The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-07-05
VALUE OF INTELLIGENT ADVERTISING

rupt in year. He runs his plant in
a big way-because that is the only
economy. 1t should be the same with
bis advertising. The great loss in
publicity today is in scattering. 1t is
as foolish as the scattering of small
plants instead of concentrating in the
big factory. Thus perhaps one may
see wherein lies the wisdom of big ad-
vertising done in big way in the big
advertising mediums that concentrate
their energies along the profitable
lines and that reach further and better
and cheaper than any combination or
chain of little publications could pos
sibly achieve.
Another good thing the manufactur-
er has done has been truth making in
advertising. Advertising never could
offer and it never can offer anything
miraculous. The merit of the thing
advertised must Justify the public test.
Otherwise the extraordinary invita-
tion must he detrimental. Not only
would the article without merit fail.
but the money spent in advertising
would be total loss.
The manufactures got to know these
things and he tried the public intelli-
genoe by appeals to reason, by frank
ness of statement, by direct and engag-
ing address and by pleasing illustra-
tiop.
In all advertising he did he kept
steadily in view his own responsibility,
so that he might stand ready to back
to the limit every statement he made.
Thus the manufacturer more than
any other user of publicity created
public confidence in advertising.
By judicious advertising the man
who has created or produced stan
dard of excellence for public utility
and general consumption reaches the
whole people at less expense and in the
shortest possible time. If he were to
employ an army of special representa-
tives he could not reach one-tenth the
number and his expenses would be one
hundred times as great, not counting
the enormous loss of time. So when
the manufacturer enters upon a hig
advertising campaign those people who
see only surface indications and who
think that he is spending money waste.
fully make nuge mistake. He is in
fact practicing the wisest economy,
for he is doing in the shortest time and
at the smallest expense what might
otherwise take years to accomplish.
Here indeed is the very gist of the
whole question. The advertising forms
practically no charge upoc the busi-
ness. By the increase in trade that
it brings it pays for itself many times
over, so that the advertised article
reaches the customer as though it had
not Eeen advertised at all; that is to
say, the advertising expense, by the
extension of the sale, becomes SO small
as to be practically negligible.
First of all, everlasting credit must
be given to the manufacturer for pro-
ducing the articles of quality. He has
put civilization on a higher plane,
made living happier and added to the
satisfaction and longevity of the race.
Second. the spread OF his good work
has been due to modern advertising.
He made the quality and brought judi
cious publicity. He has raised and
fixed for public confidence the stan
dards. All this is for the good of the
consumer, but it goes further than
that. for it marks new advances in the
honor and safety of modern merchan
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