The San Francisco call., 1913-07-31

Unless the Panama exposition is ad-
vertised in the great eastern centers
Of population, where people are dis
contented with living conditions. 1t
will not be the success it has right
to be.
The exposition publicity bureau is
paying too much attention to flooding
San Francisco and California with lit
erature. 1t isn't needed here. it's
needed where the people don't know
what the exposition is nor what it
stands for.
Because the business men and the
citizens Of California believe in their
great fair and have full knowledge OF
its attractions and benefits, we are too
prone to think our brothers and sis
ters Of the middle west and the At
lantic seaboard are familiar with 1t.
Nothing short of n we'll planned, Wig
orOus advertising campaign Will sumce
to acquafnt the masses with what Sam
Francisco has to offer and why IL should
he the mecca In 1913 for . big portion
of our 9O,OO0,OOO people.
COAST TO COAST CAMPAIGN
These are the sentiments of William
Woodhead advertising expert and the
new president of the Associated Ad-
vertising clubs Of America, as ex-
pressed yesterday in friendly criti-
cism of the manner in which the ex-
position officials are conducting the
publicity work for the coming event.
Mr.. Woodhead believes that too
much attention and space is being de-
voted to the merits and attractions OF
the exposition here in San Francisco
and In the state instead of in the east.
where, he says. the peop1e-the masses
are almost totally ignorant Of the
exposition and what it is. He advises
the establishment of nation wide
publicity campaign, to be conducted
along the same lines that a big mer-
camille or manufacturing concern ad-
vertises its wares. Unless this Is done
Immediately, he says. the exposition
will not be the magnificent success It
otherwise would be.
The Panama-Pacifc International
exposition will be q success in any
eventp but we want something more
than that" said Mr.. Woodhead. we
want 1t to be epochal and we want the
fruits Of 1t to last a generation or
several generations.
ADVERTISING LOCALIZED
ITO derive the benefits Californians
are expecting from this. their greatest
moth scale will be necessary. A CAM
paign of publicity should be started
in every big or medium sized city east
of the Mississippi river with able men
at the head of 1t. The newspapers.
the magazines and periodicals. and
city billboards should be employed in
this campaign through the medium of
paid space. Every legitimate means OF
advertising should be employed to bring
before the people the fact that i'm 1918
San Francisco will stage the most elab-
orate. the greatest, exposition that has
ever been known.
From the standpoint OF attendance
the fair will be on the order OF big
show, and it will need exploitation like
any other public attraction. 1t is not
enough to print columns Of dope in
San Francisco or California papers
about 1t.
CARRIED INTO EAST
Eastern people do not read western
papers in any appreciable numbers.
Our exposition must be advertised
where the people live. who will mean
success or failure to the exposition.
Anybody with a grain of foresight can
realize that the citizens of this city
and of California will attend the expo
sition-then they will return to their
homes. That isn't what we want. We
want settlers. men and women, who
will build up the country. and they
have got to be recruited from the over
crowded centers Of population.
"The exposition officials, I am afraid,
believe that their magnificent project
is above advertising. They say 1t Is
educational and a worldwide event.
Suppose it is, even then it wouldn't
of advertising, and people buy that
which they know about. We have,
literally speaking. got to- SELL them an
interest in the show, otherwise they
will pass it up.
Time and again during my eastern
trip I had persons ask me what we
were going to stage in 1915. They
said they had hazy idea, but as for
particulars, well. they had none.
NO POCKET LITERATURE
81 was amazed. 1 had supposed that
the Arst thing the exposition publicity
department had done was to send out
tons Of literature for distribution, set
ting forth clearly every phase Of the
mammoth undertaking. Instead found
that 1t was practically impossible to get
an inch OF information In any Of our
eastern cities. OF pamphlets or other
literature there was none.
The eastern newspapers seldom vol
unfairly carry anything about the expo
sition, therefore space must be paid for.
Unless there is newspaper advertis-
ing or free literature, how can the peo-
ple-the people who we must have here
to make the exposition a success-in-
form themselves with facts and fiEures?
Many men and women are ignorant
about the fare to California. and the
ease and pleasure with which the trans
continental trip can be made. They
must be told. And they must be told
quickly, so they can prepare for 1915.
Men whose salaries range from 800.
to 5000 a month, and who have fam
lilies, must save for their vacation. II
they are not informed about the ex-
position in time t1ley can't come II they
want to- For that reason advise an
immediate campaign OF eastern pub
licity. Let San Francisco and the state
rest in Ignorance Tor = Hhila Wa can