The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-11-16
NEWSPAPER is BEST MEDIUM
Banker Declares That Program Ads
Arc Simply Donatlons-syosem
Should Be Followed.

savors OF too much charity and that
business men might better give the
cash outright TO the cause: that
newspaper advertising is the best me-
dunn through which to reach the PEG.
pie and that an advertisement today
and none tomorrow is money thrown
away. Mortimer /. Stevens gave a
spirited and interesting talk on ad-
vertising before the 225 bankers as.
sembled In recent annual convention
at La Crosse. Wis.
Mr.. Stevens referred to the stereo.
typed advertisement used by bankers
in days gone by. stating the capital
and declared that in this money was
being thrown away. OF all advertising,
IS per cent. IS hit and miss. he said.
There Is no preconceived idea to car
ry ont and the result is chaos.
That certain sum should be set
aside by the bank for It's advertising.
is the opinion of Mr.. Stevens. cam
raign mapped out and followed as
closely as circumstances will permit.
Advertising is not given today by a
successful business man out OF charity
10 a newspaper man who has done
him some favor. It is cold-blooded
proposition.
Sticktcitiveness is required II one
would succeed, declared the speaker.
Don't advertise today and drop 1t to-
morrow. Don't knock your neighbor
in your ads. II you do. the chances
are the customer who might be yours
VII walk on the other side.
Space is OF no value without some
thing to fill 1t. To fill space so that
I: will brirg results requires brains.
Dress up your ad and make II at
iractive and forceful. A judicious use
II white space should be combined
with the proper way Of wording and
arranging the ad. An ad set solid
does not hit the mark"
Mr.. Stevens emphasized the neces-
sity Of patronizing home papers
rather than an outside agency. which
gets a rakeoff on the work. 30 per
cent. OF which should be done near
hon1e.
'.Tcu are likely to find that items
OF interest IN which the name of your
institution might appear are missing
when your advertising is placed away
rom home." said he. They might be
Of considerable value to you. these
little items. and you wonder why they
are overlooked. Place your adver.
tisirg with the paper direct and CO.
operate with them In furnishing news
which Will be Of general interest and
into which they viii be glad to men.
ton the name OF your institution as a
sort OF exchange Of courtesy"
Among other things he said:
Time was wien the bank advertise.
ment. IL It appeared at all, was moth.
irg more nor less than the stereo-
typed form OF title. capital and de.
POSTS and the names Of the officers
and directors. and II Is to be regretted
that this form Of advertisement Is in
common use today. The money spent
IN such advertising is money thrown
away.
1T Is difficult TO set down any hard
and fast rules TO guide the bank ad.
yertiser. Local conditions OF neces-
sity have much to do with the style
OF advertising to be adopted: but there
Is one thing which must be observed
7, in bank advertising and that is to
preserve the dignity OF the institu.
ton.
Another iron-clad rule is per.
sistency coupled with Judgment. Too
much advertising. and do not be-
lieve that I err when I say that IS
per cent. of the advertising not only
for banks. but for the vast army OF
commercial institutions as wei. is on
the hit and miss order. There Is no
well conceived plan IN the beginning
and all is chaos at the end.
"one Of the chief reasons why so
man1 advertising campaigns fail is
due to the fact that the advertising ap
preparation is expended simply In buy
ing space. A contract with the daily
newspaper is made. for example, for
5000 lines. at 10 cents line, in other
words, $500 worth of space in that
newspaper has been purchased. This
space and any other space purchased
has no value until something is put
i2to It. 1t is simply so much raw ma
teTial which must be made market.
abe before you can realize on the in.
vestment.
This is. where so many advertisers
show their lack of judgment. They
buy $1,000 or $4,000 worth OF space
year. but fail to spend an adequate
amount for the direct purpose of fill
ing in that space 1t is only in the
Intelligent and judicial use of this
space that they can expect results.
4 have often been asked what me.
diums give the best results for bank
advertising. The newspapers stand
pre-eminent IN the local field.
Don't permit your ad to be changed
around to suit any ones fancy and in