The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-05-12
Advertising
Talks
NEWSPAPER HABIT
AN AMERICAN ONE
Press Best Advertising Medium
Because of Its Intimate Re-
lati0ns With the Home.
BY TRUMAN A DE WEEsE.


The newspaper habit" is an Amer
lean habit. In the old world countries
newspaper reading Is confined to the
educated and prosperous few. If you
step into street car in the average
American city you will see sight
that cannot be seen In any other coun-
try on the globe every individual de-
vouring the contents of a newspaper.
The newspaper is their only source of
information on all the interests and
activities Of life
In advertising 1t Is the constant
pounding that wears away the bar
riers Of doubt and Indifference. 1t is
the frequent repetition of names and
products that indelibly impresses them
upon human memory and finally Gre
ates favorable attitude toward the
products advertised. The repetition
Of selling arguments is the life Of ad-
vertising. Suppose a manufacturer or
merchant has an important announce
ment to make regarding a commodity.
He very carefully and laboriously
groups the argument In logical Sc
quence, presenting a compact, COM
plete presentation Of his proposition.
1t Is the result Of much study and re-
vision. The advertisement is surely
work of art. In order to get in all
need half a page in the newspaper.
He concludes to make "a complete
job of It," so he runs 1t one time on
half page and pays for what he
things is a big investment in pub
licity
OF course he accomplishes nothing.
He has followed the example Of the
small boy who touched off a wagon
load of fireworks all at once. He has
made flash" AS display of pub
licity pyrotechnics 1t Is dazzling, but
1t is not advertising. It is contrary
to the most elementary principles Of
advertising.
If he had understood the art of ad-
vertising he would have taken one
selling argument at a time and ham,
mered it home from day to day
through constant iteration and reiter-
alton. One-tfme advertising or spas
modic advertising" is waste of
money, no matter how large the space
or how compactly it is filed 1t Is
constant repetition that gradually
fixes a trademark or firm name in the
human mind, and 1t is constant rope
t1tiOn that associates certain qualities
and uses with that trademark or
name.
Now, If advertising Is repetition of
selling arguments, then the newspa-
per Is an advertising medium par ex-
cellence, for it permits of daily repe-
tition in vehicle that sustains init
mate relation to the home. It comes
into the family circle every morning
or every evening. It knows your
friends and your neighbours friends
1t chronicles events and activities
that are closely related to their inter
ests. It's columns pulsate with the
social and industrial life of the com
munity in which your customers live.
1t carries the news Of the town into
the home of the dealer who sells your
goods. Enterprise is contagious
thing. and II your dealer sees your
advertisement In his home paper
every day, it awakens In him a spirit
of cooperation. He finds himself I'M
consciously absorbing your selling
arguments until he can talk the
product as well as you can. The
newspaper has chronicled the do
ings of his family for genera
tions. The files of the paper contain
his family history, the weddings, the
deaths. the anniversaries. 1t is his
source of Information regarding his
party, his church, his lodge. 1t is be-
cause of this intimate relation to the
home that the newspaper occupies
field Of its own as medium, indis-
pensable to the advertiser who must
have wide distribution for his pro-
ducts in order to secure the volume of
business that will yield a profit on his
investment