gettin,
= your share of the two millions or NOR
that are spent weekly in San Fran
CISCO"