Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-07

The publishers relation to the ad-
Nertiser is of two-fold nature, ser
vice and cost Of service. To take
the question of rates first. The ad-
vertiser cannot he expected to pay
newspaper for its advertising more
than the space is worth to that adj
vertiser. That is simple enough but
unfortunately it is not accepted as
truth by every publisher. If you
ask an advertiser to take space he
has a perfect right to inquire what
that means and how many people
are to see his advertisement The
newspaper man has no more right
to sell Il 1000 circulation as a 5000
circulation than the merchant has
to sell underweight butter or sugar.
Not a particle! If we buy eggs we
inquire how much a dozen and if we
buy an automobile we wish to know
what kind of a car it is. We do not
buy our merchandise for our home
or for our print shop blndly, then
why expect an advertiser to overlook
the little matter of quantity and quail
ity and to consider his inquiry into
circulation as nothing whatever of
his business. After all it is our Cir
Culation that matters to him and
then, when he has the figures, he has
a right to inquire as to the quality,
what part may help him, just as we
have the right to know something
Of the quality of the merchandise
that we buy. And we should tell the
truth about circulations. Better
make it policy not TO disclose our
calculations than for us to pad them.
If we ovcrstate our circulation we do
an injustice 10 the advertiser and to
every fellow newspaper man who is
|, trying to sell genuine circulation
and to demand a rate based on that
circulation. A true circulation state
ment is the right of every advertiser
If we object to giving it then we
cannot blame him for refusal to adj
vertiso. You can't blame any man
that refuses to Luy merchandise
sight unseen.
! admit that the question of rates
is a real problem in every office be-
cause local conditions vary and pro-
ducing rates differ. One notion We
must get away from is the idea that
our space is worth all it will bring.
Rather let us consider the adver
Users rights on this subject. He
cannot afford to pay more than the
possibilities Of return. Tho local adj
vertiser I believe. gets the smaller
end of the circulation for most
weekly newspapers have good pro-
portion of subscribers who are be-
yond a possible purchasing area. The
local advertiser with a restricted field
should therefore. have the lowest
rate. This rate should be the same
10 every local advertiser with n
similar service. 1t should not vary.
The rate must he based on the cost
to the publisher plus a reasonable
profit. If "the cost plus profit" rate
is leAond the possibility of profitable
return TO tie local advertiser that
means that there is no field for a
newspaper in that town. Then 1t is
time for the publisher to seek other
territory. The weekly publisher can
not well adopt a rate to please some
press or editorial association. He
must solve that problem as an in
dividual one and he is entitled as
stated to cost plus a reasonable
profit and no more. When he makes
his profits unreasonable he is as
guilty of profiteerinS as is the mer-
chant that marks up his merchandise
to an excess profit. I have placed
enough advertising with weekly
newspapers to appreciate that with
many Of them there is no basis for
dule of rates. OF course the weekly
that overchargcs is n rare exception.
The weekly that follows this policy
with it's local advertiser will soon
learn that the merchant has come
to recognize that he is not getting
value received on his investment and
it will be difficult to get him into
harness again, once he has made that
discovery.
recognize that something can be
said for q higher charge for space
for certain class of advertising
where the possible profits or returns
to the. advertiser are exceptional.
The publisher might figure with
some justice a lasge revenue on the
basis of being a partner in the tran
saction. Such cases. however, are
hut occasional
The next question the advertiser
has right to ask is as to the quality
OF the service given. If you buy eggs
YOU expect not only the II to each
dozen at a reasonable price but you
expect fresh eggs. The advertiser
is justified in demanding that the
medium through which he places his
publicity be good one. He is en-
titled to have his copy properly dis
played and put into type, by men that
know how to make the tdisplay i'm
pressve. He has a right to a well
printed paper not merely one that
has gone through the press Good
press work is due every man that
has an advertisement in that news
paper. The duty of the publisher is
to act. through his paper, as sales
man and while he is not to try, per-
sonally. to move his customers goods
he is duty bound to try his best to
move them by the attractive display
and the proper treatment of his GUS
TONER'S copy. He should insist on
regular changes of copy. That. you
may argue. means additional expense
to the publisher in these days of
high wages but it also means a con-