The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-05-20
HOW GOOD ADVERTISING
BUILT UP A GREAT STORE


the old space filling system and the
beginning of giving the reader real
information, was one of the secrets |
Of the success of the great Wanna |
maker stores John E. Powers, who
went to Wanamaker's as advertising
manager in 1880, introduced the new
style of advertising. Powers, it is
said. was more frank than courteous
in expressing his opinions of things
in general. and there was no love
lost between him and Mr.. Wanamak-
err. But he brought the results in
the advertising department.
Upon one occasion. Mr.. Wanamak-
or said to Mr. Powers:
you are the most 1mpudent man
ever saw" ......
II am sure you didn't hire me for
my manners" replied Mr.. Powers
and Mr.. Wanamaker said no more.
/ Wanamaker had column in the
Philadelphia Ledger every day. AT
the top of the column was the mean
! ingless expression Grand Depot"
Then came twenty lines, each one
reading Silk Department" Then
twenty more line naming some 9TH
err department, and so on down the
column The advertising was utterly
useless There was nothing attract
i've, nothing helpful, nothing profit
able in it. but it cost 500 a day In
the Ledger alone. Powers said that
he did not know how to advertise
when he became interested in the
Wanamaker store. but he had one
qualification. he didn't lie.
Il believed there was way to in
terest people before they saw the
goods, and for nine months l strove
to find a better way. | used a sim
gle column in type and style Of a
chlds book. 1t was the plainesI
sort of reading. The paragraphs were
short and crisp. Whatever woman
would like to read about on that par
ticular day l wrote in a way that
l thought would please her l wrote
: just as l would talk to her 1t was
news and gossip. But I told the
5 truth. I kept close to the ten COM
, mandments. l didn't tell every
i thing I knew. 1t was not necessary.
But what l said was the exact truth.
/ There was not even a step in the
| direction of lie
Mr.. Powers read few of the adj
vertisements he wrote at that time to
illustrate his style Of writing Some
of his advertisements We're very in
teresting. He told his readers wher
there was cotton in the goods. He
\ advertised one day line of $40, s11
and $12 suits. "Some cotton in em.
he wrote, "but we commend then
for good looks and wear. We shal
say something more abount cotton il
goods at some future day"
The style of writing was quite
gossipy. The reader was Informed
3 one day all about hair mattresses
8 how they are made, what material Il
l used, what is the best kind of hair
how hogs bristles are substituted
: for hair, and why The speaker sait
e that it was the kind of advertiser!
r that people liked to read, and tina
/. they always turned to the adver
e Using column of Wanamaker afte
reading the first page of the paper
The effect of this kind of adver
Using was wonderful. However
} there were two classes of person
that Wanamaker could not reach
!, One was the very rich and the othe
was the very poor.
"Mr Wanamaker had no ances
try" continued the speaker. "Aristo
, cratic Philadelphia turned up it
nose at him. The women would no
, have his wagon in front of thei
DOORS"
Speaking of the very poor. he said
II am sorry to say that you can
get the trade of the poor in any hon
est way known to me. This elias
likes pretense. Barnum was right
People like to be humbugged."
But the great middle class patron
: lied Wanamaker. In one day h
> sold $4,000 worth of books. Ere
quently on a Saturday he would sci
$1,000 worth of shoes.
!. Mr.. Powers announced that tn
honorable way was the profitabl
way, but not one in 100 would do II
Therefore. it was the best way, be
4 cause there was not much competl
ton in virtue.
, Mutual confidence said tn
: speaker. sis the relation that SHOULD
. exist between seller and buyer. !
r oon ho uainad first NV hopoSt1v dc