Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-01-11
EDITO RIAL.
THE POWER OF ADVERTISING.

SHOW can man n make max So sSSS'OoO
years, On resources of $4,000, and
make it legitimately, honestly, fairly
and at the same time confer a bene-
fit on his fellow man and give wide
spread distribution to business?" asks
the Triton Gazette, which proceeds
to answer the question::
BY advertising.
Every few days we have an illus
tration of the magic that lies in the
printed lines. Farseeing men have
gained wealth thereby, and perhaps
no other one factor has contributed
more colossal fortunes to those for
which America is noted. But there
is art in advertising; there is also
science in advertising; brains must
enter into advertising as they must
enter into everything. else that con-
tributes to success. If advertising,
no matter how slip-shod, carelessly
or indifferently used would bring
wealth, the road to riches would be
easy, and all men would be million
aires. But when advertising is
backed by brains and originality,
pluck and tenacity, it will bring in the
bacon. One of the latest illustra-
tons of this concrete fact is furnish
ed by the sale of Tanlac last week
for $2,000,000. 1t was only one in
stance of many, but it brought its
lesson to the business man, and the
Albany Herald thus discusses that
lesson:
&c. F. Willis and his associates
in the ownership and operation of
the corporation which has been selling
Tanlac and other advertised products
for several years have sold their in
terests to an Eastern company. 1t
is announced that they received 3d.
100000 for their holdings.
Mr.. Willis began the distribution
of Tanlac five or six years ago. At
that time he had the rights for sew
eral Southern states, and from time
to time those rights were extended
until they covered the entire coun-
try.
!" Mr.. Willis made the statement
Saturday that he had about $1,000
capital when he began operations and
that the limit of resources he could
command was $4,000. In 1917 the
total appropriation for advertising
was $75, 900. Last year it exceeded
100000 Now the business is sold
for $2,000,000 after it has paid to
Mr.. Willis and his associates large
sums from year to year-perhaps sew
eral million. dollars in the aggregate.
Such is the power of advertising.
For business that had only
$1,000 cash capital and whose pro-
nloters were able to command re-
sources of only $4,000, an adVertis-
ing appropriation of $4,000 was
what conservative promoters of new
business would have called financial
foolishness.'
But Mr.. Willis knew the power
OF printers ink. He had an article
he believed the public would buy, but
he knew from experience that pros
pectiye buyers must have the merits
Of the article so impressed upon them
that the desire to buy would be
created. So, from the very begin
ming of the 'Tanlac romance (for the
story reads like romance), the adver-
Using appropriation was made as big
al possible. With Mr.. Willis it was
not question of how little advertis-
ing could be made to suffice, but how
much money could be spent in intelli-
gent advertising.
!. .sThe result Of that policy, per-
sisted ii from year to year, is seen
N the statement that in 1921 more
than l. 100000 bottles Of Tanlac were
SOLD. There has been no let-up in