Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-27
MARKETING
TIPS FOR CLUBS
Members Should Make Care
full Arrangements For Dis
posing of Products

Washington, Sept. 27.-Close at
tention to marketing problems
should be given by members of boys
and girls canning clubs, now that
the products of these organizations
are being turned out in consid era BILE
proportions, say specialists of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture. Unless steps are taken to
bring about the disposal of the
canned goods in a well-ordered and
practical way, 1t is pointed out, there
is likelihood that the operations of
the clubs will not be remunerative
The specialists offer suggestions for
the solution of marketing problems
facing the clubs in publication
The Marketing of Canning Club
Products" recently issued as Mar
kets Document No. 5.
One of the first essentials to sat
isfactory marketing arrangements,
say the specialists, is standardized
products. Standardization should be
brought to the point where cans or
Jars of given fruit or vegetable
put up by the different members of
the clubs are uniform in pack, ap-
pearance, quality and condition. Ev-
cry container- which is fully up to
the standard represented by the la
bel or brand Will then be an adver-
tisement in itself and often q guar
antee of further purchases.
Specialties
In preparing the products which
are to be sold, 1t is well also to put
up large quantity of specialties in
comparison with the quantity of
plain canned goods, such as toma-
toes. since there will then be less
competition with commercial goods.
Having assured the quality of
their products, the clubs should then
make an informal survey of the con-
ditions in their community to ascer-
tain the consuming capacity of the
community served by retailers, the
quantity of the various kinds of
products handled by the retailers,
the sources from which they obtain
their supplies, the prices they pay,
the prices at which they sell, and
their attitude toward the handling
of club products in the place of
some of their commercial products.
Such a survey, as the club work is
organized at present, may we'll be
work being divided among the vari-
Gus clubs of the county. When O
survey is being made the merchants
should be acquainted with the prod
ucts in which the clubs are special
izing.
Advertising
The next step in developing the
market is advertising the products
to the consumer. A number of
methods have been found useful by
various clubs. These include the
maintenance of permanent exhibits
of canned goods at easily accessible
places; the placing of temporary eX-
hibits in various stores, at fairs, etc.;
the use in local newspapers of news
stories and display advertising; and
the securing of the cooperation of
the local housewives who will ask
the storekeepers for the club prod
ucts. Where it is essential to incur
expense in advertising, one of the
best ways to make up the necessary
fund is to have each club member
contribute one or more containers of
products each year.
The club marketing plans devel-
oped in North Carolina call for a
committee of club members in each
community which canvasses house,
wives for orders and delivers through
their grocers. If clubs can not sell
all their products locally, they call
on the county committee for assist
ance and in some cases the county
committees appeal to the State COM
mittee for help.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, the
clubs maintain a booth in a central
market house with a club member
in charge. This member receives a
commission on sales. Various other
marketing plans are outlined in the
publication previously mentioned.
Copies of this publication can be
had on application to the UniteN
States Department of Agriculture,
Washington, d. c., so long as the
supply lasts