The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-05-12
WEEKLY PAPER
BEST MEDIUM
Publisher Tells Its VdluA IS As An
~ advertising Medium At.
Convention.

Many excellent papers were read
before the Illinois Press association
at De Kalb, among which was that of
|. S. Dunn, publisher of the Divernon
News, on the subject of advertising.
Mr.. Dunn said in part:
| believe the country newspaper
field is the best advertising medium
in existence, and if can only instill
little more of that confidence into
the hearts of my brethren of the press
| will have accomplished some good.
There are practically four methods
OF advertising-the newspaper and
magazine, the billboard, the mail and
distributive circulars and the show
windows and demonstration.
These four methods all have their
disciples, and probably each of them
has its lines for which it is superior,
but at the same time for placing
message before the people in the
greatest number at the least expense
the newspaper far overtops the other
methods.
Successful advertisers are coming
more and more to recognize that the
newspapers are bringing the best re-
suits, and they are not only recogniz-
ing this fact, but they are just learn
ing that the newspaper that is closest
to the people is the greatest as we'll
as the best advertising medium This {
is where the country newspaper s. 30
in and where it's value lies. &
The Rich Country Trade.
The country trade is the richest
trade in the world, and it is not
through the magazines nor through
the great city dailies that this trade
can be reached.
The farmer raises greater crops per
acre if he only tills small farm and
does what is called intensive farming
For the same reason the country
newspaper is the best advertising
medium because the editor gives his
field more intense cultivation than
any of the large publication can do.
He digs down into the homes and tills
his field by telling of the little gos-
sips of the farm. He is their editor
in whom they have a personal inter-
est, and all of his readers are his per-
sonal friends and acquaintances. His
paper each week brings into the
homes the doings, the joys and the
griefs Of their own family and of their
friends and atl, ~ iis-anseS.s His every
line breaths to his readers message
of interest about people with whom
they are acquainted. 1t is thus that
he is in close touch with his people,
and it is this closeness and community
of feeling that makes his paper valu-
ed as an advertising medium, for the
closer 1t is to the readers the more
valued it as an advertising medium.
1t may be that there is a daily
newspaper or perchance a magazine
with its facinating pictures or charm
ing stories, or there may be letters,
but if the old reliable newspaper is
there all else will be neglected until it
is skinned through And when it
reaches the home it is read and re-
read by each member of the family,
and then when all are through it will
be laid away in some safe place where
it can be found readily and referred
to many times during the coming
week. In fact, some of us know of
two papers being subscribed for in
one home SO that the husband and
wife will not have to wait for the
other to have finished reading it.
1t is this intense human interest in
the paper and their confidence in the
editor, his personal message each
week, that make the country news
paper the best advertising medium.
Another point Is that the country
in more than a majority of cases, es-
pecially in the country homes, "the
ruler of the roost." She is the one
who suggests what to buy and where
to buy it, even if she does not actually
make the purchase. At any rate, her
influence is mighty strong one in
this line
The farmer has ceased to be the
"rube" of olden times. He is now the
bright, brainy, alert, well grComed
business man of the farm, perhaps a
college graduate, who rides in his
auto, sends his children to college and
clips coupons from his bonds. He,
too, finds the country newspaper is a
farmers source of education.
While this evolution has been going
on in the farmer the country editor
also has been undergoing an evolu-
ton.
He has learned that it costs about
to 6 cents to set the advertising
matter per inch and that the proper
tionate cost of each inch of space for
the management and Office overhead
cost takes another 6 cents, and many
of the most successful, whether they
have over or under the thousand sub
scribers are charging at least Is cents
per. inch for their space. To sell for
less would be equal to the folly of a
baker who sells loaf of bread for 3
cents because there was only cents
worth of flour in it.
Mayor for Closing