Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-11-17
ADV ERTISING 4 TOWN
OCEAN GROVE FOUND IT EXCEEDING
~ PROFITABLE.

taininE Encis About the Town Dis
tribut'G Observation-Disclosures OF Trade
Arranged Railroad EKcursIons.
Perhaps the possibilities of adyertiS.
inS were heycr more thoroughly dciG-
ons,ratcd than in the case Of Ocean
Grove during the summer just closed
succession of poor seasons put the
hotel and boarding house Keeper, In
anything but comfortable frame OF
mind, besides drplotin the most pie
thoriC purse in the place. But, presto.
the condition OF things was reversed
this year and Ocean Grove has enjoy
ed one OF the most prosperous srasUn8
ever recorded. writes j. T.. Quinn in
Printers Ink. The prosperity WAS due
to but one cause advertising.
The organization Of local board OF
trade last tall made a plan of adycr-
tising possible, and the fact that in
the board were several practical news
paper men of large experience assured
the thoruughnCss of the work.
\ fund of several hundred dollars
was raised from the initiation fees Of
members and by assessing the hotel
and boarding house keepers in proper.
tion to the size of their houses. \ Spc-
cial Ocean Grove envelope was design
ed bearing on the address side an
ocean scene, with the words, Season
June to Oct. /, Ocean Grove, ~ j."
The reverse side recitcd "FaCts About
Ocean Grove" 30 strong arguments
for public patronage. Special letter
heads, also containing the facts"
were printed. These were distributed
gratuitously in great quantities hy the
board of trade. \ package of the en-
vclopcs and letter heads was left at
every house in town. All who could
make use of this stationery were sup
piled literally. This was in early win
ter, when things In Ocean Grove were
as dead rs the prOverbial doornail. The
envelope was attractive. 1t was more
1t was conspicuous. 1t compelled at
tentiOn. Lying in pile with hun
drcd others, IL was the one TO catch and
hold the eye. In short time the post
master reported that two-thirds of the
outgoing mails was made up Of the
special stationery.
The results were soon manifest.
Even in the dead of winter inquiries
came pouring in from people who had
never before heard of Ocean Grove,
or, if they had heard of the place. 1t was
only "a "a plnntiny In hn tNnalS
Undoubtedly, the investment cOnsid-
cred, this was the most profitable bit
Of advertising which the board did,
but it was not all.
A monthly illustrated paper was in
stituted. Not line in II but sang the
praises of Ocean Grove. The opinions
of prominent people, competent TO
speak favorably Of Ocean Grove, were
solicited and printed under good head
lines. Local writer's contributed col
umn articles. Every aspect Of the
place, in summer and in winter, was
carefully elaborated. Pictures Of
houses and scenery, the lakes, the
bridges, the drives, the parks, the play
grounds and every subject available
We're printed. The paper was made
entertaining and was eagerly sought
for. Thousands Of copies We're pub
liShCd and sent broadcast. The hotels
were supplied with them in quantities
TO mail TO prospective guests. by May
the hotel and boarding house keepers
had more enquiries" than ever before
in the history Of the place.
Then the board of trade took in hand
the matter of arranging ii day cXcur-
siOns with the railroads from points
east of and including pittsburg, The
co ooperati0n of low fare to Ocean
Grove was secured, something nn-
heard of before. Eight sheet hangers
containing the facts" already several
times referred to were printed in al
most endless quantity. These were
supplied by the board to the railroad
people, who hung bunch in every
railroad station on the line between
the points named. AS n result one OK
cursion alone brought 30 carloads of
people from western Pennsylvania to
Ocean Grove, many Of them never
within sight of the ocean before.
These three methods, aided Ivy no
tees In the papers, constituted the
whole plan Of advertising, which prov
ed profitable beyond tie most san
guine anticipations. 1t Is safe to say
Ocean Grove" was never SO well adver-
tised as during the past year.