The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-10-28
HOW ADS FOR LARGE
STORES ARE HANDLED
Constitutes an important Ele-
ment of Actual News" and
Preparation Requires Care.

h~f 49,
Of actual news" and that the prepare
ton Of them requires a highly special
lied sort Of knowledge and training.
are considerations which often fail
to enter the consideration of the read
ers OF the daily newspaper.
However, this Is the case. or the
thousands Of people who read the
newspapers, a very large proportion
are interested in the advertisements.
The immense number Of women who
purchase the family clothing n
household supplies, in particular, de-
pend upon the advertisements, read
ing them with care and watching them
as closely as the investor In stocks
and bonds watches the financial news.
Indeed. the advertising columns are
financial departments, in a very real
sense Of the word, to the domestic
economist.
OF the work, the thought and the
careful preparation that goes into the
preparation Of a clever advertisement,
that 1t may attract the eye OF the
reader and hold his attention, few of
y POI a. any SSohAA~A>~'
fewer realize what a truly all-round
person the advertising manager must
be.
Must Know Human Nature.
For to fill the bill, he must know
human nature, clothes and drygoods.
from A to T.. He must keep abreast
Of the times and the fashions. He
must be an expert judge of values,
and he must be possessed Of a pecu-
liar extra sense" that he may know
and seize the psychological moment
where in to spring a particular sale.
Given the man and the fitness there
of, 1t Is interesting to know how the
big department store advertisement
In Milwaukee, for instance, are plan
ned by the advertising managers. who
rank. by the way, foremost among
men in that special line In this coun-
try. The methods which prevail here
are typical, with immaterial differ
enc of the same work throughout
the country.
Especial sales are Of two kinds
the big periodical sales, which are
planned for months in advance. and
which come about as u~nfailingly and
regularly al the seasons. and the
quick special sales, Of merchandise
suddenly acquired.
The last sales are heralded by the
buyer for that department, who tells
the Office Of certain merchandise
which he has Unexpectedly bought.
The buyer and the advertising man
hold consultation, and when the goods
arrive they visit the warehouse and
look them over.
If, in the sober judgment Of the ad-
vertising manager, they prove equal to
the buyers enthusiastic description Of
them, the advertising man decides to
give them a place in his advertise
ment on a certain day. The proper
tionate size Of this space is based
upon the percentage Of that depart
ment's sales.
Then the buyer, an assistant buyer,
and a person at the head of the stock
confer with the advertising manager
and decide on the best way Of putting
the sale to the public. The advertis-
ing manager has the responsibility OF
seeing that proper provision Is made
for the display of the goods, the ar
rangement Of the display tables, etc.
Then he writes his advertisement
The buyer meantime, has jotted down
for him the interesting points In con
nection with the goods, and from
these the advertisement Is worked
out.
Much Thought Required.
When 1t Is remembered that a big
store may well have special sales In a
dozen different departments at one
time and that each one is conducted
as carefully al this, the mount Of
labor and thought required may be
imagined.
The advertising manager Is always
two or three days ahead in his work.
The copy must be sem to the news
papers on n day. Is set up, a proof
returned the mex day, the proof Is
corrected and returned to the paper
In time for publication that night.
After the advertisement appears In
the paper copies are sent to the
VARIOUS u0u III Iu0 BCOT0 VINO arc III
terested. 1t IL cut into sections and
each department manager receives his
own advertisement. One store makes
q practice Of requiring each manager
and each sales person In q department
to read the advertisement and sign It.
Whatever the method, each salesper-
son Is required to be familiar with
the advertisement, that they may
know exactly what IL on sale. In case
of big sales, a conference of manag-
ers and salespeople Is held, and a talk
given on the goods In order to ere
ate interest and enthusiasm.
The periodical sales are planned at
least three months In advance, after
conferences with the buyers and the
heads of departments. and much the
same method Of procedure Is followed,
save that time is longer and the opera
tons more extensive.