The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-01
NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION.
The Value of Quality as Compared
with Quality.
From the Brooklyn Tlmes.

From the Brooklyn Times.
The following address was made at
the monthly dinner of the Sphinx Club
at the Waldorf-Astoria by Herbert f.
Gunnison:
I take 1t that the question we are
considering is the comparative value
of quality and quantity in newspaper
circulation as relating to newspaper
Advertising The advertising man as a
rule is a pretty shrewd individual, and
If he has had experience is generally
able to judge correctly those mediums
which produce the best results. AS 1t
is very difficult to trace direct results
from advertising in any particular pa
per, IL is of the utmost Importance that
advertisers should be able to know
what papers reach the class of read
ers who are most apt to become in
terested in the announcements which
they make.
I would not make light of papers
having large Calculations, but quantity
alone counts for very little. There are
merchants who seek to get into the
homes by having inserted into reputa-
BILE newspapers their advertisements
printed on separate sheets, and, while
large numbers of these inserts are thus
circulated, 1t is doubtful whether that
kind of circulation is of much
value. The advertiser is seek
ing the individual buyers, not
merely the individual reader; but
the man who, reading the paper, has
the means to bee ONE a purchaser, IL
persuaded that he desires the article
offered for sale. Five thousand In
dams on the Western plains might
read an advertisement of the Steinway
piano and not one would be sold as a
result of the publicity. Ten thous-
and factory girls might be impressed
with the attractive announcement of
Brother Daniels Chicago limited train.
yet not a single ticket would be pur-
chased by them. Lord Timothy Dex-
Ger took a cargo of warming pans to
the West Indies. He could not sell
them. He had taken them to the
wrong place. He did, however, remove
the covers and sold them as sugar
scoops. 1t is of the utmost Importance
TO reach the people who can buy. In
most cases the papers having the
largest circulation are those which
sell for the lowest price. 1t is but fair
to assume that the people who buy a
paper because 1t is cheap, in the ma
1ority of instances, are those who are
limited In their means. They are peo-
pie who must have the necessaries of
life and not the luxuries. The bulk
Of advertising Is for the sale of lux
uries and not necessities.
Newspapers are made for the public.
They must cater to the requirements
of every reader. II they do not, they
are without readers. The editors and
publishers who can best understand
the public wants and meet them are
conductors of the most successful Jour
mails; but no one newspaper can meet
the requirements OF an entire COM
nunity any more than one religion
would suit all classes of people or one
political party enroll all voters under
It's banner. Different classes of indi-
viduals require different kinds of news
papers. As the expert fisherman knows
the kind of bait to use for the partic-
ular kind Of fish he is angling for, 80
the publisher must know the kind and
quality of paper to make for the con-
stituency he is seeking. 1t is natural
that every publisher should desire as
large a constituency as possible, but in
his anxiety for numbers he may flnd
one class of people and losing read srs
from another. He may add to his cir
culation in quantity but lose in quail
ity. He may catch more Jelly fish. but
not so many trout
Undue stress has been placed on the
value of large circulation; even some
of our good friends among the adyer-
Using agents have sought TO reduce
advertising to an exact science and 70
fix rates for advertising on the basis
Of so much per line per thousand Of
circulation. You cannot measure
newspaper advertising as you do cord
wood. You cannot FIX rates that could
be made applicable TO all papers, be-
cause conditions are 50 different. An
influential paper OF 5000 circulation IN
a small town might be OF more value
70 an advertiser than paper Of ten
times that circulation m a large city.
The quality Of the paper and the char
acter and standing Of the people Who
read II are factors. In my judgment, OF