The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1904-10-20
A Banker On Advertising.

A Banker On Advertising.
Selected.
The following remarks we're made
the other day by William S. Powers, OF
pittsburg, to the Pennsylvania Bank
ers' Convention, ON the talte OF proper
publicity for financial institution
"Now, broadly speaking, we think
of advertising as divided into two
classes--general advertising and direct
Advertising The first class reaches the
masses through the medium OF the
newspaper and other publications,
while the second class reaches the in
dlvidual through the medium of per-
sonal letters, folders, booklets, and so
forth. sent direct through the mails.
Under ordinary conditions newspaper
Advertising muet take first rank. The
newspaper is the universal messenger
to the hearts and homes of the people,
and lntelligently used newspaper ad-
vertising is just as certain to bring re-
suits as good stocks ara to pay divi-
dends. Note the fact that said intel
liyently used. Enough money Is
wasted every year In unintelllgent adj
vertising to make every one in this
hal! moderately wealthy. But the same
is true of banking as business, or OF
farming, or anything else in which
msa engage. The trouble is not with
these things in themselves, but in the
way III which they are attempted.
above all advertising to be effective
must be persistent
! ga common Id AXE is to. look for re-
suits too soon. When farmer plants
his wheat in the fall he doesn't expect
a harvest in a week or month ; when
you give an order Tor ten story office
building you don't 60 around to the
site the following day and expect tc
finI completed building. The farmer
knows that he must wait until the sea
SOUS and the chemicals of the earth
work their changes. And you know
that your building must proceed by
gradual stages-~brick upon brick, un
til finally finished. So it is with ad
1ertlsing The first insertion does no
influence the public mind, nor the
last. But one added to the other, eact
one gathering strength from those tha
precede it, grad ually influence the pub
lie mind and bring to your bank th'
business you desire.
"a single week or month of adver
tis'ng is merely blow or two OF tn
cork against the bar OF steel. Its Ell
lee, Is absolutely nothing. It is none,
and effort wasted-but the continuous
persistent hammering, week ate
week, is just as sure to start the pendu
lum of business swinging your way q
, day Is to follow night.
Take our own city of Pittsburg, 70
instance. More money is expended j
legitimate bank and trust company az
{ ve:tising in P4ttsburg than in an
. other city in the country, hence n
r better place could be selected for til
= ms king OF comparative figures. Their
: are great many banks in Pittsburg
: About half of them are known the:coul
S try over because of tn cir liberal adve
: Using. The other half do not believ
= In advertising on the general plea th'
! they can use their money to better ad
, vantage. Possibly they can, but tt
figures are against them.
II have gone back over the stat
;. ments OF the last five years comparir
a the growth of the banks that have a
vertised continuously with that of IL
banks that have advertised now ar
thcn-or not at all-and this is VIII
Il l find:
y During the five years the banl
o that have advertised continuously ha,
l. Increased 80 per cent. in assets and s
per cent. in deposits. The banks tn
Il have not advertised have increased
J. per cent. In assets and IL per cent.
deposits. This record is affected n
l. cessarily by the numerous CONT
d nations of recent years, but these ha
d been eliminated as far as possible al
D. the figures given are on the side
Y conservatism rather than otherwil
IL But come down to the last year, t
Ill year that has tried mems souls, al
% that has caused banking institutio
l. as many bad half hours as any year
q. the last quarter OF century,"
ID The Ransom Bro theirs Buy Mule.C,