The Topeka state journal., 1908-12-01
BE TRUTHFUL.
Keynote of L. Roy Curtis Ad-
dress on Advertising.
Advises Campaign With Facts
as Basis.
MAP OUT THE WORK.
Merchant Who LETS Well
Enough Alone" a Failure.
Some Pointed Questions Asked
by Business Men.

The monday luncheon of the Topeka
Advertising club was prolonged for an
hour today while L. Roy Curtis, of the
Curtis Special Ad. Service company of
Kansas City, addressed the meeting
and answered the volleys of questions
with which he was besieged following
his address. advertising AS a Task
MASTER was the subject assigned to
Mr.. Curtis, but as usual at meetings of
the Topeka Advertising club, nearly
every phase of the advertising PROPOSE
tion was touched upon during the ses-
sion, which was an extremely inter-
esting one,
Mr.. Curtis spoke briefly, the greater
portion of the meeting time being oc-
cupied by the questions which were
propounded to the speaker who an
nounced that he would answer all ques-
tions asked. And he did, though some
of the answers were not entirely ac-
ceptable to the questioners,
/ Personality" said Mr. Curtis, sis the
keynote of success from the standpoint
of the advertiser and the west is awak-
ening to that fact. Advertising is the
| greatest business which at this time
i engages the attention of mankind and
I would rather be the president of a
successful advertising company than
the president of the largest bank in
| Kansas City.
| THAT statement seems like strange
| one, but it is absolutely true in every
| sense of the word for to be the head OF
| a successful advertising concern means
| that a man must be broad and well in
| formed on all lines, while any one who
| has the capital may be the president OF
a banking Institution if he is good
judge of securities.
"Truthfulness is one of the essentials
of successful advertising campaign
and an advertiser should guarantee ev-
cry statement which he makes, not for
a day but for all time. The art of ad-
Vertising is in its infancy and is just
commencing to be understood and con-
sidered one of the assets of every sue
cessful business. The average live wide
awake merchant purchases his adVertls-
ing space as he does any other line Oh
goods from which he expects to reap
profit.
advertising campaigns are now map
ped out for year and in some cases
years in advance and appropriations
for maintaining them made in proper
ton to their size. The man who is in
business and lets well enough alone be-
cause he is satisfied with his position
as a merchant cannot succeed
He NAV hold. his own. for a. time
but it is a question of only short
time when he will find that he is los
ing his business which was satlsIae-
tory and that it is surely finding Its
way to the store of more progressive
merchant up or down the street "A
merchant cannot remain stationary. lie
must either go up or down ana II ne
belongs to the class who are sat1shed
with their business he will surely fail"
Some Pointed Questions.
Mr. Adams-"Is it your opinion that
the smaller merchant should plan
campaign and if he does not would ne
not be greatly benefited if he dldE
Curtis-"Many of them do not anu
in this case the advertising for which
they expend a small appropriation VIII
not bring them the best results Wnen
,srr,e m nY1o
YOU will find that appropriations are IN
creased in proportion"
Mr. Suppose that you nave
planned to use a certain space during
the year do you think that 1t is better
to constantly pound, using a small
space often or use three or four times
as much space and not SO often.
Mr.. curtis-"Concentrate II your
that constant reminding will bring the
required result A light slap in the
face for six days out of the week
would be more likely to be effective
than one blow"
one-fourth of a page each week would
be more effective in a weekly pub
lication than full page advertise
ment once each month ?''
Mr.. Curtis-'That depends some
what on the commodity advertised
though sufficient space should be used
to convey the thought of the ad- |
yertiSer even though uSeQ out once d 1
month Get the eye of the reader |
Saw what you have to say and say 1t /
in such a way that the readers will be |
convinced of the truthfulness of your
statements.
as effective as advertisements of bar
gains and bargain days ?"
Mr., Curtis-'I do not believe that
the advertisement of goods at regular
prices are as effective as advertise
ments of bargains and especial values
though there is an element of value to
all classes of advertising. To make
successful you must create
a demand for the goods which you
have for sale
Mr. Rerkson-"IS it not q fact that
the public many times fails to appre-
ciate values when they are placed be-
fore them and that in that way the
loses it's effectiveness"
Mr. Curtis-"Most people who read
tents appreciate values
when placed before them but there is
a class of course who do not. A
bargain requires little if any
elaboration for when seen it is gen.
orally accepted by the public
Mr.. Robins-'How are we to in
ments? How are we to get them to
read the advertisements and after
wards get them into our stores?'
Mr. Curtis-"Many men read the
as religiously as do
their wives and are as great bargain
hunters. When this is not the case in
terest the housewife and she will do
the rest" .va-