Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-02-20
AMERICAN MOTORS
TO LEAD AFTER WAR
John N. WHY'S Predicts Close of the
European Struggle Will Mark
New Era of Prosperity.
ADVERTISING PAYS DIVIDENDS
BY JOHN n. wILLYs.

President The Willys-Overiand Company.
The effect OF the European war on the
future OF the automobile industry is q
question that is being discussed freely
by motor car manufacturers at the show.
have found that the consensus of opin-
ion among the big producers in this coun-
try is. that the end of the great struggle
will mark the beginning Of a new era of
prosperity for American cars.
The European war has already created
a boom in the American motor car mar
ket. II has opened entirely new fields
all over the world for American built
cars. Much of this territory was for
merly supplied by foreign automobile
makers. But with the outbreak of the
war and the subsequent taking over of
the, foreign factories for building war
supplies, this enormous field was left
wide open to American manufacturers.
And now that these new buyers have
discovered the great. advantages offered
by American cars at any price. they will
never entirely abandon this country's
trade to go back to foreign makers at
the close of the war.
The outbreak of hostilities could not
have come. at more inopportune time
for the manufacturers abroad. They had
alFeaQY Oeen- puSneO 10 ltl6 lluhl 10 meet
the. competition of American cars. but
when the war forced them to give up
their general trade they lost all chance
of holding the market.
But even If the war had been averted
1t would have been only a question Of
time before American cars would have
won their way in foreign fields.
improvements by Quantity.
a..
now in vague in this country
has enabled manufacturers to put
the maximum of quality into their
product at a minimum cost. The
motor cars that are being manufactured
IN the big American plants today are
better made. give better service. and sell
at Approximately half the price that they
did few years ago.
On the other hand. the foreign makers
have limited their productions TO q COM
paratively small number OF cars each
kyear. And It makes no difference
whether the product be motor cars or
lead pencils. the factory that has the
facilities for manufacturing in large
quantities is the one that turns out the
best and lowest priced article,
This is true particularly when the article
Is backed UP by good. substantial adver-
Using such as that of many American
manufacturers. The unadvertised prod
uct WIN not sell readily, no matter how
attractive the quality or price. Any retail
merchant who carries on his shelves
goods that are not advertised will bear
witness to the truth of this statement.
Any salesman in the world, who knows
his business, win tell you that advertised
goods are sold at q smaller sales cost
than those unknown to the general trade.
1t Pays to Advertise.
IN my own business have found that
intelIigont. truthful advertising has paid
diSidents In two different directions. For
instance-the extensive publicity given
the Overland car has enabled our COM
pany to market many more cars thar we
could otherwise do, and this very growth
allows us to offer purchasers a contin-
uaiiy increasing car value for a contin-
ually decreasing price. The manufacturer
who fails to make free use OF printers
ink Is forced to limit his product and
raise The selling price In order to break
even. EAa u.
The average unsuccessful manufacturer
can often trace MS troubles to the lack
OF advertising.
His liant may produce good article
INC his organization may 10 Oapdplos D~t
un,oss he keeps his product before the
public, through tudicious advertising. he
VIII lose out eventually to his more pro-
!. 81 ssVe competitors.
Innumerable failures have occurred
through ovcrconfidence on the part OF
the manufacturer in undertaking. the
power of continuous advertising. Possibly
early success has led him to believe that
his product would sell itself. For season
or two he may have been unable to sup
ply the demand for his goods. Then his
advertising appropriation is cut AS the
result Of his short slghtedness a slack
period comes. Business drops off rapidly
and eventually he starts in to exploit his
product again. But in the meantime COM
petition has sprung up. Other concerns
are in the field and he finds himself
practically. starting in from scratch,
years behind his competitors. The COM
petitors had been consistent advertisers
through the period of prosperity. while
he had entirely overlooked the truth Of
the old adage., 'out OF sight out Of mind. :"
Dir nonand for NnU