The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-05
Mr.. CURRAN TALKS
Former TOpekan Makes Address
to AID Club.
Tells of Importance of System
attic Advertising.
NEED OF PERSONALITY
Look Customers Squarely in Eye
Through White Paper.
Urges an Honest, Straigh tor
ward System.
NEED OF PERSONALITY

John H. Curran, former Kansan,
relic OF the days OF MolIie Lease,
Annie Digs and Jerry Simpson and.
himself once candidate for secretary
OF state delivered the principal ad-
dress at the noon time meeting of the
Topeka Ad club today After the po-
htical complexion Of the state became
a fixture Mr.. Curran moved to the
good old Democratic state of Missouri
and for number of years has been
the St Louis representative of the
continental Creamery company
Now that Missouri has switched so
nearly into the Republican column he
has decided TO devote his entire time
to business unless a flash of political
lightning should strike him and his
friends say that this is not beyond the
realms of possibility. Mr.. Curran
spoke of the Personal Element" of
advertising and his speech was in
keeping with the press notices receiv-
ton.
For the first time in the history of
the Ad club dinners there was a de-
lay today, not on account of the man
agement, but because the gas was on
a partial sympathy strike with the
weather Mr.. Curran's talk was brief
and TO the point. Personality is the
AeS note OF success when sounded by
an advertiser" said Mr. Curran THE
best advertising which il is possible TO
do Is that where a representative of
frm meets the customer face to face
shows him his wares and convinces
him of the virtues which they possess
= From the advertisers standpoint
that class of advertising is too expens-
i've and the man with something to sell I
turns instinctively to printers ink and
white paper This is the greatest
medium of publicity employed today
and millions Of dollars are spent in this
manner annually in bringing the mer-
chants and customers closer together.
The cost of personal representation
makes this mode of advertising out of I
the question and the next best thing is
to give to the printed advertisement a |
personality Get as nearly as possible |
into personal contact with the custom /
er whom you desire to reach. Look him |
squarely in the eye and through the |
medium of white paper and black ink |
take him into your confidence and deal |
with him honestly and fairly Throw 4
into the advertisement as much home |
life as possible and leaven it with heart |
throbs and you will have a winning ad- |
vertisement.
TT is not the brilliant man Who is !
able TO coin the catch phrases who |
makes the grandest success as an ad- |
vertiser but rather the man who dig |
nif1eS his appeals and states them in |
plain honest forcible language Adver-
tising has become a teachable profess |
sion though it has only been a few /
years since it reached that stage, but l
advertising, like farming, is now :
classed as a teachable profession.
Every advertiser leaves an impress |
sion and the successful ad writer |
trace of his personality and more of the |
later he is able to place in his adver- |
Using the greater his success will be- |
Following the address of Mr.. Curran
Harry McMains of Kansas City, former
" representative in Topeka Of the Jones
Dry Goods company. spoke briefly
The next meeting of the Ad club viii
be held on the 18th of the present month
and a question box will be the inviting
feature offered by the programme COM
nittee. Every member Of the club is
asked to present as many questions is
desired to present answering will be left
to Messrs. Street. of Crosby & Co. Nor
row of the Capper publications and Ran |
kin of the Farmer-Advocate
a partial programme for the year has
been arranged and includes as speakers:
J. Logan Jones, of Kansas City; H ]. |
Allen. of the Wichita Beacon; Walter |
of Columbia, No. who is ac- |
credited with owning one of the most /
1p-to-date weekly newspaper in that
state; w. Y. Morgan. of the Hutchinson
News; E c. Gibbs, president of the Ma
tional Association of Advertising clubs |
E. s. Horn, president OF the Topeka Edi- |
son company, who will speak on The I
Part Electricity Plays in Advertising" |
". c. Hunter, of Chicago, publisher of 4
Dollars and Cents" c. w. Harger. /
professor of Journalism in the Kansas /
and editor of the Abilene Re |
1ector.