Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-26

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leading articles in the American Credo
Yet, like most generally accepted facts.
1T is not strictly true. 1t does not pay
to advertise unless you do so efficient
iy-that is to say, unless you plan your
copy skillfully and place it wisely
where it will produce the best results.
1t would be a mere waste of money
for instance, to advertise such articles
as concrete mixers in a women's fash
ion journal, or to attempt to create g
demand for electric fans in Nova
Scotia in Winter. The important thing
is to reach the right markets for a
product through the proper advertising
medium. For the majority of products
the daily newspaper is unquestionably
the best advertising medium, as II
reaches the largest number of people,
but even newspaper advertising yields
maximum returns only when 1t rs Ju-
diciously distributed.
Realizing the tremendous Importance
of this factor, the American News
paper Publishers association supports
a bureau of advertising, with head
quarters in New YORK, Chicago and
San Francisco, for the purpose of
helping advertisers to distribute their
advertising to the best advantage. Tc
do this, a man must be in possession OF
certain facts concerning market n
tions as they affect his product, and
these facts the Bureau of Advertising
undertakes to secure for him.
Through it's affiliation with news
papers all over the United States and
Canada, it is able to trail and catch
the most elusive commercial fact ID
any fair-sized town on this continent
If a prospective advertiser were to
walk into its offices tomorrow and de-
mand to know how many kinds Of
monographs or ~fireless cookers were
sold in Portland, Ore, or Portland,
Me, and why, the Bureau could doubt
less have the information for him by
telegraph within 4S hours. But, while
it is able to obtain facts with amazing
speed, it's Investigations usually are OF
nationwide scope, requiring weeks OF
exhaustive research.
Not long ago, for example, the Blu
reau conducted an inquiry into the
state of the soft drink market, for thu
benefit of soft drink manufacturers.
with a view to determining whether OF
not there had been a marked increase
in the sale of soft drinks since the
coming Of national prohibition. Here
are some of the facts that were dis
covered:
Money In Soft Drinks
That the soft drink market is a re-
markably fertile field for the manu-
| facturer, for the governments tax re-
ceipts of S51,00O.0O0 would indicate
that more than 5000, 00O,O 900 worth Of
soft drinks were sold at retail during
a period of II months.
That the soft drink market, and par
ticularly the ginger ale market, Is !
sectional. if not a local one. Brands
that are best sellers in one section O
the country are not at all popular Ill
others. Only one brand of ginger alt
enjoys a nationwide popularity. ano
only one soda drink nay be said to
have a welI-nigh universal sale.
That the demand for soft drinks or
the whole had greatly increased since
prohibition, but that in some LOCALITIES
the sale of ginger ale had fallen OIL
owing to the fact that 1t was nc
longer used so extensively as a oasl'
ingredient in alcoholic beverages.
The detailed results of this inquiry
contained in one of the special trade
reports on file in the Bureaus offices
were of great value to soft drink man
u~facturers, who were at once able to
see where and how to place their ad-
vertising. In other words, with the
aid of this information. they were able
10 direct their advertising to meet local
market conditions. which were shown
to vary widely throughout the country
In another instances the Bureau
was asked by a tire manufacturer &c
help him gather quickly some data
showing the size and condition of tire
stock on hand in dealers shops in this
country and Canada. 1t promptly com
municated with its newspaper repre-
sentatives throughout the contInen,
and in a short time had a long llst OF
J detailed reports from which it was
able to compile a valuable report OF
general conditions.
The significant discovery in this case
wa, that tire stocks everywhere were
exceptionally low. Dealers were founc
70 be buying slowly and in small guam
J tities. vet most of them were of the
oninion that business would soon picl
I'D. The public also, it was disclosed
was exhibiting great reluctance in buy
ing new tires, apparently believing tha'
if il only waited long enough prices
would come down. In this connection
J If was pointed out that ears had beer
|; used more extensively that year thar
ever before, owing to the mild winter
that tire were being patched up tc
, their last extremity by car owners, ant
that. even with no effort on the par
of the manufacturers TO revive bust
ness. natural wear and tear would soOr
: make pressing demands on the deal
ers.
Demand for Tires Seen
t This conclusion was based upon &C
! tuaI figures sent in from various cities
The report from Fort Worth, for in
stance, stated that there were only
= $500 tires of all kinds in that com
munity. while 10000 cars were regis
tered and in use at that time. st
' Louis reported a total of 800 tires
against an estimated requirement fol-
, the spring season of $4,000. IL
: short, with this report in hand the tire
the price of its assistance to Tur