The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-04-25
CITRUS EXCHANGE TO
WAGE A CAMP PAIGN
To Extend the Popularity of
Grapefruit
GREAT ADVERTISING PLAN
Ten Cents per Box Will Yield E.
nough to Create Immense De-
mand Throughout the Country
and Bring Better Prices to the
Growers.

and Bring Better Prices to the
Growers.
The delights of Florida Grape
fruit are to be brought before the
people Of the North in a forcible
manner next fall and winter.
Plans for a most comprehensive
and carefully laid advertising and
merchandising campaign were a
dopted by the directors of the
Florida Citrus Exchange at the
regular monthly meeting held in
Tampa last week.
The campaign, which is the most
ambitious in the history of the ex-
change, is expected to stimulate
greatly the sale of Florida grape
fruit by exploiting its delights and
healthfulness.
Ten cents per box upon an an
tlclpated crop of one million box
es is expected to yield 100000 to
be thus expended.
Only half of this amount is for
advertising, full corps of spe-
cialty statesmen to visit every store
handling fruits in the territory to
be covered, and other incidental
expenses, absorbing the balance.
The campaign, which was care
fully worked out by salesmanager
Skelly in consultation with expert
advertising and merchandising
men, is very complete and thor
ough. 1t contemplates covering
territory north of the Ohio river
as far west as the MISSOURI river.
Due to the railroad congestion
along the Atlantic seaboard, which
will probably make the movement
of perishable freight hazardous
when winter once sets in, that ter
ritory will not be covered in the
campaign. Instead it will cover
much territory where Florida
products heretofore have had lit
tie publicity.
Merchandising experts who
passed upon the plan have ex-
pressed the opinion that by thus
broadening the markets for grape
fruit it should make possible suf-
fciently higher prices to repay the
growers for the ten cents per box
expended.
By disposing of considerable
quantities of grapefruit in centers,
and to families, not previously
grapefruit consumers, it is expect
ed to take much fruit away from
the accumtomed markets, and a.
void the low prices which some
times result from an overplus of
grapefruit in certain big markets.
The campaign thus is expected
very largely to carry itself, and to
blaze the way for the products of
the thousands of acres of young
grapefruit trees which will come
into bearing within the next few
years, adding greatly to the states
output.
The campaign is wholly sepa-
rate and distinct from the orange
advertising, concerning which the
directors have as yet taken no ac-
ton.
Last year the Florida Citrus Ex-
change expended $4,000 in ad-
vertising in the northern markets.
During the same period the new
ly organized Porto Rico Citrus
Growers Association spent the
same amount, while California
spent little over $350,000.
California has made its adver-
tising efforts pay splendid divi-
1ends to California citrus growers
and is a most consistent advertis-
er with the superior quality of
citrus fruit, there is no
'eason, in the opinion of those who
nave studied the situation in the
North, why Florida cannot make
4 u n