Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-01-17
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
NY
Competitor
s+I.yasNr
A Contest Of Ingenious
Advertising
By Philip BOswOrth
By Philip B0sw0rth


The fixing Of prices today is far diff
ferent from what 1t was when was a
young man. At that time we were
cutting each others profits down to a
minimum and sometimes to loss.
But there were virgin fields In those
days that had not been worked. One
might go into western town with a
new kind of goods to sell, and II they
were salable he would make a good
profit on them. l served an appren-
ticeship with large soap manufactur-
ing concern and after having thorough
ly learned the business concluded TO 60
to some western state and build up a
trade In the goods with which I was
familiar settled In a town called
Farnsworth. the center of a country
that was rapidly growing in popula-
tlon.
had been furnished with some
means for advertising and concluded
to attract attention by unique notices
| remember the first one l issued
considered very clever. 1t was, EVERY
patriot uses Gunter's soap, especially
on Blrthington's wash day" was
disappointed to find that the plain, un
educated people Of that region did not
see the humor of my ad.. for those who
mentioned 1t 10 me asked who Birth
ington was. After explaining to most
Of the citizens Of the town that Birth
fnutnnia kva
Of Washlngton's birthday l concluded
to try something else.
One morning l noticed that I had a
rival in the soap business In the neigh
boring town of Millville. Not only had
l rival In the business, but In clever
advertising. In a Millville newspaper
l saw that It. b. Ketcham was selling
Southwlck's soap, advertising 1t t.
wash out freckles, leaving the skin
a beautiful pink and white" con-
sidered this ridiculous till a number
Of the freckled boys and girls of the
town came into my store and asked II
had any Of that soap that would get
away with freckles"
made my next effort more prac.
Teal. | advertised Gunter's soap as
the "whitest wash" a housewife could
use. This produced an immediate eff.
feet, for several women came into the
store and bought my soap to use In
whitewashing their cellars.
The next advertisement Of Ketch-
ans that noticed was after a storm
and a consequent carrying away Of 8
portion Of the turnpike between Farms.
worth and Millvllle by the giving way
Of culvert. Ketcham announced
that the washout had been effected by
a cake Of Southwick's soap having fall.
en- out of the wagon Of a farmer who
had just bought It and was carrying
II to Farnsworth TO wash away the
spots left by an application Of the Gun.
ter article.
The public didn't exactly understand
how a culvert could be washed out
with a cake Of soap weighing only a
few ounces, but the reference TO spots
left by my goods was stroke OF
genius on the part Of Ketcham. 1t was
not at that time even the proper thing
to attack In an advertisement or other
wise any individual goods. Indeed.
had cause for legal action against
Ketcham for damages SO / concluded
to drive over to MIllville and inform
him that II he did 1t again would
hale him into court l found his OF.
fee in charge of a young woman. OF
whom I inquired when Mr.. Ketcham
would be In. She asked me what ]
wished to see him for, and told her
that l was the agent for Gunter's soap
at Farnsworth and would like to have
conference with him with a view to
settling upon a method by which he
and could do business without injur-
ing each other.
The young woman said that Mr..
Ketcham was out most OF the time so.
llciting orders for his soap and II In.
stead Of waiting for him, which
might have TO do for some time.
would say to her anything I had to
communicate she would transmit II to
Mr.. Ketcbam
"Very we'll" | said; ''please call his
attention to the fact that when he ad.
vertises that Gunter's soap leaves
spots, thus inJuring its sale, he lays
himself liable to a suit for damages.
There is no law against his advertis-
ing that southwick's soap has pro.
duced washout or that 1t is a white.
wash on the best soap in the market
so long as he doesn't cry down any
other article. Do you undsrstandT'
an tell Mr. Ketcham."
"And say to him that II he will come
over to see me | shall be happy to fx
with him a scale Of prices by which
we shall be governed, so that we won't
be cutting each others throats."
"W-h-a-tT
81 mean that we shall not be under.
selling each other. There's plenty OF
room for both, but II we fight each
bther well both fail"
"Ill try 10 make him understand"
The girl. though she appeared 10 be
stupid, was rather pretty. As was
about TO leave concluded TO pay her
compliment, being a little facetious
as well, 80 I said:
II wouldn't use southwick's soap on
my face n ! were you"
"Why notT she asked.
swell, your complexion being perfect.
II isn't necessary"
That won't wash" she replied.
dropping into slang Compliments are
not In order In business"
RAn, GAnn r. n--nnnn-