The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-06-15
STREET CAR PUBLICITY
IS BIG HELP TO OWNERS
A. ID. B. Van Zandt Says Rail
ways Need to Advertise AS
Well AS Manufacturers

n CEDAR POINT, o., June IA. u.
b. Van Zant, publicity agent for the
Detroit United lines, gave an address
+ on Talking 10 the public" before the
Central Electric Railway association,
today. He said, in part:
The advertising manager. the press
agent, the director or publicity, ca4I
him what you Will, has long been
part or the organization OF the bulIo-
ers OF stovts, the producers OF cars
and the designers OF the immune 49, 49,
faro boxes, while you gentlemen anu
4 specifically exempt the supply heh
present haven't gone at IL the SAM
way. The wares you buy you near %
enthusiastically and often anu Sou
want TO hear OF them because Tue
give you new Ideas, but what "a 'NS
wares you sell?
You gentlemen who are operauhs
railways are operating them lOI ',
purpose OF selling your product-s g.
car rides The supply man comes 70
you with his letters, his circulars anu
his arguments 10 convince you ma
what he has TO oner Is the pess' a
he comes 10 you persistently anu
Remarkably. but how many OF You een
tlemen 20 TO the people VINO are youI
customers the riders, and tell theh
OF what you have for sale, OF the Sa I =
you take in making your proo t, St'U -, !,
Ii is quite true that some OF tue VI
han and interurban companies nave
done publicity more or less recently
and more or less systematically DuS
the railway that does IL Win the -
and enthusiasm OF the builder OF the
lautomobile and the inventor OF INC
latest brand OF breakfast FOOD Is IN
4 deed, a rarity. 49,,
none, but IL Is not AZ good as tna1
advertising planned careIully anu 70
n purpose This applies 10 your Dust
ness as we'll as 20 the other man
Not worth advertising because you
have no opposition? The commercial
world gives you many illustrailons -
the man without rival VINO lets ms
.warea become known.
Not worth advertising because your
customers know your Even the ylliase
grave digger let's II De KNOWN
digs a grave worth resting In
Where Publicity In Neglected
The electric railway field Is one OF
relatively modern origin ana YOU nav "a
been SO busy developing. changing anu
Improving that you haze not gwen ave
heen $50 busy doing things that you
have forgotten to tell the puoiic what
you have been doing. and WINS 90, ~
have not been talking 10 the pupLio ,
rhe public has been talking about you
Will the gentlemen present Whoss
railway has not been subject 10 al
verse criticism kindly stand up!
How many towns are here repre-
know less than you about running
railway?
Doesn't your fellow citizen yield TO
the superior knowledge or his BAKER
his tailor, even his banker ana the
man who sells him his morning smoke,
but despite the fact that this same
neighbor who doesn't know the price
OF rail or tie, or couldn't tell you
what car cost. will tell you how 10
operate your road.
think some OF you have recollec-
lions OF street railway companies De
ing called ''grasping corporations IN
capital letters and "usurpers OF public
streets in bold type and-out time is
too fieeting to repeat all that you are
called, especially when someone Is run
ming for office.
You. gentlemen, are arm In the be-
lief that your railway Is honest; that
liz is giving just as good service as
possible and probably little better
than returns warrant. You gentlemen
know that whereas the ordinary COM
mercial enterprise builds itself great
err as the business Immediately in sight
warrants, the business you represent
IS more often pioneer waiting Tor