The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-24
VALUE OF ADVERTISING.
u,,,orGHTFUL AND FORCEFUL ADJ
DRESS OF ROBERT c. OGDEN.

saws Is the Merchants Pulpit.
From the New York Tribune.
Robert c. ogden, the resident partner
Of the firm OF John Wanamaker delivered
sorscful and convincing address yester-
dsv at the second meeting of the conven-
ti,7 of the Merchants Association of
Nv York, on Advertising as Business
Force"
The firm of John Wanamaker has built
ND an enormous business by generous, jul
dicious advertising, and Mr., Ogden is pc
cuIiarlv we'll fitted to discuss so impor-
tant a subject.
Mr. ogden was introduced by w. F.
King. the president of the association. 81
rake pleasure" said Mr.. King, ''in an
nouncing for our second convention an
address by Robert C. Ogden, resident part
nor of the firm of John Wanamaker, on
advertising as a Business Force We
al know that this is one of the best ad-
,ertised and one of the most advertised
firms in the United States, and 1 take
pleasure in introducing him.
Mr. ogden spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Merchants Associa-
ton: think ii would be very difficult
indeed. for me to live up to the level
of this Introduction that [ have had.
must dissent from one single word used
by Mr. King in his Introduction; that is
that | am here to make an address. l am
Uot here for any such purpose, but sim
ply to make a little talk upon some ad-
vertising experiences from the retailers
point OF view, and I recognize in the au-
dience some friends that are not engaged
in the retail business. l find here upon
the circulars that we have all received
a statement that l am to talk upon adver-
Using as a business force. To undertake
to maintain that proposition would be to
establish a mere truism. We all know
that advertising is a business force, and
a very great power that has to be rec
osnized most thoroughly Concerning the
principles that have to do with it, l am
not at all clear myself. If / should uu-
dertake TO make an analysis of retail bus
mess, I should divide the subject into
three parts; the merchandise the service
the advertising. All three of them are
equal in their Importance to the others
but l should characterize the advertising
as the dynamic power of the business.
With the public mind fixed upon busi-
ness as il now is, with the competition that
exists between traders, it is undoubtedly
NhE tcN1 el4dl WltuOut advertising or the
proper kind business cannot be success
fully prosecuted to any large degree.
Therefore, / consider the advertising as
the force that Is to vitalize all the other
work that may be put into the business.
After the merchandise is purchased. after
the service is hired, the steam that is
generated in order to make the machine
move is the advertising. Among the men
! see here are some of New York's adver-
TO
only speaking among ourselves, among the
members of the Merchants Association
that have the money to spend and wish to
spend it to the best advantage.
l should say that one mistake of the
advertising merchant is that he does not
take advertising sufficiently seriously II
is regarded as an element that is some.
how important but yet-a little strange
il IS not thought of, think, generally as
holding the very serious and important
relation to the public at large and to tho
business itself that IL really should occu.
py. Therefore, 1 think that a retail mer.
chant cannot possibly exaggerate to Iii:
own mind the importance of the relation
OF his advertising to his business Per
maps some little remarks that may bt
able to drop a little further on may max,
this a little more clear. now propose t
put IN fragmentary way several things
that come to my mind through experience
one most important thing is this. Wher
man has anything which he wishes Il
brIng before the public eye for sale. HI
Is an Ishmaelite. Every mans hand il
against him. The servant he meets at th'
door, the butler he reaches after passin,
the servants against him;andH his print
ca matter reaches the owner of the nous
II IS as often as not put in the waste has
Ket. Every element is combined within
the house to prevent what he may SEM
through the mail reaching the person 10
whose eye it is intended. Therefore from
that source the influences are all agains
them.
10 reach the eye of the recipient he mus
appeal TO his taste. If he displays anything
IN the shape of a poster, it must be don
IN such artistic style that it will arrest tn
attention of the passer-by.
another experience that goes largely il
ordinary advertising is the waste of mon
ey There have been many calculation
concerning the vast sums of money eX
pended upon advertising in this country
GO not recall what their magnitude is, bu
the figures compiled by intelligent observ
ers are really astounding. L think if W
could manage TO analyze that expenditur
OF money we would find that a vast per
cehtage of it, probably one-half, is entire
~ wasted One reason for this waste
mat the advertiser does not regard his ad
go Nl9IHS WIN Sulnctent SERIOUSNESS. II II
would take il more seriously he woul
study its principles and its methods an
would save 6. great deal of money.
Ihen, also, a great deal of advertiser
lalls of its results because the advertise
gets discouraged. The most successful ad
Nerusing that l have ever known is tina
winch has been exploited on a very larg
scale The man who has had the courag
10 advertise TO a certain extent, and spen
'-5V0' should have the courage to spen
another 5000 and vitalize ell the rest. Lac
% courage is one of the most common eX
H'rences of advertisers. / am speakin
no" OF newspaper advertising and the ad
'sfts.ng of general merchandise. / do no
BOW anything about exploiting proprie
l5fy articles.
len man has taken up the subject @
h'Fertising. ne should reach a theory ant
u.Nlhs reached one of which his judgmen
VIII approve, he should stick to II yer
thoroughly all the way through. But unles
Ae mas the resources, and stock of mer
N"andise at his back, with the command Q
,-ptaI necessary to enable hir
40 the courageous thing about &
's mad very much better not advertise, bu
-' out Of business and try something else