The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-08-20
AsERiSs or Ten TALKS on ADVERTISING Nj 9
written by Seymour Eaton Of Philadelphia w. y

Most department store advertising may be
divided into three classes: bad, very bad, and
damned bad
Bargain advertising is in the first class II does
sell goods; but if well done it could easily make
three blades Of grass grow where one grows now.
The worth S20-now. So bargain offer has
been done tc death The people buy the $3.50
article because Si2 so is as much they want TO pay
because they have seen the goods because they
have intelligence enough to know that they getting
good value for the price but for every one who buys
there are two others shoo-ed off by the rol-up,
tumble-up, throw. up-your money hurrah.
An honest bargain properly announced is always
good advertising. If l controlled newspaper page
should onethird of it, down the side, for leeii-
mate bargains. | should put the word Bargains" or
"Today's Bargains at the top and with the descrip-
tons Of the articles should give selling prices only;
saw nothing in figures about values cost prices;
use that space for describing the goods. / should
make the descriptions as brief as possible, leave
everything to the imagination of the customer except
the selling price; and now and then ] should omit
that let the customer come to the store to find out
Then should make these bargains look like charity
by very contrast by using the remainder Of the page
to advertise my regular priced, always stock cloth
inc and dress goods and carpets and furniture and all
that sort Of thing; and should make this department
so full of life and spirit and enthusiasm for the goods
as to make my counters irresistible.
The store that breaches is in the second class.
Preaching isn't advertising. 1t may be entertaining
and instructive; it may anslyze to nicely the ethical
policy Of the store it may impress the weak minded
with the fact that this store is great public beneactor
powerful influence for good in the community, sort
Of merchandise university which ought to be endowed
by the State. But preaching doesn't sell goods it
doesn't even draw crowd
The formal, refrigerator, my brass plate lis suff-
Gent advertising is in the third class 1t has all the
dignity and drawing power of corpse. Mark you l
am not crtcising the idea The idea is fine. To be
chosen people clothed in purple and fine linen to
bask in the sunshine of wealth. Of arstocracy,
of fame to eat where it eats to drink what drinks,
to wear what it wears, to buy where it buys to talk
what il talks to dress your poodle dog with what it
dresses its poodle dog; to be somebody exclusive,
| even one or two removed second hand that is
| greatness; and people pay big money for greatness,
| even for the varnish 1t is the adver-
| Using that is bad. 1t might easily quadruple the
trade and yet keep within the boundaries of the elect Ex
elusive people think You don't need TO put salt their
tails They follow leader like lot Of sheep Your business
as an capture the leader the beweher of the
set The rest easy. The others will pay for the privilege
Of standing in line
Embalm and bury the brass plate advertising Use the
space talk your customers Some Of them read adver
tsements If poor pebean should happen TO read about
goods and wander into your shop by mistake let him dc
Iha, md