Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-11-25
A BANKER ON ADVERTISING.
Argument Of William 8. Powers to
the Pennsylvania Bankers.


The following remarks were made
| by William 8. Powers Of Pittsburg, to
the Pennsylvania Bankers convention,
on the value of proper publicity for
financial institution. Mr.. Powers said:
Now, broadly speaking, we think OF
advertising as divided into two class
les-general advertising and direct ad-
vertising The first class reaches the
masses through the medium Of the
newspaper and other publications
while the second reaches the individ-
ual through the medium Of personal
letters, folders, booklets and so forth
sent directly through the mails.
Under ordinary conditions newspa-
per advertising must take first rank
The newspaper is the universal mes
senger to the hearts and homes Of the
people, and intelligently used newspa-
per advertising Is just as certain to
bring results as good stocks are to
pay dividends. Note the fact that
said intelligently used. Enough mon
ey Is wasted every year in unintelli-
gent advertising to make every one
In this hall moderately wealthy. But
the same is true Of banking as a bus
mess, or of farming, or anything else
in which men engage. The trouble is
not with these things in themselves,
but with the way in which they are
ATTEMPTED.
above all, advertising to be effect
i've must be persistent. A common
mistake is to look for results too soon
When a farmer plants his wheat In
the fall he doesn't expect a harvest In
week or a month; when you give an
order for a ten-story Office building
you don't go around to the site the
following day and expect to find a
completed building. The farmer knows
that he must wait until the seasons
and the chemicals Of the earth work
their changes. And you know that
your building must proceed by gradu-
al stages-brick upon brick-until A.
nally finished. So 1t Is with advertis-
ing. The first insertion does not in
fiuence the public mind, nor the last.
But one added to the other. every one
gathering strength from those that
precede it, gradually influence the
public mind and bring to your bank
the business you desire.
"A single week or month Of adver-
tising Is merely blow or two OF the
cork against the bar. Of steel. Its ef-
feet is absolutely nothing. 1t is mon
ey and effort wasted-but the contin-
uous, persistent hammering. week af-
ter week, month after month, is just
as sure to start the pendulum Of bus
mess swinging your way as day Is to
follow night.
Take our own city Of Pittsburg, for
instance. More money is expended In
Legitimate bank and trust company ad
vertising In. Pittsburg than in any 9TH
er city in the country. hence no bet
ter place could be selected for the
making Of comparative figures. There
are a great many banks in Pittsburg.
About half Of them are known the
country over, because Of their liberal
advertising. The other half do not
believe in advertising on the general
plea that they can use their money to
better advantage. Possibly they can,
| but the figures are against them.
81 have gone back over the state
ments Of the last five years, compar-
ing the growth Of the banks that have
advertised continuously with that OF
the banks that have advertised only
now and then-or not at all-and this
tis what I find:
During the five years the banks
that have advertised continuously have
Increased 3S per cent in assets. and-St
| per cent in deposits. The banks that
have not advertised have increased q
per cent in assets and II per cent In
deposits. This record Is affected nee
essarily by the numerous combinations
| of recent years, but these have been
eliminated so far as possible and the
figures given are on the side Of con-
servatism rather than otherwise. -
Newspaperdom.