Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-09-29
WHO PAYS FOR ADVERTISING?
Manufacturer Who Believes in puh.
licity Able to Turn Out Better
and Cheaper Article.

The following exchange of ideas. or
the sense of them, occurred on a car
running out from Connecticut city
not long ago:
say, remarked a passenger to his
companion, reverting to a topic they
had dropped for an interval, 81 don't
believe I'll buy that E piano, after
all"
Why not?"
We'll, the makers are big advertis-
ers, aren't they? They advertise IN
pretty nearly all the magazines, don't
they?"
Sure they do. But what of it?''
We'll, when | pay $500 for that pi-
ano, figure about $50 is going into
their advertising expenses. And
don't see why / can't get as good
piano of make not advertised SO
much, and save the difference"
On the first hearing. the argument
sounded reasonable. But was it?
The two friends had spent several
hours in the city. going the round of
: the piano dealers, looking for an or
dinarily good instrument, to be bought
by the first speaker. He himself,
while a smart man of business in his
own line. was without technical knowl-
edge of piano values, and had there
fore taken along his friend, pianist
and musical man, to help him make
selection. Together they had seen
and heard many instruments Of vari-
GUS makes, and after comparing price,
appearance and tone. the final choice
was favorable to the much-advertised
E, although the circumstance OF
its being so widely advertised had not
occurred to them, nor Influenced their
choice.
We'll, now" went on the musical
adviser, (which one of the other
makes came nearest your idea OF a
fair price, knocking off what you sup
pose the people have to put on for ad-
vertising?"
why, there was that B make,
at $3.50. 1t seemed pretty good to me.
. Didn't it to your"
Yes. it did; just as good as the
E; but it has the name OF not
standing up so we'll with use. AS
matter of fact. most pianos of the
grade we have been looking at sound
much the same when new. The test
comes with use; and that $50 you
think you would be paying the E.
people for advertising more likely
represents that much more value in
ultimate wearing qualities"
"Oh, don't know about that. Some
body's got to pay for all that adver-
Using. and it seems to me it's the
. buyer. Before we decide we'll go
into $ and see what we can do
there"
$ is another city in the neigh
borhood, and thither. few days later,
the two friends journeyed, to spend
more time in piano hunting. The re-
suit was practically the same as be-
fore. But for slight variations OF deal
ers' discount. within the price limit
set by the prospective purchaser the
E. piano still held first favorite,
and was ultimately bought.
Had the buyer, then, as he mag
ined, really paid out $50 as sort OF
advertising tax. for which he received
no actual value? Not at all.
Manufacturers of any largely adver-
tised article, whether piano. crackers.
or chewing gum, making aud selling
hundreds as against units or non-ad-
yertised brands, so distribute and ao-
sorb their advertising expenses as to
make the quota of the individual buy
or very small. And such triffng
tribute as he does pay is more than
returned to him; for the manufactur-
err by reason OF immense sales ana
continual revenues. Is all the better
able TO put into his product the very
hest of material and skill. thus as
surfing the purchaser not dearer, Du'
I'm the end a money-saving article.
II Is rather the maker of the non
advertised, or only spasmodica4y ao-
yertised article. who must put on a
b,g nrofit over and above its intrin-
sic vaIue. in order to bring paying re-
turns on his limited sales
So. then. instead OF paying tor dig
advertising. the man who thinks ne is
..o, RI the game" and will not patron
ize those who play 1t, is really paying
for not advertising. In the one case
Iu,orld he buv from the advertser) ne
,vorld become a purchasing partner
or5 proft sharer in concern having
turnover of millions. BY the saw
ine~ method. whereby he thinks It fo1y
70 dodge the advertising tax ne Is
cbaerfully contributing to the pronts
of the non-advertiser. ...
To those on the inside the lore
no,na NAV seem to be the veriest com
monplaces of advertising economies.
hut to tae sort of man represented oy s
the the piano pG purchaser. it simply has not
occurred to analyze the effect OF pup,
ucitv campaign of which he ninise"
could not help but take note