The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-02
JEROME K. STERNE

There are those who may be skeptica' | on the subject of the interest that wom- | en take in the advertisements which ap- pear in the daily papers, but in one fam | fly, at least, I know case where 1t has been so apparent that perfectly happy home was almost broken up, just on this account.
 | It vexes George to degree because Arabella reads nothing but the aus and death notices in the paper, morn ing and morning out. | He has scored her roundly time aftei time for not taking an active interest III the worlds history as set forth by tn0 press
 r5e maintains that she takes to adver- tisements like a duck takes to "aler' and after finishing them she devours the death notices like a hawk does chicken
 'There you are" said he a few morn ings ago, in a tone which intimated that
 she was denied being there, reading | bargain ads as usual
 "T,m not" averred Arabeila, and quick
 lv turned to the obituary column.
 "Then you are searching with the ayidity of beaver to ina out II soiie- bodv we know has died" he said Arabella resenting the speech, hastily
 "hedsed'' by dropping her eyes little lower down on the paper and said suavely: |, "Not at all. I am trying to see II anyhodv we know has been born.' 
 | With this little episode fresh in my mind. I began to wonder the other day | if all women were as intent upon reao- | ing advertisements as this same Ara heI,a and also it suggested a question tc n,v mind as to just what kind of ad- vertising appeals most to the feminlne mind. T.. T could think of no cleverer person tc | inform me on the subject than MT Je' home K. Sterne. one of the prightes. most capable and enterprlsing or 'he | advertising mem of this pig clly' aho | so I put the question to him, ana asked him to give me some 'pointers on 'h' subject M
 You've struck popular note in the business." he said smilingly, flor what evervbody knows is, that the woman Is the real buyer in every home. It is the | woman who reads the advertisements anc | informs the rest of her household con- corning it. She buys for the table, foi the kitchen, the drawing room ana lh- fuences every purchase made by any member of her family. She says the ma
 word about Improvements on the house
 has a. large medium of influence as tt
 the purchase of the automobile, and hel jurisdiction in the matter of shopping even extends to the new suit that hus
 band, son, brother or father wears. In
 deed. the hand that rocks the cradle
 holds the purse strings if you'll permit
 the paraphrase."
 And from this deduct that women ar | the best readers of advertisements"
 suggested.
 l '.To ask a woman why she reads al
 'ad' is pretty much the same as asking | her why she eats," Mr Sterne answered
 making very good comparison.
 "She would probably answer, If coult dispense with either I would gladly do so. | A woman reads an advertisement ant | straightway goes downtown to make he | purchase Her mind Is made up; sh' | knows what she wants-that is, If thu | ad' is clear and concise. An advertise ment appeals to women; it must be borl | of confidencse in a business or an ar | ticle'
 l For instance" I suggested. | Advertising may be classified into two kinds" was the reply-"bargain sale ad vertising and trade-building advertising
 The former Is read by hundreds of wom