Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-05-29
THEN AND NOW.


THEN AND NOW.
Ten years ago the advertising writer
was an unknown quantity-except in
one or two cases-and then he was
looked upon with suspicion and derided
by practically everybody.
Ten years ago the business man look
ed upon advertising as an outlay gaug-
ed by the volubility, insistence or per-
sonal pull Of whoever secured his ad-
vertisement. whether it was for char
ity program or legitimate publication
and 1t was not until the experience of
few more shrewd and far-seeing than
he looked upon it as an investment.
Even today there are some who can
see no good in advertising.
Today the advertising man who plans
and writes advertising is as much a
part and parcel of the commercial
world as is the man who passes upon
credits.
Today the enterprise that is being
planned to produce and sell merchan-
disc considers advertising in its pros
pective and future outlays.
Ten years ago scarcely any enterprise
excepting possibly patent medicines,
circuses and a few dry goods houses
considered advertising as worth more
than a passing thought, scarcely even
that.
Today even the manufacturer who
aims to reach only the retailer adver-
tises broadcast so as to influence the
general sale Of his goods and so. create
a demand that the retailer feels obliged
to supply.
Naturally the advertising man Of ex-
perience is called into devise ways and
| methods of best doing this advertising,
and so it happened that the advertising
man-writer, specialist or expert Gas
YOU choose to call him) sprang into ex-
istence.
Ten years ago If there was an adver-
tising department it was source or
worry, annoyance and expense (but
which somehow or another could not
be downed) and to preside over such
department was considered a good
berth by some superanuated member of
the family who was Of no earthly use
anywhere else.
Yet, despite all the obstacles put In
the way of the advertising department
showing it's good, it would persist in
demonstrating it's worth very much as
live wire persists in demonstrating
the fact that it is full Of electricity.
Slowly prejudices were moved. When
reason took the place Of prejudice and
fair trial given to the power Of ad-
vertislng, it was proved to be the great
est power on earth to aid the selling OF
meritorious merchandise.
AS this idea grew on the business
world, so the business world began
to study advertising. Like electric
ity it a ppeared on the surface like
easily seen and apparent
ly easily mastered-but the more 1t was
studied the profounder 1t became. The
advertiser found that there were more
ways of losing money in advertising
than there were In losing money IN
bucket shop. If he went into pro-
CRANES his money never came back. Ii
he went into fly by night publications
his money also took wings. If he went
into hotel guides, race track charts,
cheap directories" and the thousand
and one other schemes brought before
his attention he sunk his cash in a
bottomless pit.
If he started a patent medicine on
capital of $4,000 he went broke before
his advertising brought him results. IL
he threw an advertisement together IN
"any old way" he noticed he threw his
money away If he went ahead IN a
heller skelter way without any pre-
viously thought out scheme Of advertis-
ing he wound up at the end of the lane
where the sheriff's flag was waving. If
he did not have the goods and service
to back up advertising he not only be-
came bankrupt, but so damaged his
reputation that it took him long while
to recover.
Today the advertiser is wise enough
to appreciate the value Of good copy,
good mediums and good business sense
throughout all his advertising work.
Ten years ago he did not-"because
he didn't know, you know'-and ideas
travel slowly.-J. Angus Macdonald In
The Buyer and Dry Goods Chronicle.