The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-24
ADVERTISING AS FACTOR
 IN BUSINESS OF TODAY
BY JOHN H. FRYE.

HE amount spent annually for ad- vertising in sthe United States IS
 estimated to be in excess of one billion dollars, or an amount equal to the combined value of the cotton and wheat crops of the country The expenditure of so vast a sum by business interests is certain indication that the results are satisfactory. There is, however, a large amount of money wasted in advertising because of unwise methods, as well as because of spending a large sum where smaller one would accomplish the same ropean physicians practcng in the far east have found on leaving prescriptions of medicine that patients often take in one dose a prescription intended to be taken at intervals during a period of sev- eral days. It Is frequently the case that . we decide if little of thing is good | a larger quantity would be better but l icine or in advertising.
 The Need for Advertising. With the growth of the country new conditions arise, and expedients must be found to meet them The tele- graph and telephone systems little used twenty-five years ago as compared with now, are an illustration of the new methods which modern conditions de- mand. Formerly competition was less, the minds of the people were not so full of various interests as today, and their attention was more easily attracted and their patronage more easily held by bus mess houses. Towns and cities were smaller, and local business of any character was more likely to be known by all the people. For all these reasons the need for advertising was less than it Is today.
 There is an educational value also to advertising that if often overlooked, in fact, it Is one of the most important fac tors in the instruction of the general pub lie that exists. Calling attention to this. one of the advertising experts of the country has said: Through the adver tisements we read we are apt to realize the importance of taking physical exer- else and recreation trips: to better the sanitary condition of our dwelling houses; to adopt more systematic arrangements in our business; to select better schools for our children; to realize the necessity of life insurance and so on page after page"
 The Preparation of Advertisements.
 When man prepares a speech to be de- livered before some assemblage. other than a political one, he has the advantage of knowing pretty well in advance the general character and tendencies of the people he is to address, but when an ad- vertisement is written 1t goes to the most varied classes of people, including intelligent and unintelligent persons, rich people and poor people, and others of every shade of thought and opinion. What may be clear to one reader may not be to another. and what will Impress one favorably may not so impress another. an advertisement should, therefore be written In such way as to impress the majority at least, of those who read 1t. Certainly, 1t is fundamental that it should possess the qualities of clearness and brevty II fig said that some of the most popular productions in both prose and poetry were written and rewritten many times by their authors, and to this process their clearness Of statement and their hold upon the public mind is due. Those who write advertisements cannot follow this method too closely if they would make their point plain to the pub lic and impress 1t favorably.
 While principle should prompt a man 10
 
 as his verbal ones, il is also the best pol icy to do so.
 Advertising Mediums.
 It Is generally conceded that the news papers are the best channels through which to advertise. They are read by the greatest number of people and are probably the most economical means of reaching the public. There is however no single method probably that will ac- complish the best resuts. and in different businesses different media desirable There is very considerable value to be gotten from properly selected lists of per sons to whom personal or printed letters may be sent Calendars have long held a prominent place in the advertising of the country, and this test of time proves the method good one. Window adver- tisements in many lines are desirable. and blotters are an inexpensive method of reaching many persons who might not otherwise be reached. 2 It must be borne in mind, however, that no one method is likely to reach or to apply to everybody, and a judicious combination of methods will ultimately secure the best results No method can be successful however, that is not consistently and continuously pursued A good prinkAy i8 ono of the most val