Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-31

Perhaps nobody ever will know
@A0 all about It. To do that would
require a knowledge broad enough to cover
all the principles of human action. But
many of us know that advertising will
turn the attention of people to our bust
ness. and will thereby help that business.
And between the knowledge of that simple
fact and the ultimate understanding OF the
why and wherefore OF all things CONNER
cial. lies the scope OF the possibilities of
advertising.
1t Is hardly necessary to introduce argu-
ments 10 prove that Il pays to advertise.
We will begin where that argument leaves
of. We will start with the conclusion that
there ia a wonderful power in advertising,
which can turn the minds OF the people
toward a business. resulting in an inn
provement of the business. The next point
then Is this: There arc some kinds of adj
vertising which pay better than other kinds.
And so the study Of advertising resolves
itself into a search after the kind Of ad-
vertlsing that pays the best, and an effort
TO secure the largest results for a given
expenditure.
In the first place Il may be said that no
specific form Of advertising is the best for
all purposes and under all conditions. But
there are certain general principles which
will admit Of almost infinite variation, and
yet remain essentially the same, and have
a part in all successful advertising. These
are points which have to do with the Ian
guase of the advertisement. the integrity
OF the statements made, and the attitude
of the public toward the business or com
modify advertised.
The first funda mental point In advertising
Is a matter of business sense. The cost Of
a proposed advertisement should not exceed
the possibility Of returns. The wise
publisher will not urge upon his advertisers
an expenditure which Is not warranted by
the nature of his business and the nature
of the advertising medium.
Another fundamental point, and one
which deserves the utmost confederation of
the advertiser and the publisher, Is the
matter of telling the truth in advertising.
II Is TO the publishers advantage to rule
out Of his paper, as far az possible, the
deliberate mis-statements OF advertisers
as much SO as he should rule them out Of
the editorial department. it seems an up
hill task 20 teach some advertisers that
deliberate mis-statements have a reaction
on their business. and that In the long
run people will not believe u word they
say. The competitive spirit would say.
'let them do Il. who cares II they do ruin
u ONh DuSAIttSbi Dul lHe DIOkTcS5lN6
spirit knows that the influence OF false
advertising has a strong tendency
to shake the public confidence in all ad-
vertislng: so that in time the honest adver-
tiser will not get the credit for telling the
truth. I declare that It is TO the interest
of every advertiser and every publisher
TO point out the folly OF false advertising.
and 10 rid tho public prints OF every state
ment which smacks OF untruth. Far better
tell your competitor how to advertise sue
ceesfuily and honestly. than TO allow him
90 poison the public mind with the thought
that there is no honesty in advertising and
In business, and that the business world
is but a mad maelstrom OF deceit and dis
honesty. But through II all the honest
advertiser and the honest business man is
making his way to the front. and every day
shows a larger recognition of his true
position in the business world.
The next point ! would emphasize as an
important one Is that OF simplicity. Sim
plicity is the ideal In advertising. The
strongest advertisement is the one which
tells it's story, leaves the right impression,
and then stops. The reader will do the
rest. IL IL not necessary to go ON and
load his mind with incidental statements.
II Is the easiest thing In the world to write
a simple adversisement-all you have TO
do Is to find out what there Is to say about
the subject of your advertisement. and then
write Il down in the order In which the
various points will best appeal to the
reader. But n you undertake TO twist the
facts into a knot that you may arouse
the readers curiosity to get him TO attempt
20 unravel IL. you win encounter hard work
and a great deal OF useless expense. After
all. most OF the mystery OF mysteries OF
advertising consists in doing things which
are considered smart by the people who
invent them and foolish by the people who
read them. A great deal of money Is spent
on this mysterious kind OF advertising. but
a Is safe to say that half the money. in
vested In simple statements which people
can understand. would bring immensely
greater returns.
Another point l wish TO mention Is that