The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-15
BUILDING UP A pANls.


At a MONDAY luncheon OF the Board
Of Trade OF Springfield. Mass last
week. Bert e. Lyons, of Troy, N W.
made a capital speech explaining to
his Yankee audience how through ms
eYorts the Manufacturers National
Bank of Troy had grown in Few years
from the smallest bank in that city to
the largest, and its number OF deposi-
tors been increased from $500 to over
1900. This result has been, obtained
largely by advertising, many mediums
being used but none more ettectivelS
than the newspaper
Mr.. Lyons is one OF the leaders In
financial advertising indeed, he is re-
garded by many as the mead OF the
heap" While admitting that there are
many difficulties in advertising hnaar
cial institutions, as there are only two
subjects to talk about, he has found
by experience that something fresh
had to be offered to the public every
day." Bank advertising must neces-
sarily be confined to deposits and
Commercial accounts" but In the
opinion of this successful publicity
agent. something more than dry state
ments of capitalization and lists OF
officers and directors is required in
order to attract the attention OF the
depositing and Investing public, He
would bring out the advantages OF
thrift in such a way that even the
poorest man could feel that the adVer-
tisement had some personal message
for him, and he would write the adver7
tisements so that they would reach the
business OF to-day rather than the
contingencies of tomorrow.
a great many bankers from distant
parts of the Connecticut Valley We're In
Springfield to hear what this success
full bank builder had to say, and his
message was so simple and direct that
we have no doubt they wondered why
thev themselves had not thought of 1t
before. The publication of stereo-
typed advertisement of bank, giving
the amount OF its capital, Its surplus
and the names of its officers undouht-
edlv has a certain value, but no other
business institution that we know OF
would advertise in this way, with the
expectation of receiving the largest re-
turns from such publicity.
When the President and his party
were in Charleston last week, Mr..
Charles p. Taft, the Presidents brother
and a very successful flnancier, is said
TO have expressed surprise at the NUM-
Der of banking institutions in that
town. He would have been more sur
prlsed, probably. at their great sue
cess, if he had made inquiry as to their
methods, Of keeping their business be-
fore the public. Five or six years ago,
one of the banks in Charleston, of
which Wilson G.. Harvey, I. W., is
president, adopted new method of
reaching the public, and has pursued it
SO successfully that within the course
of very short time it's deposits have
more than doubled. The method was so
simple that. q child, II it had sense
enough would be able to see II. One
day Harvey suggested: If you propose
doing business With asbanking house,
then select one that is safe, central,
progressive and accommodating" The
next; day he added: 1.-The officials and
marines of the Navy Yard" call this
bank the Navy Yard Bank" because
we cater 10 their patronage and gladly
welcome their accounts, small or
large This was followed by gen
eral appeal: we are after you, because
we particularly desire to secure your
account" and day or SO later the
announcement was made that this
particular bank Is The School Teach
ers' Bank" because so many of the
teachers have kindly favored us with
their patronage, and the number Is in
creasing from month to month"
Ii looks us as # this Is per-
fectly simple and easy way for a bank
TO do business, and the wonder is that
all Of them 90 not do business in this
way.
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