The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-11-19
Frank A. Munsey Finds
The Main Issue in Buy
ing Space.
AGES OF READERS
THE VITAL QUESTION
Interview in Printers Ink Gives
Publishers Reasons for His
Latest Innovation.
BY JAMES II. COLLINS. In Printers
Ink for November TO-


/ When Frank A. Munsey got home
from Europe the other day he sent out
a large yellow circular announcing an
/ other experiment in publishing which
| he proposes to try this winter
AIr. Munseys experiments are always
interesting.
So are his circulars. The advertising
man. reading one of item, is convinced
that Mr.. Munsey, after long study of
the whole situation, has found a point
| overlooked by everybody else. and Mr..
MUnsey has the gift of making such a
point The center OF a little plot. Here is
the situation. and there the point. They
have never been brought together.
What viii happen if they are? Can it
be done? Or is it impossible? That is
the problem Mr. Munsey explains it.
and announces that he proposes TO try,
and the advertising public is invited to
watch what happens.
Not all OF Mr.. Munsey's experiments
succeed. But even those that fail are
interesting. What if the patient does
die2 1t vas a beautiful operation. And
the advertising man who doubts the
value Of these experiments has only TO
remember that Mr.. Munsey discovered
the real American reading public, and
made a magazine to fit it's needs and
pocket, and then, when told that such a
magazine could not be distributed to his
public by the existing machinery, built
a distributing machine OF his own that
is distributing yet Which is essen
TALLY the advertisers problem with mer-
chandise. and it is often worth the fail
ure and the money to be able 10 ap-
prOach il naively-
aging" a Magazine
Mr.. Munsey's new experiment has to
do with what he calls aging a maya
zine. The original Muuseys stands
among the foremost magazines in ad-
vertising patronage, while his new
Scrap Book, on the other hand, carries
less business than ne feels it ought 70.
Advertising is placed, not altogether
upon the merit Of a publication, but
partly by habit, he relieves. Habit
plays a larger part in the Diacing of the
same old ads in the same old publica-
lions from month to month than even
advertisers themselves realize. To es-
tablish the habit OF inserting a hundred
or more pages of paid advertising in
.
regular way, through canvassing. would
take much time, patience AMI money.
So Mr.. Munsey proposes 20 try a short
cut and put all Munsey's business into
the Scrap Book, beginning with the De-
cember issue, making no extra charge
therefor. The experiment viii cover
year. or perhaps two or three years,
during which time tne Scrap Book
viii have no separate rate card. and no
canvassing will be done for il.
George p. ROweH used to say
that advertising was the last thing
that came 10 a publication. and also
the last thing that left it. On the
occasion he stated The opinion that
if the New York Herald printed
but Loo copies a day. and could con
ceaI the fact II would stnl carry
the same amount Of paid business.
Does this harmonic with your ex-
perience, AIr. Munsey?"
Habit Is Formed.
"Yes-a new publication gets
mighty little advertising until II has
become the habit with advertisers,
while advertising is placed year af-
ter year with publications that have
Outlived their usefulness"
Didn't patronage come TO Nun
sey's more spontaneously than would
be the case today? It was practical
ly the only Decent magazine in the
world at one time
mo, we fought for every page
fought fought. fought In those
days advertisers had the habit of
placing business IN the 35-cent mag
szines. and objected that Munsev's
reached too cheap d public why.
we had 10 run the circulation az
to half a million before they could
be made TO see that our readers
had purchasing power.
Advertisers give very little atten-
ton TO what I consider the main is
sue I'm buying space. That is. the
average age of a publications read
ers-
Ideal Readers.
THE ideal readers. in my belief.
are men and women between twenty
five and thirty-hve. This ia the live
Hest sort of circulation People be
tween those ages are eIrners and
spenders. They are getting started
in business, or developing earning
capacity on salary. They are get
ting married, rearing children buy
ing homes and furnishing them. II
Is the progressive period Of every
ones life. People are liberal In views
then, more easily persuaded. more
open TO approach with new commodi-
ties, more confident in spending. This
is the generation that makes tho
world go round. Readers under
twenty-five are desirable because
they are approaching the productive
age, and advertisers may form hab-
its and make an impression. But
readers who have reached forty are
at the dead line. Those fifty years
old might Az well be seventy so far
as the general advertiser is con-
ceIued Their habits are all formed,
their purchases mostly made. they
are settled IN life and already liv-
ing in a past generation.
Journals Standing.
when we took over the Boston
Journal we found that IL had Just
about 1900 subscribers. The Journal.
you know, had been the great news
paper Of Boston I'm it's time, but was
then only a tradition Of civil war
days This old guard of readers