The Ordway new era., 1911-01-13


was well under way. the plan OF rails.
ing funds was taken up and carried
out quickly before the interest OF the
people had chance to snbsidc. The
plan successfully used by this town
to raise Il small working fund,
and which has been and is being used
elsewhere with equal success, was to
sell booster buttons at the popular
price of twenty-five cents each. The
sale of five thousand buttons at twen-
ty 1--WE cents each brought Il starting
fund Of seven hundred and fifty dol
lars, plus added civic patriotism.
The result of the button feature were
twofold; first and fundamentally 1t
assisted in creating IA stronger civic
PATRIOTISM the small towns greatest
asset: and, second, it made every
resident who went out of town on il
trip or visit Il better bUoStcr and an
excellent advertising medium.
The little buOstcr buttons were
quietly talking in the stores. ON the
trains, aud street cars, in stations, In
hotels, factories and everywhere they
vcrSation about the town for which
the wcarcrs of the buttons were
always silently but effectively cX-
pressing great pride. The button idea
helped to win the enthusiasm of every
man, woman and child, making OF
them earnest BOOSTERS, and besides, II
earned money with which to carry
IN the work that had been given
good start.
a fcasablc plan of securing aquick
sale Of the buttons which was success
fully used in this and many other
tuwn-prOniotiOn campaigns was to
distribute one hundred buttons to
each man in attendance at Il secret
booster button meeting planned for
this purpose. Each man with hun
drcd buttons gave ten buttons each to
ten Of his friends, who sold them for
him. In this way several hundred
bu>iuc.s.incn-b IL but tun-salcsmcn were
all covering the town at the same
time. Several days following the
bunstcr-button meeting supply OF
the buttons was placed on sale In the
retail stores, and following this
school children were given prizes for
selling The largest amount of buttons.
The three distinct plans In cOnnec.
tion with the advertising soon closed
out the supply Of buttons.
The boostcr-button campaign sue.
cccdcd in raising ample FUNDS for the
publicity club to successfully finance
the various plans to be described In
detail.
The next plan used in this promo.
liuu campaign provided for spreading
a knowledge Of the advantages and
uncuuallcd attractions Of the town.
the creating or increasing OF lively
civic interest. and the determination
to bnn>t. This feature was Il wide
range "i small prizes for the best
essays on how the successful people
had made their start, what the town
had given them in particular, and
why 1t was Il good place to live, work
and make money.
The prizc-winning essays and those
receiving honorable mention were
publi>hcd in the local newspaper.
| Following this they were issued in
pamphlet form and used by all bust
ness aud private houses as Enclosures
] all I.,tt nf
Testimonials Of this character
which were the actual experiences OF
people living in the tOwn-wcrc the
most convincing form Of advertising.
They carried great weight with pco-
pie living on the outside and brought
! definite results.
In siIll another boosting campaign
essays Of the same nature were issued
trihutrd regularly to all business
! houses 50 that Il certain number were
-rut out each week in the letters
going to- other places. In carving
uu, this idea hundreds Of dollars
worth ui valuable advertising was Sc
cured at "A very small cnSt-that only
|uf having the essays published. In
~tiil another small town, where the
test Inunidl ESSAYS were published
with th" writer's photograph and sig
nature. even greater value was at.
rarhcd to thrm. This plan promoted
more interest among the residents
and made a better impression on the
people to whom they were sent.
Another distinctive feature which
has be II used to contribute largely to
he success Of a town boosting cam