Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-11-23
Advertising
TALKS
TRUTH IN
ADVER Using
BY w. j. HAMPTON


that an advertiser will not make a
| public statement over his own sigma
ture concerning the goods he offers to
possible customers which he can not
suDstantiate. He might do II, per-
maps, over his counter, face to face
| with a customer, but giving II wide
spread publicity seems to put n diff
ferent moral aspect upon 1t and he
Sticks to the truth. like reasoning
Is followed. In a way, by the man who
says one thing on the street, and quite
another on the witness stand.
Granting that a certain amount of
exaggeration is legitimate and permits
sible. is 1t not evident in a great many
advertisements that that limit Is ex-
ceeded? 1t is bad business. but are
not good many advertisers making
statements to the public which they
can not make good? 1t would hardly
be fair to say that they never intended
TO make good and were misrepresent-
ing for the purpose of attracting the
attention OF possible customers, but
whether 1T be said or not the result is
the same.
Among certain class OF advertis-
ers, those especially advertising in
mediums circulating among country
subscribers, the downright lie seems
To be part of their stock in trade; in
deed, In many instances 1t is the very
basis OF their business. But such adj
vertisers are little better than crooks
and the Post Office Department gets
them If they escape the police. 1t is
RI hn
newspapers to whom this article is adj
dressed. At intervals in New York
city large and reputable houses ad.
vertise books for sale at prices much
below what regular booksellers can
handle them, These books. always
standard works, are represented as
equal in every way to the regular edi-
tons and the difference Is price is ac.
counted for by the fact that the seller
has bought out a stock Of publisher.
or some other equally plausible ex-
cuse, and the books are sold to Gus
toners who think they are getting
bargains. Possibly they are bargains.
Tor book by standard writer is q
bargain to anybody who gets it at a
reasonable price and reads 1t. but that
does not make the books what thew
are represented to be, and a very cas-
ual examination will prove that thew
are not equal to the regular editions
either In binding. paper. printing, or
matter Thousands of such books are
sold every year. by large stores all
over this country. But is it necessary
to misrepresent in order to sell?
wouldn't buyers feel that at the price
they were getting their moneys worth.
even If they were not regular edj-
tons? In my opinion n frank state.
ment of fact by the advertiser would
not interfere with the sale at all Pur
chasers are satisfied with the books
as they are and will buy them. but
they do not want to be deceived.
Again in the newspapers will be
seen display advertisements of all
wool clothing. guaranteed. so the ad.
vertisement says. but the price given
is such that all except the very igno-
rant know the goods cannot be as
represented. Yet a great many such
are sold TO intelligent customers who
believe the advertiser is telling the
truth. and that he has secured the
goods at a forced sale or in some one
of the many ways whereby genuine
stuff may be disposed of at imitation
prices. When customer finds that
he has been fooled. the advertiser
loses him and as many OF his friends
as he can take with him. On tho
other hand bad the advertiser frankly
said what the goods were and al tho
price were equal TO the genuine. the
customer could have no fault to find
! Along numerous other lines the reck
less advertiser pursues the same
course of Misrepresentation and NO,
only Injuries his own business but
| that Of others, and implants doubts
in the minds Of those who read adver
! tisements TO such an extent that be.
! fore a great while no advertisements
! Will be believed unless ACCOMPANIED
! By sworn statement before n notary
Some time ago ! read an advertise
ment in a shop window which read.
! THE Only Place on the Avenue
! Where You Can Get Two Collars for
/ a Quarter" Several days after II
was gone and ! learned that Il had
| disappeared because OF a postal card
! received by the advertiser. There
wasn't much on the card. but there
/ was enough TO make him sore II
read: You are right, II is the only
| place on the avenue where you can
! get two collars for a quarter Al
| every other place you can get three
1 or four" Of course, some rival IN
/ business must have sent the card b,,,
II that advertiser had not been ex
| eeeding the limit OF exaggeration in
advertising, he never would have got
| such a disagreeable jolt.
While the advertisers, who are 80
reckless of their language, are hand.
| ing out statements concerning tho
! quality Of goods which are not true