The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-19

NJ ORE 0One In
NL America than I'm any other coun-
try. And II IL generally conceded
that America has made more progress
than any other country In the intelli-
gent use of 1t.
What has been responsible for this de-
velOpmentf
How can the forces thus responsible be
so understood and utilized as to insure
even Erenter progress I'm the future
than in the pasts
Large-scale production has been con-
ture of commodities in vast quanti
ties and at reduction in cost.
brought them within the financial
reach of a greatly increased number of
people. Applied to transportation, the
same large-scale operations brought
all the markets Of the nation within the
manufacturers reach.
From 1850 to 1917 the population of
the United States increased from 3D.
100000 to 1os.o00,oo0. Manufacturing
iod of industrial expansion following
the Civil War, 1t was necessary to do
little more than make products and
transport them to the centers Of popu-
a good profit. Business concerned it
self primarily with finance and pro-
duction.
Expansion Checked
But by the time this period had reach
ed its height, conditions had changed.
The expansion Of the markets was not
keeping pace with the possible expan-
the natural increase in population.
though augmented by immigration,
could keep up with the factory output
Supply became greater than demand
Business was checked. not by the lack
Of potential market, but by the right
means to develop 1t.
And SO manufacturers began, in the
latter part of the century. to apply
themselves to the problem of large
scale selling.
AS business first applied itself to fl
nance and production, improvements
in both these phases of 1t came more
rapidly than in selling.
Up to this time the machinery for
selling, with few exceptions, consisted
of statesmen, jobberS and retailers.
Beyond the retailers the manufacturer
had no means of carrying the advan-
tages Of his product to the consumer.
The retailer, on the other hand, could
individually do almost nothing in the
way of educating the public He did
not have the facilities, or did the sale
of any single commodity justify any
great amount Of educational work.
To increase consumption the consumer
had to be reached. In proportion as
markets for existing commodities could
be extended. And sale for new COM
modities could be established as soon as
their advantages were understood by
the consumer.
Americas Solution
Advertising was the solution OF this
problem of large-scale selling. The
means Of reaching the consumer were
at hand. Newspapers, magazines, farm,
| trade and religious papers, theatre pro-
grams, direct mail, street cars, posters
and painted signs enabled the manu-
| facturer to carry his message to every
possible user.
Proprietary medicines and circuses
were among the first to use adyertis-
suit that advertising for a time was
confused with selling or promotion by
making exaggerated claims.
But gradually sound and conservative
business began to realize the force OF
advertising. and slowly but surely its
development has followed.
The opportunities afforded by such vas,
markets offered every incentive tc
The problem was to make advertising
productive in proportion to the mar
| kets available.
The manufacturer could develop hi.
own advertising department. But /,
was soon found that growth in adver.
Using came with specialization. To
interpret to the public the advantage.
of commodity required inherent per.
sonal qualifications. an accurate knowl.
edge of the population as II constituted
markets, and a knowledge of the We.
| hicles by which these markets could bt
reached. together with q thorough tech.
nical training necessary for their use
It was evident that this In itself wa.
an undertaking which called for or
ganization and specialization. Suci
| specialization was possible only fol
those who apply their entire time t
| the study of advertising, and through
constant contact with a variety o;
problems acquire the necessary exper.
fence and Judgment. The advertising
agency afforded the necessary organi
/ alton and by serving a number o.