Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-02-06
CuSACK'S VIEWS
ON ADVERTISING
He Is the Biggest Billboard
Man In the Business.
FEEDERS FOR NEWSPAPERS.

Advertisers Use the Bilboards to Call
Attention to Their Wares and Then
Turn to the Newspapers to Tell the
People Why They Should Buy.
1t hasn't been so many years since
the billboard men and some of the
newspapers were sworn foes, but all
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 bilboards owned and OPP
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 Il 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 uav-
eled over the country printing the
signs himself.
''The newspapers, at least many OF
them. used TO think the outdoor aGver-
Using came into competition with
them" said Mr.. Cusack. "On the other
hand. it 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 II Works Out.
1T works out this way. The man
who has a big proposition to put before
the public must make campaign Of
advertising. The proportion Of it the
billboard men could hope to get would
be small-not more than 10 or 20 per
cent at the most Now, when l went
into business / used to hold that the.
newspapers were not effective as
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
ther and takes it up in the newspa
pers. We really create with him 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 ad-
vertising work with the billboards
Then it went into the magazines and
then into the newspapers, and nova
days it uses the two latter vehicles
almost exclusively. It's advertising was
created and developed by the paint PEG
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
as the greatest auxiliary newspaper
advertising has
Cover the Country.
"Our method is used by one set of
advertisers who wish to localize their
displays. Then. of course, there are
big advertisers whose wares we make
known widely. We cover this coun
try outside of the immediate east. and
]
feet long and ten feet high on rail
roads.
Formerly the newspapers used to
fight these on the Civic federation
and city beautiful plan, but now they
are realizing that they are an asset
Our work is now recognized as q
necessary part of almost any we'll con.
Quoted advertising campaign. 1t is
entirely different from newspaper adj
vertising. We can simply show pic
ture or an eXhortation. There is no
space to tell why the man who read,
should buy. He is told that the arti
Gle is to be had or perhaps what it is
for.
IF the advertiser wants to tell peD
pie why they should buy his goods he
must use the newspapers An Illus.
tration OF what L mean may be fouuE
in political advertising. Out in thu
west painted billboards are coming IN.
to general use in political campaigns
Yet all these can show are short pn-
litical slogans, for the most part u
short, catchy sentence that attracts the
eye in the second it flashes past The
man who would learn more must go to
the newspaper.
BILLBOARD advertising is on the III
crease all the tine. just as is newsDi
per advertising.
Eve are large subscribers to news
papers and magazines. l suppose our
bill for subscriptions amounts to at
least $4,000 year. In the old days
you did not have to pay n farmer il
you wanted to put up n billboard on
his land. Nowadays he has come 60
ronl;1a that hot nrixilss<a &c u,nrth