Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-10-18
'alAs
WHO PAYS FOR ADVERTISING?
manufacturer Who Believes In Pub
lieity 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 a Connecticut city
not long ago:
Say. remarked a passenger to his
companion. reverting to topic they
had dropped for an interval. Il 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,"
Well. 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 a
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 b, bought
by the first speaker. He himself,
while smart man OF business in his
own line. was without technical knowl.
edge OF piano values. and had there
| fore taken along his friend. a pianist
I and musical man. to help him make a
selection. Together they had seen
and heard many instruments of vari.
GUS makes. and after comparing price.
4DDPnranpa hn An
was favorable to the uch-advertised
E. although the circumstance OF
its being so widely advertised had not
occurred to them. nor influenced their
choice.
Well. now" went on the musical
adviser. which one OF the other
makes came nearest your idea OF d
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 you?"
Yes. 1t did; just as good as the
E; but ii has the name OF not
standing up so we'll with use. AS a
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
Bet by the prospective purchaser the
E piano still held first favorite
and was ultimately bought.
Had the buyer. then. as he imag-
lned. really paid out $50 as a sort OF
advertising tax. for which ne received
40 actual value? Not at all.
Manufacturers OF any largely adver-
Used article. whether piano. crackers.
or chewing gum. making and selling
hundreds as against units OF non-ad-
vertised brands. so distribute and alb
BoTb their advertising expenses as to
make the quota OF the individual buy
er very small. And such trifiing
tribute as he does pay is more than
returned TO him; for the manufactur-
.
continual revenues, is all the better
able to put into his product the very
best of material and skill. thus as
surfing the purchaser not a dearer, but
in the end a money-saving article.
II is rather the maker of the non
advertised. or only systematically ad-
vertised article. who must put on a
big profit over and above It's intrin-
sic value. in order to bring paying re-
turns on his limited sales
So. then. instead OF paying for" big
Advertising the man who thinks ne IS
"on to the game" and will not patron
lie those who play II. IS really paying
for not advertising. In the one case
would he buy from the advertiser he
would become a purchasing partner
and profit sharer in a concern having
turnover Of millions. BY the say
ing" method. whereby he thinks IL foxy
to dodge the advertising tax. he ia
cheertully contributing to the profits
OF the non-advertiser
To those on the inside. the fore.
going may seem TO be the veriest com.
monplaces Of advertising economics;
but 10 the sort Of man represented by
the piano purchases. It simply has not
occurred 20 analyze she effect OF a Yuo.
icitv camaaign of which ne himself
could not help but take note.