Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1919-03-11
City Building Thru Advertising

Morris NJ. Rathbun, Of Los Angelo.

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Altho the proposition should be
self-evldent, there are a great many
persons reasonably we'll posted In ad-
vertising, who do no appreciate that
II a city wishes to grow, II should ad.
vertise along the same general lines
as shoe store, mandatory or any
other institution dependent upon the
outside world for It's advancement.
The normal growth of community
necessarily is slow. This growth can
be made more rapid In proportion to
the initiative of those composing 1t.
Community advertising might we'll
be compared to that of a department
store, since there are many variations
to be included. One of the frs.
things to do is exactly what the ad-
vertising manager of department
store does; that Is, to take stock of
what he has and to know what he
wants to sell. A survey OF resources,
advantages, handicaps and possibili-
ties should be made and then defi-
mite system formulated.
II has often been said that adyer
tising is no game for gutter. The
community that wants to advertise
itself unquestionably will get better
results thru persistency rather than
'spasmodic outbursts at irregular in
tervals. Each community has its own
problems to work out in exploiting
itself. General rules cannot be ap-
piled to all cases. Also, discretion
must be used in methods OF advertis-
ing, as exploitation which brings the
wrong sort OF people to community
Is worse than useless.
Getting the City Ready to Sell
One town may have exceptional
facilities for the development OF SER
tain industry and naturally this must
he made its leader" At the same
time, a single line should not be de-
yeloped at the sacrifice of other lines
fully as imuortant to the balanced
development of the community, II
not so spectacular or prominent.
Many communities do their adver-
tising blindly and with a view OF
merely attracting new population.
This is not sound premise nor is It
satisfactory, as frequently the results
lead to more rapid increase in pop
ulation than can be assimilated
This has the effect of changing the
newcomer from a hopeful, ambitious
new resident to a dissatisfied, par.
TALLY discouraged knocker. 1t is bad
business to acquire population faster
than 1t can be converted into co-or-
dinating units.
BY making a complete survey be-
fore beginning to "toot its own horn
community has the advantage of
directing its efforts toward round
ing itself into a normally developed
city. An assay should be made OF
what it has to offer new residents
along Industrial, commercial. social
and educational lines. If industry Is
lacking, centralized effort should be
devoted to bringing this up to nor
NAL If the social life is not at par.
an effort should be made to bring 1t
to par, or above. Many do not real
ize the value of good schools, librar-
les, churches, parks and kindred in
stitutions in making city attractive
to the person outside. The man with
family who, incidentally. makes the
best citizen, considers carefully what
the environment of his children will
be before making the move to an un-
tried community.
Appealing to the Right Glass
Some cities have made successes
by specializing in their advertising
instead of being general. They have
concentrated upon one line, so that
they acquire force and distinctive
ness very materially. Other cities
are so constituted that they have
equal advantages in a number Of diff
ferent avenues of endeavor and ex-
plot all of these.
The community today that is am
bilious to develop and does not ad-
i. 0. 0, F. will Hold