The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1922-01-19
WARNING SOUNDED.
BYj0uRNAL AGAINST
FLASH SIGN PLAN
Interstate Grocer Says UnfayOrablc
Report Has Been Made on Sign
Advertising Scheme BY the
Vigilance Committee.

Several local merchants have re
Gently been visited by flash sign sales
men who endeavored to sell them al
electric sign and offered them an in
come through a National advertising
campaign.
The Interstate Grocer, a we'll known
trade journal widely circulated among
grocers in the South. has this to say
TO a proposition of this sort:
Despite warning of the National
Vigilance Committee of the admen's
organization to dealers through The
Interstate Grocer to go slow on sign
ing UP contract with the Point of Pur-
chase Advertising Association, be-
cause of known Misrepresentation Il
statesmen. it appears that number of
merchants in Shawnee, Okla, signed
and paid up and then investigated
afterwards. The associations sales
men have apparently quit the st, Louis
field which they had combed thor
oughly and branched out into other
towns to try their stunt on merchants
there.
A letter indicating this is the fact
was received by The Interstate Grocer
from E. F. Profit, secretary of the Re-
tail merchants association of Shawnee,
Okla. which letter tells the sad, sad
story a-plenty as follows:
1.-TWO men representing the Point Of
Puchase Advertising Association came
here recently and secured contracts
with some of our merchants for the
installation of flash signs represent
ing that they had contracts for adver-
Using with National advertisers which
enabled them to pay our local mer-
chants 81 per month for each sign in
stalled.
They also collected IS in advance
as a payment on a window sign which
they sold the merchants. They made
big talk about the rating of their
company in Dun's and Bradstreet's
and boldly invited investigation.
However, they worked fast and
now We are unable to find the boasted
rating in Dun's and Bradstreet's. Can
you give US any information as to this
company. They claim to have branch
Office in st. Louis at 222 International
Life Building"
The Interstate Grocer has carried
two stories on the front page about
this concern, going into all details as
to their plan and their mode of opera
ton. Each time this paper has taken
great pains to warn grocers not to be
taken in by Misrepresentation sales
men for the Point of Purchase Adver-
Using Association have been known to
make This warning was based on an
report issued by the Ma
ional Vigilance Committee of the AS
ISOLATED Advertising Clubs of the |
World.
Again, The Interstate Grocer warns |
IS readers, wherever these statesmen |
how up with their little song and
lance, to give them wide berth. Re-
member that the dealer does not sign
ny contract with any national adver-
User. He signs contract with the
'oint of Purchase Advertising Associ-
ton and in that contract the dealer
Expresses a preference for certain
igns, which in most cases are not COW
red by service contracts beteween the
.ssociation and the national advertis-
RS, according to the National Vigil
ance Committee.
The scheme is an old one and a
ROGER who has been long in the bust
ess will recognize 1t at once, but the
ounger grocers will be roped in I'M
,ss they are extremely careful. The
afest plan is to hold off the statesmen
nd tell him you will first verify for
ourself whether or not his associa-
ion has service contracts with the
iational Advertiser, so the signs for
.hich you express preference can be
A suggestion has been made by e. j.
rennan of Better Business Bureau
f st. Louis that jobbers wise up"
heir statesmen on this scheme and in
truct the statesmen to advise intelli-
emily with the dealers. In this way,
,any a dealer will be educated to in
estigate first and invest afterwards.
Doubtless, statesmen for this scheme
ill bob up elsewhere, as 1t is belle =
they are now attempting to cor'h
lie Southwestern territory to peddle
leir contracts to merchants wherever
icy can find any soft enough to bite.