The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-28
Read What Some of Richmond
Busy Men Say
READ WHAT AMERICAS
DRY GOODS PRINCE
SAYS ABOUT ADVERTISING
BY JOHN wANAMAKER.

ny VchAs "
Advertising is a vital part in our
every day living just as language is
vital part in our everyday inter
course. Stores could not exist as
they exist today without advertising.
Merchandise could not exist as 1t ex-
lists today without advertising. We
should go back to the haggle and
barter of trade. to the dark and
murky byways of buying and selling
as they still exist in the uncivilized
countries of the world-if advertising
stopped.
without advertising men would be
suspicious of one another, would
double cross one another in their deal
ings, would substitute inferior quail
ties. would ask as high prices as
they could get, regardless VI the value
of an article; would wayiay. rob and
steal a thousand times more than they
do today-because there would be no
standards OF business, no standards
Of interchange Of money for products,
no standards OF distribution, no stand
ards of manufacture, no standards of
! living.
Advertising produces the million
tongued merchant, who can cry his
merchandise to million people as
efficiently and cheaply as the old-time
merchant could cry his wares to a
few people by meeting them personally
in his store. This is bound to reduce
costs Advertising gives the people
such information about the things they
want as will enable them TO live and
work better side by side. Advertising
tells in plain words and pictures what
the people want tc know about the
things they want to buy 1t answers
beforehand the questions that people
ask when they come into the stores to
buy Advertising takes the customers
viewpoint 1t tells not what the mer-
chant wants to say about his goods
but what the people want TO know.
Advertising Is the represent ative OF
the people.
It Is the language of business. which
speaks to the people and helps them
TO live and work Fifty-five sub
stantial years Of a successful business
career. years crowned with wealth and
honor and public respect went into
the making OF that statement. Fifty
five years that began on an April day
in 1851. when the first days trade of
his first clothing store brought into
the cash-drawer exactly s2467 out of
which he spent $24 for advertising.
The sixty-seven cents were saved to
make change the next morning, and
since then--well. John wanarnaker
knows. And who Is there. who does
not know John Wanamaker? And
why do they know him7 Advertising
Is the answer.
The same rules and the same prtn-
ciples as applied by John Wanna
maker. II applied by others would be
productive of the same result--success.
AS an evidence. let us take the cases
of our big. busy institutions right here
at home. Why are they busy? Be
cause the stories OF their wares, their
ideas and purposes are sent out broad
cast daily, through the medium of the
newspaper, and the busy business is
the answer. When n business man
stops to reflect on the great advertis-
ine power OF The Richmond Virginian,
today holding the record Of the fast
est growing newspaper in the South. ii
is easy to note there must be reason.
1t Is this: The true and accurate
news of the world for virginians and
all the news of Virginia clearly and
honestly presented, without fear or
favor; a newspaper safe for the home,
without the slightest suspicion at any
time OF anything being contained
therein to hamper IN the slightest de-
gree the cleanliness adopted at its
origin; a paper whose home circula-
ton is growing at the rate of over one
hundred copies per week: paper that
is read by over 100000 Virginians
every week; q paper whose economic
rate. which is based solely on its cir
culation, makes 1t possible for any bus
mess man to make liberal use of its
advertising columns with almost a
guaranteed certainty of returns.
These are days Of progress and ad-
vancement. We cannot afford to
close our eyes TO facts--and 1t is a
fact. that The Richmond Virginian has
been accepted by most of our Rich
mond advertisers as q powerful and
II Is doing for others. 1t IL ready to do
for you. Remember, 1t pays to ad-
vertise in a newspaper that is growing.