The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1913-11-27
PATENT ADVERTISING
NOT BENEFICIAL

Advertising, like all other lines
! of business, is subject to graft.
The graft may not be so apparent
as in other things, but it is there
just the same, and no one suffers
more from the evil effects of it's
misrepresentation than the coun-
try merchant.
The Gazette Times is not COM
planning about the use of patent
advertising so far as the space
used in the paper is concerned,
but there are several reasons for
urging the advertiser to study
the matter to the mutual benefit
of his business and the news
paper.
The advertising columns of the
paper are as much a part of the
news service as the local and edi-
torial columns. A large per cent
of the readers will start in on the
ads first Especially is this true
with the ladies, for much of their
shopping is directed through the
medium of newspaper advertis-
ing) and the merchant should
make it a point to have something
Of interest each week, something
new and attractive that the read
er may not lose interest in his
space. If the editor should form
the habit of letting news matter
run week in and week out with
out change, or, on the other hand,
should he use nothing but boiler
plate, (patent news so to speak,
how long do you think the people
would continue to read his paper?
AS with the editor, so it is with
the advertiser. The people want
to know what is going on in the
business world and their most
profitable source of information
is through the advertising col
umns of the local paper. But
they want that news in the form
of a personal note from the mer-
chant himself. What some ad
writer back in Chicago or else
where has to say regarding the
local business house can not deal
with local conditions any more
than some reporter in Portland |
could furnish the Morrow county |
news eace week to the Gazette
Times. Personal appeal is very
essential in advertising. But it
is one essential which is seriously
lacking in the patent ad.
Now comes the direct argu-
ment against the use of the pat
ent ad. 1t has been shown that
that class of advertising is unin-
teresting to the reader and there
fore Improbable to the user.
In the first place, when the To-
cal man contracts with the Chi
cago house for his advertising he
is contributing to the support of
a concern which has no interest
in Heppner, never spends a red
cent with the local dealer or in
the town, and is by no means es-
sential to the newspaper world.
The merchant will be better paid
ten times over to drop the patent
stuff and devote the money ex-
pended for his copy to the pur-
chase of additional advertis-
ng space in the local paper
and do some of the kind of
Advertising that pays. The local
paper will appreciate it and strive
% build up bigger circulation
md otherwise assist to make the
advertising a profitable invest
nent. The merchant himself |
will take a keener interest in his
if he is using his own
)rains in formulating his weekly
Message to his customers. He
will soon arouse to the fact that {
lie has something to sell and will
axe pleasure in describing arti-
les, quoting attractive prices,
nd otherwise inviting the pat f
onage of his readers. The mer- v
hant can not command the in A
crest of the buying public until i
e displays the right kind of in n
crest in the business himself.
f he would have the people of d
is community drop the mail or
er hobby he must put himself
l the proper light. If he is
sing "catalog" ads he can't
Omplain if his customers use
catalog" goods. He must drop n
ne kind of ads that say our a.
oods are always the best" and Z
ct right in with the proof posi- o.
We. The cost is the thing most
us are interested in and the
Ouse which has the advertised h
rice list has the strongest hold n
4 the confidence of the buying
lblic.
Think it over, Mr.. Merchant. to
If you want to save money on your al