Middletown transcript., 1915-08-21
BUSINESS WASTE

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Actual Incidents which occur in the
daily experience of newspaper adver
tising reveal the fact that there exist
sensible business men" who are still
unaware that advertising, like every
other department of modern business,
is being reduced to an exact science,
and that waste in publicity outlays is
just as capable of definite detection and
correction as would be waste in mainte-
nance, in manufacture or in selling.
The alert business man knows, or he
ought to know, exactly what he receives
for his outlay in advertising, but many
advertisers have yet to learn what they
do NOT receive and what they have no
right to expect. This is especially the
case in newspaper publicity, for the
time has passed when the merchant, the
wares to osell-whether they be gasoline,
shoes, furniture, automobiles, soap or
negotiable securities-can afford to be
different as to how he makes his outlay
in this direction. 1t is just as wasteful
and foolish to advertise in a medium
which only reaches people who have no
money to spend, as it would be to re-
cord price schedules on the sands of the
seashore, to describe the beauties of the
fine arts to dwelers in the slums or to
bring to the attention of the dwellers in
Rit;enhouse square the delectable quail
ties of "soap-fat".
Unfortunately, tradictions die hard,
and some of those which still cling to
newspaper advertising involve evils
even more serious than waste. The ad-
wiser who thinks that he is doing "a
favor" to the newspaper when he places
with it share of his advertising, and
that by that flavor" is entitled to
something more than the space for
which he contracts, betrays himself as
back number in the business world.
If the publicity supplied by a newspaper
Is not worth to the business man all he
pays for it, his outlay is an utter waste,
and no honorable newspaper will accept
his business on such terms, or the
favor" that is here implied, involves
the attempt to control editorial opinion
and policy. Moreover, the public is al
ready aware of the utter worthlessness
of newspaper opinion that can be pur-
chased or influenced in that way, and
the advertiser who seeks it merely be-
trays his own incompetence or insin-
cerity.
Another tradition that cling to news
paper advertising is still more deplor-
able, and that is the notion that it is
legitimate to use public advertising, de-
linquent tax lists, sheriff's sales, calls
for proposals and the like as rewards
for political service or support. 1t is
not only waste, but a deliberate mis-
application of public funds to pay for
advertising in a medium that is without
circulation or is willing to make of it.
self vehicle for graft.
OOSAi AOAlllo VI WdoIC Ill
are sometimes used to vent the personal
resentment of the advertiser. A mer-
chant or financier who is short-sighted
as to withhold for any such petty
reasons his advertising from a journal,
which by circulation and influence is
best suited for his purpose is merely
cutting off his own nose to spite his
face. Instead of Furnishing the news
paper, he is injuring himself, for he is
wasting his money and thus committing
an economic crime. When business
men universally come to learn that the
self-respecting newspaper guides it's
policy by the standards of justice and
square dealing and that It's opinions on
public questions cannot be bought or in
fiuenced by advertising patronage, the
commercial world will have rid itself of
one serious source of waste; and when
public administrators are taught that
dishonesty in the expenditure of public
money for advertising is just as venal as
the acceptance of bribes or connivance
in contract frauds, the public service
will to that extent be purified. -Ex.