The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-29
FOR
ADVERTISERS
M. C. soEcHER, SECRETARY OF
THE TOWN cRIERS' CLUB,
MAKES PUBLIC SOME FACTS
REGARDING PROGRAMME AND
SOUVENIR ADVERTISING.

The following has been sent to Far
go business men by Sec. M. G. Beech
er of the Town Criers' club:
Have you ever stopped to figure out
whether you get n returns from the
money you spend in so-called adver
Using in souvenir programmes or in
programmes issued for a social affair
or other occasion? If you stop to fig
ure it out, you will likely find that
you get no returns that you would
not get even II you did not spend u
money on you business card or ad-
vertisement in such programmes. You
have probably found that you are
making a donation, pure and simple,
instead Of really spending your money
for advertising. 1t is quite gener-
ally admitted throughout the adver-
Using world that no returns, direct
or in direct, are received from money
spent for business cards or so-called
ads, in programmes issued by socie-
ties, clubs, churches, lodges or in So
called souvenir booklets, year books,
hotel registers, etc. You, as business
men, may feel obliged to take an ad"
for some reason or other, but then,
why not enter in On your books as a
donation" instead of advertising ex-
pense"
Since the Fargo Commercial club,
through it's advertising committee,
over a year ago began to exert a
censorship through special adVertis-
ing propositions-propositions that
cannot in any sense of the word be
considered or termed bona ~fide-scores
Of propositions have been investigat-
ed, the worthless mes turned down
and the good endorsed. Scores of
Fargo business men show hat they
appreciate the work of the club in
that they are cooperating with 1t by
refusing to spend their money in a
special medium that has not received
the endorsement of the advertising
committee, but there Is room for far
greater cooperation: in fact, greater
cooperation is absolutely needed. 1t
was recently stated at the club that
the advertising committee estimated
that between SIS, 900 and SIS, 900 mad
been saved to the business men because
of this Censorship-unprejudiced &C
ton that is resulting in gradually
wedding out the mediums that are
of absolutely no account from the
standpoint of returns received, and
in giving the business man a better
idea of what Is really a good adver-
Using medium.
To show that Fargo is not the only
place where the advertising profess
sion is aiming to establish advertis-
ing on better business principles, with
the view Of saving thousands Of dol
lars annually wasted in every COM
munity on fake" or worthless propo-
s~itions, attention is called to the fol-
lowing article by Roland B. Wood
ward taken from the official publica-
ton of the Rochester, N. Y. adver-
Using club. 1t reads as follows:
Permit me to commend the awak-
ened interest of the AID club in the
matter Of more intelligent handling
of appeals by societies, fairs, churches,
lodges, ETC., for advertisements in
souvenir programmes and books.
THE chamber of commerce (Roch-
ester, N. " has been criticized from
time to time for permitting people
to solicit from merchants, but we
have learned in most cases that the
men who criticize are the greatest
offenders in this matter, rarely, If
ever, asking for a card of endorse
ment and contributing to some of the
most worthless of all the enterprises
on purely personal grounds.
"R, M. Searle, of the Rochester
Railway & Light Co., has stated that
the chambers work on endorsements
has saved his company as much as
a waste of $1,50O in one year. The
money if spent would have been
wasted.
1.-The point l wish to make is-that
the money spent for souvenir pro-
grammes o. booklets is largely waste.
The merchant knows perfectly we'll
that the bbuying of space in a souve-
mir programme is not advertising.
The money spent for paper and print
ing, and the lack Of circulation which
the programme receives, makes the
entire expenditure a waste. Merchants
are learning that it is much better
to make a cash donation or a gift of
merchandise.
when 1t ome to classifying
these alleged advertisements or gifts,
the merchants thinking is a little
haZy and he debates to himself as to
whether he shall charge it up to 'ad-
vertising' or to charity 1t is an in
justice usually, no matter to which
fund he charges it, but he must find
some way out of his dilemma, knowing
that it likely is not a legitimate
charge to any line Of activity with
in his business.
From a letter from the Chicago
Association of Commerce, I quote:
"'Our committee made an inquiry
along this line and discovered that
some Of the largest department stores
have as many as 1900 to 1000 vari
u clubs and societies on what they
call their charity list. From time tt
time these stores give prizes to bt
competed for, or won, by means Of
raffles at social parties. We found
LudL LhSIS are huluIGuS VI dlu1eIIt
clubs, fraternal societies, labor or.
carnations, lodges, dances, bazaars
and raffles which receive the dona.
lions of the stores along these lines
lin some cases we found there
are firms that never donate anything
to a souvenir programme, but do mo-
hesitate to give a prize for a socia
party ur.
1--WE probably will emerge from thi.
foolish custom, as a community, only
when the good but misguided people
who raise money for worthy objects ii
this fashion shall see that it is &
foolish waste, or when the burder
becomes intolerable-that the mer,
chant refuses any. longer to submit
to it. Agitation and education only
will abate the nuisance"
Let is have greater cooperation il
this matter from the Fargo bushes.
men. 1t will mean money saved tt
each advertiser; more money to b,
spent in mediums OF recognized
worth, where real returns will be re.
ceived; advertising placed on a high.
er plan and in every way ample re,
turns for the money spent by the ad.
vertiser.