The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-07-14
ADVERTISING
II CHURCH?
CHARLES e. HALL RAISES THE
QUESTION.
o BUSINESS II
AND CHURCHES WOULD INCREASE
INFLUENCE FOR GOOD.

us by Charles E. Hall, manager Of
the Minnesota and Dakota Farmer,
and in it We believe will be found food
for reflection by every reader OF the
Register:
When the whole question Of the
success Of the church is rightly COM
pretended it will be conceded that the
one thing that the church most needs
to carry it safely through the pres
ent age IS a good publicity agent.
Doubtless advertising has made
many a man, but in almost every in
stance that mar did something that
redounded to the good Of the people.
We may say publicity made Upton
SO, also, did it make us drink bet
ter teas.
We may say publicity made Bannis-
ter-so, also did it make us wear bet
ter shoes.
We may say publicity made Mennen
so. also, did it make us use more
talcum powder.
We may say publicity made Muir
phy-so, also, did it make us use bet
ter varnishes.
We may say publicity made Theo-
dore ROosevelt-so, also, did 1t make
a better United States.
Only through publicity do men be-
come great. Only through publicity
can religious and political principles
be advanced. Only through publicity
can we let the whole world know of
the magnitude, resources. and posi-
bilities of this magnificent country of
ours. Only through publicity can we
develop our industries and expand our
=, commerce to their fullest glory, and
: thus command tribute frym all the ma
tons of the world.
t Advertising is a positive creative
O great thing W. do.
The church needs publicity,
1t MOI only needs to let the world
s know what 1t is doing, but it needs
to be doing things that will make the
world sit up and take notice.
1 IL w hiIS thdI VII hidhS
the church and its people talked about
and written about, just as much as
theatrical enterprises and baseball
clubs are talked about and written
about.
Not long ago I read a lengthy ex-
PLANTATION of the causes of the lack
of interest in the church on the part
of the men, written by a Revernd
Somebody, who declared that the
work of the church is no longer a
mans job, hat it hasn't work to do
of the character that would enlist
the interest of men.
A professor Of Yale college recent
ly declared that to- attract attention
like books, theaters and the lecture
platform, the church must resort to
s~ensationalism.
There may be some truth in what
both OF these gentlemen say. The
church's work for the most part Is
not aggressive enough to attract the
man that likes to fight-he goes into
politics instead, and it may be that
sensation would serve to keep alive
interest in the church and its doings.
If the church is retrograding, or
even standing still, it is not because
of any lack of usefulness or because
it has not virtue, but rather because
of lack Of advertising. Advertising
so potent in business, can be made
just as effective in boosting the church
and when I speak of advertising I
do not mean printed stuff.
If the doings of the church were
heralded in advance and exploited af-
forwards as are the doings Of theatric-
al folks and baseball players, the pu-
gilists and the gamblers Of Wall
street, I have no doubt it would thrive
tremendously.
Most of the publicity given these
people they get for nothing but they
are always doing something interest
ing, and the newspapers, as a matter
of course, talk freely about them.
The advertising that is SO often
given the revivalists is the sort that
might be given the church right along
if it were actively pursuing it's pur
pose ON earth.
Two Of the best advertised men In
the world while they lived. were
Moody and Sankey-and how much do
you suppose they ever paid for news
paper or magazine publicity?
My good friends. l believe you
would accomplish a great deal by
leaving your weekly announcements
CONTINUED on third page.)