The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-26
FORTUNES AND FREAKS IN ADVERTISING

ture; but a business was built up that
was among the largest of its kind in
America Unfortunately. this policy was
not continued. The company concluded
that printers ink was no longer necessary
to them-that the soap had been so enOr-
mOusly advertised that it would carry it.
drop off so slowly that they did not real
ize their mistake for long while. Then
they made valiant effort TO regain the
lost ground But the mischief had Oeeh
done, and done irreparably. Even the
most eXtrav6gant use of the art of pub
licity failed to bring back the lost sales
Robert Bonner's Idea of a Small Ad.
It may be argued that what would ap-
ply TO such an article as soap would not
apply 10 more important and seri-
Gus institution But that this is not true
may be readily shown by any number OF
instances. One OF the most instructive
is that furnished by the career of Rob
ert Bonner, in his day probably the most
famous publisher in America Mr. Bon
ner built up a paper that was known
and read everywhere II made him a
millionaire many times over His sue
cess was founded primarily on his bold
advertising and never, before nor since,
money by any publisher. On one occa-
sion he called on James Gordon Bennett.
the elder, saying that he wanted to con-
tract Tor a big advertisement the tol-
lowing day in the New York Herald.
How much space do you want Mr..
oh I guess not" replied Mr. Ben
nett with a smile. We've got lots Of
space, YOU know. for our advertisers.
That's good replied the other, cheer
fully Here's COPY for one page, and
1 here's copy for another, and here's copy
for a third. and here's
Hold on there, hold on cried the as
tonished published of the Herald. BLESS
my heart, man. we can't give you the
whole paper.
Why" declared Bonner with an in
] ir1red ali won told ne il could have all
''Wen, in heavens name, how much do
'sWhy. I figured on about six pages
I'm sorry. but there is a limit, you
know. beyond which we can't go and get
our paper out and three pages about
marks this limit"
I'm sorry to hear that. Still. If you
can't YOU can't. and I'll have 70 be sat
| fsfied with a little adverttsins- But
must say I'm very much disappointed.
A few days after this little advertlS-
| ing appeared Mr. Bonner received a
| cali from Henry Ward Beecher. who was
wood, which was appearing IN serial
form
| monstrate with you against the dreadful
way in which you are throwing away
your money
.sIVhv. through --our foolish extrava-
gance in advertising A dozen men Or
prominence. friends OF yours and friends
| of mine. have come TO me WlNAlt lIle
/ last fey days. asking me TO see you and
| stop you in your course Your reckless
/ ness is the talk Of the town Every body
| is prophesying that you'll be bankrupt
unless YOU stop
| Good good chuckled Bonner. That's
! the very thing. Don't you see that my ad-
| vertisinC is a distinct success II IL mas
| the effect Of making the whole town TAX
/ about me2 The result viii be that me
/ whole town viii buy my paper
| And il did Mr.. Beecher went away
! only half convinced. But il wasn't long
! before he admitted the wisdom of Mr.
| Bonner's course. convinced by circulation
| figures that were stupendOus Tor those
| DAYS. Mr.. Bonner retired some wears pc
] fore his death to devote himself to the
/ e1iOvment of the large fortune he had
/ accumulated in possession OF a property
/ that need no longer be advertised Ihey
| felt that as il was known almost as wen
/ as New York itself, il would be Jolly 10
1 waste money! Something like six or
| seven years ago the circulation or TINS
/ Great DrODertv had dWindled TO such an
/ extent that il was no longer deemed wise
/ 10 continue il as q weekly puDLcauon-
/ There were several bursts OF Jardy az
| vertfsiug but they failed utterly 70 re
/ vivifv this property that had made IT'S
| founder one of the richest men IN
I America.
/ rehieDce what is today impressed on al
| advertisers by experts-that you must
! keep everlaStingly at II 20 WIN Sno
1 hold success with printers INK, ana tLaI
| II is a practical impOsslbllity 10 reNiVlIy
| any property that has been once cover
| tfsed into great success and then alloWeo
! to die down for want OF persistent e4-OA =