The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-03-12
Advertising the Only Remedy

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local merchants the past twenty
years Is appalling. Every dollar
that leaves a community makes
that community poorer and takes
from circulation money from
the legitimate channels of trade
in the section from which 1t is
sent. This is a patent fact.
In analyzing the causes which
brought about this condition 1t
will be found that merchants. es-
pecially in some of the smaller
towns, are largely responsible
for the exodus of cash and the
filling of the Golfers of the mail
order magnates. The heads OF the
big mail order houses learned
well many years ago the value
of advertising. They flood the
country with attractively printed
catalogs. These catalogs are en-
bellished with illustrations; give
comprehensive statement OF
each item of merchandise and
the price is usually featured.
The average individual who re-
ceiyes the voluminous volume"
reads it from cover TO cover.
The whole family reads ii. They
begin to figure what they want.
In an appealing way every item
is presented in a most attractive
style. The attention of the pro-
spective buyer is soon focused
upon a given article. This same
individual is reading the daily
papers, in many instances. and
his home paper every week.
He searches the columns and
finds goods he wants are not ad-
yertised in the local papers. He
takes it for granted the home
merchant either does not carry
II or does not care to "gO after
business" The home merchant
may have the very item he or
ders from the mail order house.
but the customer does not know
il. The result is the mail order
house gets the business.
To fight the devil. some one
has said you must fight his Sa-
tanic majesty with fire. To fight
the mail order house successfully
YOU must use their strong weap-
on in securing trade-publlcity.
The merchants must use every
legitimate method of advertising.
and especially the newspapers.
for they are the best medium to
ecomically reach the buying
public. They must carry stand
ard merchandise and be satisfied
with q legitimate profit. They
must give as much thought tc
their advertising as they do tc
any other branch of their busi
ness. Even in the smaller town!
the merchants are waking up tc
these facts. The average coun
try weekly, if worthy of patron
age. is nowadays filled with ad
vertising.
We are living in a period o
high prices. Of all times this i
the crucial period in the business
life of the little merchant. The
wholesaler and the jobber mus
cooperate with the merchant
The merchants and the newspa
pers must cooperate. There i
q mutual ground all must cover
Systematic and persistent adyer
tising will hit the spot and do tn
work. 1t is the only thing tina
will turn trade from the mail Of
der houses to the cities an
towns.
The Cotton States Merchant
Association. whose headquarters
are in Memphis. has caught th
vision. and that organization ha
put on foot a plan to co-operat
with the merchants in the small
q towns of the South by 9ivin
Them the advantage of expel
adwriiers 10 prepare copy for
series Of advertising for the
home paper. and has conceive
. plan which, If carried out. Wi
build up the trade of this gres
section Of the South by holdin
all business that should be hs
by the local merchants. Adve
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