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

of advertising, a drawing away from |
the old space-fillng 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 f. 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-
er. 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
l ever saw"
Il am sure you didn't hire me for
my manners" replied Mr.. Powers,
and Mr. Wanamaker said no more.
Wanamaker had a 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 Tho odyorticinp 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.
81 believed there was way to in
terest people before they saw the
goods, and for nine months l strove
to find a better way. l used sim
gle column in type and style Of a
child's book. 1t was the plainesI
sort of reading. The paragraphs were
short and crisp Whatever a woman
would like to read about on that par
ticular day ] wrote in way that
thought would please her ! wrote
just as l would talk to her. 1t was
news and gossip But l told the
truth. I kept close to the ten COM
Il onto Mt toll
thing 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 a 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 when
there was cotton in the goods He
advertised one day line of $40, $11
and $12 suits. 'Some cotton in EN-
he wrote, "but we commend them
for good looks and wear. We shall
say something more abount cotton in
goods at some future day"
The style of writing was quite
gossipy. The reader was Informed
one day all about hair mattresses,
how they are made. what material is
used. what is the best kind of hair,
how hogs bristles are substituted
for hair. and why. The speaker said
that it was the kind of advertising
that people liked to read. and that
they always turned to the adver-
Using column of Wanamaker after
reading the first page of the paper.
The effect of this kind of adver-
Using was wonderful. However,
there were two classes of persons
that Wanamaker could not reach.
One was the very rich and the other
was the very poor.
"Mr Wanamaker had no ances-
try" continued the speaker. "Aristo-
cratic Philadelphia turned up its
nose at him. The women would not
have his wagon in front of their
DOORS"
Speaking of the very poor, he said
Il am sorry to say that you can't
get the trade of the poor in any hon
est way known to me. This class
likes pretense. Barnum was right.
People like to be humbugged."
But the great middle class patron
lied Wanamaker. In one day he
sold $4,000 worth of books. FIRE.
quently on Saturday he would sell
$1,000 worth of shoes.
Mr.. Powers announced that the
honorable way was the profitable
way, but not one in 100 would do It.
Therefore. it was the best way, be-
cause there was not much compete
ton in virtue.
Mutual confidence" said the
speaker, sis the relation that should
exist between seller and buyer. 1t
can be gained. first, by honestly de-