The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1922-01-26
PUBLICITY GETS THE BUSINESS
Advertising Spells Success for the
Modern Merchant

We hear talk Of hard times. AZ .
matter Of fact times are much better
than they were short time ago, and
conditions the country over are headed
back toward ''normalcy," although Il
is long road and We have just start
ed. But too. many Of US are in the
class Of the old woman who had been
enjoying sick spell, but was COM
planning Of feeling better. We take
a curious sort Of enjoyment in our
misfortune, and hate to give up the
idea. -.
However, times are by no means
normal, and for want Of better de-
finition let US say dull times. What,
then, is necessary to make the desert
Of dull times bloom like the rose Of
prosperity? Take a tip from those
wonder workers who have made the
real deserts. of the world bloom, and
irrigate-with Advertising. There are
more ideas to be garnered from this
comparison; for instance: Don't try
to irrigate with teaspoon. On the
other hand, don't dump several barrels
Of water in one spot and then go
away, expecting miracle to be per-
formed. Steady, persistent advertis-
ing, like steady, persistent irrigation,
will divert the river Of business that is
flowing to the: catalog houses. Fur
thermore, your rose,of prosperity will
not grow over night, any more than q
real rose will. .- $50 ~
We hear the voice Of the skeptic
saying, Bunk" He doesn't believe
in advertising, he says. Then let him
be consistent, at least. Take the sign
down. from in front Of his store, throw
away his printed stationery, wrapping
paper, paper sacks; take his name off
the wagon boxes he sells, or the letter.
ing on windows-all Of the thousand
and one little things which, without
stopping to think, he doesn't class as
advertising, but which are in reality
nothing more or less.
Then we have John Jones, general
merchandise, who is firmly convinced
of the value Of advertising-for the
other fellow. We try to persuade him
to run an ad telling people Of the ad-
vantages to be gained in trading at
his store as against patronizing mail
order houses; telling Of his efficient
and courteous salespeople and the
quality Of his merchandise, and quot
ing prices. But John says "No." For
any one else it would be just the
thing, but it wouldn't do him bit of
good-not particle. In other words,
Mr.. Jones is positive that publicity
cannot affect his business one iota.
Suppose, then, that out Of the good
ness of our hearts we should run an
ad for John absolutely without charge.
However, we change the copy little,
and the public is informed that Jones'
establishment is poor place to trade,
his stock is out-of- date and shopworn,
his clerks unobliging, and that there
is no sense in patronizing him anyway,
because you can buy cheaper, from
Montroe & Searbuck, that enterpris-
ing and up-to-date concern in Chicago
or New York. Would this worthy
merchant view our outburst Of gener-
osity with equanimity? You know he
would not. The Jones cohorts would
be hammering at our front door in
short order, armed with sawed-off
shotguns, but we would have departed
via the back door long since. Quite
evidently; then, Mr.. Jones believes that
publicity has an effect on his business,
but hates to admit it. You may argue
that he would become excited on the
theory that bad news travels faster
than good, but surely you won't say
that good news doesn't travel at all. /
Publicity-adyertising- a power
full force, for good or evil, as you .di-
reet:it, and is being proved . power
for. good by thousands of business
irmssevery day, from the million dol
lag cerpera.ions TO tie !. man q, N!he !! ped
dies shoe strings. :. + i,