Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-01
What Newspaper Advertising
Has Done for My Business
By GEORGE M. BROWN,
President General Roofing Manufacturing Company.

on trains and in street cars. II a man
owned property and was a roofing buyer
he was a live subject for us-what did he
read7 What carried the strongest influ-
ences7 Would he be influenced more by
seeing our advertisement in the idle
hours in the evening at home or on
vacations or at some other time? AS a
matter Of fact we tried % learn when he
really could remember having read some
thing and when and where he formed
his early impressions.
The most Of this investigation was done
after we had commenced using more than
a hundred big newspapers, and while we
believe there are many forms Cd good
advertising and that advertising is
seldom entirely thrown away, and while
we might advertise some other lines in
some different way, the Newspaper has
been the satisfactory publication for our
purpose for the principal part OF our
campaign We find that business men.
or the substantial thoughtful person. al
most without exception, IL a very con-
slant reader Of the newspapers. We find
that even tho small items OF interest are
read in newspapers; that the advertising
is generally closely associated with read
ing matter. and II put in the proper way,
will be read when they are interested In
the subject being advertised. The adver-
tisements are not buried In a big lot of
advertising. These ideas have kept us
from using tho Sunday papers. which
arc so loaded down with department
store and automobile advertising that
an ordinary sized advertisement on other
| products becomes lost In the shuttle.
! mi 70 ka
papers-they are good for many lines,
but not the best for ours.
In mentioning these facts, I would not
be at all complete in my statements II I
did not point out clearly that we see a
big distinction between various classes
Of newspapers for our use. We have
found those with the best standing in
the community-those that are known for
truthfulness and reliability in every way,
are the ones for us to use. We find that
our business grows when we use n clean.
influential paper-one that points out the
good In a community: one that seeks 10
build and tell the truth. We cannot trace
gains where we use tho disturbing
mediumB-those that cater to the red
flag crowd, and who seek to make every
body believe that the world is going to
the bad. In short. we believe that this
country has moro bright, sunshiny happv
days than any other country on earth
and we have no use for the paper SEEK
Ing TO build circulation by trying to do
stroy, just as we have no use for the
politician who seeks to gain the vote of
tho hoodlum element by seeking 10 de-
stroy business.
By using the daily paper instead of the
medium OF national circulation. we can
ten a special story In any community.
III we desire 10 talk of agriculture in an
agricultural community we can do no, II
We desire TO talk TO the manufacturer
OF new England we can do so. II we
desire TO work any field very strongly
ana not exert as much pressure In 9TH
ers, because or any varying conditions, Il
Is In our power TO adopt such a plan.
advertising in a medium of national cir
cuiation does not permit this flexib1iity.
Ahe newspaper does permit a perfect ad-
Jusunent as may DO required by varying
circumstances However, tho medium OF
national circulation has other advanta-
ses' even Tor us, and we arc using a LOT
OF them We're We to use the local
papers exclusively. the people OF that
community might assume that Certain
oeed roofing was sold only In that COM
MUMMY ana that the manufacturer was
only small concern doing busines. A.
limited field. When those peopIa sa,
Certain-teed roofing advertised IN ma
tional weekliss and monthlies. al we'll AZ
IN uheir local paper they begin 10 at mn
ana take notice, realizing that the manu-
iacturer OF this roofing Is large enough
70 cover the entire country.
Telling the story quickly Is son,st,r,as
OF Importance TO US. and we can decide
upon now story and get Il To ths
readers OF newspapers within ten dsva-
In fact TO the bulk OF them within iss.
thsn 1.-Two days. The national medium be-
ing printed further in advance and COPY
being required much earlier, this quick
action 10 impossible.
We ind that many newspaperu ar,
without influence In their communitiaa
at least among the olaAs OF people who
would own buildings and buy roofing
Advertising In such papers does not seem
to aid our business at ALL In fact. we
have had cases where is seemed TO brins
dtscredit. We have had people tell us
that II we used such ana suoh papar,
they did not want to buy our goods,
The number OF circulation IN a com
munity Is no guide to the papers in
fluenoe or advertisinE value. When the
circulation IA among people who never
did and never will own q roof-people
who are seeking TO tear down ana destroy
everything that might require . roof
people who want TO tear down buainaa.