Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-05-01
VOLUME 45, NUMBER Is
ADVERTISING AS AN INVESTMENT.
Why the Art OF Presenting Facts to Pur-
chasers is Paying One.
Rv WaIcOma I Kirby
By Welcome T.. Kirby.


"DoeS advertising pay?" This
question continues to be asked by two
classes of business men-th0Se who
don't know and those who know it all.
There is hope for the former: they
may be informed: indeed, they want
TO be. Their doubts and heSitancieS
are natural and yield to the logic of
events It's worth ali the time it
takes to reason with them; they are
open to conviction. The latter | shall
not here consider; they should be
dealt with in separate article. For
these men assume to speak from eX-
perience. and in many cases they do,
since there always will be unSuccceSS-
full or at any rate iIl-remunerated
inCurSions into the 'ad" field, and
these failures being in evidence alike
to competitors and to customers
these "knOw-it-allS" feel secure in
blaming it off onto advertising. And
it is, of course, true. some advertising
does not pay-mOre than little,
DOUBTLESS
JudiciOuS and perSiStant advertising
is not only a convenient device for some
business men, it is an essential factor
in production and distribution. 1t is
here proposed to consider but a single
aspect of the question and that with
out theorizing or argument. For
though / do not, of course, know as
much about your own particular, dear
reader, as you do, yet in the matter of
advertising it may be just the contrary.
At any rate, let me venture to guess at
some of the thoughts that enter your
mind at various stages of your daily
routine Of life. During your toilet in
the morning what soaps 10 you use?
What razor, what StrOp? And which
ever you use, what brands bob into
your mind at this moment as you read
these lines. 1t is sort you've rot
become familiar with through adyeT-
tiSi.;s
WHAT YOUR CLOTHING SUGGESTS.
And then as you dress, whose make
of underwear and hOisery do you slip
into? What brand of shirts, collars
and cuffs and neckwear do you success
siyely adOrn your manly figure with?
Are any of them ever advertised?
Indeed, do you wear an earthly one of
them all that is not advertised? If
your trousers, vest, coat and shoes
some Of us put on the latter long prior
to the stage of the game-are Of the
ready-tO-Wear sort, has the situation
as yet changed in the least?
At breakfast you may prefer coffee,
cocoa, or tea; you may have your pre-
ferences, too, among the cereals and
the TeliSheS. BY what names do you
call them? Meanwhile you are going
through your mOrniug paper, and what
happens? You ride down town on a
trolly car. and what continues to
happen? The things you are wearing,
the food you have eaten, do they not
commend you for your rood judgment
lin selecting tnem By tl1e renewed
appeals they are now making on con-
SciOusneSS from the advertisements
you feel friendly with everything
you're in contact with? Why?
EVERYTHING IS ADVERTISED
But meanwhile you've reached your
office, and as you work all day long,
directing the activities Of your type
writer's, bOOkkeeperS, clerkS-iS there
any article or device in use, from the
chair you Whirl about on to the patent
filing cases, from the ink well to the
copy press, from the light injecting
window to the incandeScent lamp
shade, that you've not ordered or your
people have not bought because it
was skillfully and persiStently brought
to your attention by judicious adver-
tiSing?
And SO it goes on from rising to
sleeping; from cradle to grave; from
home to business: from business to
profits; from profits to progress
what is it you use or do that has
not become your habituated help,
your acknowledged eceSSity-unlesS
first it was brought home to you or
yours by judiciOus advertising? And
your own business, your own product
do you think these are an exception
to the universal rule? Either you are
succeeding because you advertise, or
you are sponging on some one elSe'S
advertising you succeed at all in
proportion to your efforts and capital.