Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-28
MAKING CALL
FoRNIA-FRUIT PREDOMINANT.


FoRNlA-FRUIT PREDOMINANT.
G. Albert Strauss in Printers Ink
We now have critical investiga-
ton Of the cause of CALIFORNIA; sue
cess in fruit selling. When competi-
tors who have been worsted analyze
the reasons for their rivals success
IN a cold-blooded business way, they
are pretty likely to locate the explain
alton.
The Florida fruit growers have
watched the rapid progress of the
California fruit growers for some
years. and have called it an inflated
boom, and worse things, but the boom
has gone steadily on booming until
Florida has realized that it was nee
essary to do something more than
wait for rival to fail--it must study
the successful rivals methods.
As result of this awakening, Flor
ida sent a committee of orange grow
ers on tour of the country with in
structions to come home with an
acute analysis of the market and the
reason for CALIFORNIA; success
The committee visited all the big
markets Of the east and met the buy
ers at first hand, to learn why they
purchased from certain sections.
When the committee came to Cali
fornia it very quickly put it's finger
on the keynote Of California's sue
cess-advertising
1t was easy for that committee to
trace out the sections in which the
California fruit growers, through their
fruit exchange have invested money
for advertising. The exchange began
two years ago by spending $4,000 for
advertising. The next year it spent
$4,000 and this year it is sepnding
$4,000 for the purpose of telling the
people what fruit grows in California.
The plan is to make the people eat
more of the different kinds of fruit
by keeping before their eyes all the
time the merits of what grows in Cal
ifornia. AS a sample of the effect that
1t has on the market, it is shown that
Sioux City ate ninety carloads of
California fruit in one year without
advertising, and 172 carloads the next
year with advertising.
Then the Florida committee found
that the California fruit people insist
on brands for their products, so that
the name will be all the time before
the consumers. They put the name on
the tops of boxes and the bottoms
and the sides when possible, and they
wrap each orange in tissue paper that
has the name on it, and the whole is
made more noticeable by having a
lithograph showing some of the beau
ties of California in the best way.
The railroads are drawn into the
advertising of California fruits be-
cause of the business it affords them
as carriers, and the whole is system
atized, SO that somebody looks after
the newspaper, others the railroads,
others the dealers, and still others
the consumers, that all shall get what
they pay for and as quickly as pos
sible after the fruits are ripe enough
to ship.
1t is the system that wins, and the
Florida committee has gone to work
to do likewise for the fruit growers
they represent. And they are not go
ing to try to kill the fruit business of
California, but to advertise so as to
make the people of this country eat
more fruit and take some from Florida
TO make the increase. That is what
the California advertising has done
for that state That is the strongest
principle of business, and the one
which is lost on most of the people Of
Europe, because of the conservatism
of producers over there.
The Sacramento Valley Develop
ment association several weeks ago
decided to raise $3.50 900 to advertise
the resources of the valley. A mass
meeting was held July 18th, and bust
ness men were pledged for amounts
showing sthe greater belief in advertis-
ing The valley has land which it be-
lieves can make $4,000 people prosper
GUS and the business men are not
willing to wait for gradual develop
ment. Advertising is looked upon as
method to make things happen at
once.