The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-10-24
CUSACK'S VIEWS
F.. ON ADVERTISING
He Is the Biggest Billboard
Man In the Business.
FEEDERS FOR NEWSPAPERS.
Advertisers Use tho BilIboards to Call
! Attention to Their Wares and Then
F.. Turn to the Newspapers to Tell the
People Why They Should Buy.

TeoPio why ney Shouio BUY.
1t hasn't been so many years since
the billboard men and some OF the
newspapers were sworn foes. but al
this has changed. according TO Thomas
Cusack of Chicago, who is said to be
the biggest billboard man in the coun
try, which means in the world. 1t is
said Of the billboards owned and op-
Grated by Mr. Cusack that placed end
TO end they would form fence twelve
feet high running all the way from
Salt Lake City to New York. and he
employs 1.200 men. Some of them.
according to Mr.. Cusack. have taken
prizes in art Institutes in Chicago and
elsewhere. and not a few have been
graduated into illustrators and cover
page designers for the magazines.
Mr. Cusack was one of the pioneers
in the billboard business and has been
at it thirty-six years. There was a
time, Mr.. Cusack said. when he tray
eled over the country printing the
signs himself.
1.-THE newspapers, at least many of
them. used to think the outdoor adver-
Using came into competition with
them," said Mr.. Cusack. "0n the other
hand. 1t has been proved that there is
no actual competition. Instead. one
helps the other. The Chicago newspa-
pers of late have begun to recognize
this. and some of them are among our
biggest customers.
How It Works Out.
at works out this way. The man
who has a big proposition to put before
the public must make a campaign OF
advertising. The proportion of 1t the
billboard men could hope to get would
be small-not more than 10 or 20 per
cent at the most. Now, when | went
into business | used to hold that the
were not effective as a
means of advertising. | have changed
my mind and | now hold that they
rank first. They are bound to get the
biggest share of the advertising, and
the magazines nowadays come next.
We rank third or fourth.
I'VE are feeders for the newspapers
The small dealer. the clothier, the lit
tie collar and cuff manufacturer who
wants TO boom his local trade. is likely
TO begin with us. When he has seen
the value of advertising he goes fur
Their and takes it up in the newspa-
pers. We really create with him a de-
mand for newspaper advertising.
Take the case of what is now one of
the biggest collar and cuff manufactur-
ing concerns in the country. Thirty
years ago | did practically all its adj
vertising work with the bilboardS.
Then it went into the magazines and
then into the newspapers, and nowa-
days it uses the two latter vehicles
almost exclusively. Its advertising was
created and developed by the paint peo-
pie.
Then up TO few years ago cele-
brated brand OF tobacco was entirely
advertised by painters. 1t has since
become a great newspaper and maya
zine advertiser | regard our business
rs the greatest auxiliary newspaper
has.
Cover the Country.
"Our method is used by one set of
advertisers who wish to Iocalize their
displays Then. of course. there are
Dig advertisers whose wares we make
Known widely. We cover this coun-
ry outside of the immediate east. and
We have 1000 bulletin boards fifty
'eet long and ten feet high on rail-
'oads.
Formerly the newspapers used to |
light these on the Civic federation !
nd city beautiful plan, but now they |
re realizing that they are an asset.
Our work is now recognized as a
necessary part of almost any well con- |
Iucted advertising campaign. 1t is
ntirely different from newspaper adj
We can simply show a pic
ure> or an eXhortation. There is no |
pace to tell why the man who reads
hould buy. He is told that the arti-
lie is to be had or perhaps what it is
or
IF the advertiser wants to tell peo-
lie why they should buy his goods he
aust use the newspapers. An Illus
ration of what | mean may be found
D political advertising Out in the
-est painted billboards are coming in
} general use in political campaigns.
ct all these can show are short po-
teal slogans. for the most part-a
hort. catchy sentence that attracts the
We in the second ii flashes past. The
ian who would learn more must go to
lie newspaper.
billboard advertising is on the in
ease all the time. Just as is newspa-
or advertising.
1--WE are large subscribers to news
lpers and magazines. | suppose our
III for subscriptions amounts TO at
asst $4,000 year. In the old days
,u did not have to pay a farmer II
,u wanted to put up a billboard on
5 land. Nowadays he has come to
allie that that privilege is worth
mething."
YaIe's Oldest Graduate Dead.