The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-11
QUALITY AND
SPEED UNITED
IN MAJESTIC
Factory Methods Show
Thorough Study of Radio
Consumer Conditions.

Consumer Conditions.
When docs an industry reach its
saturatiou point? Does anybody
know Of any industry which has
reached IT.? Is 1t possible for any
industry 10 reach it. provided that
that INDUSTRY is backed by fertile
brains capable of making markets
where apparently no market exists?
Whea the Grigsby-Grunow Com
pany of Chicago introduced the Ma
iestic electric radio in June, 1923,
the experts" we're already begin
ming 10 point out that radio sales
possibilities we're showing signs OF
slackening. The outlook was none
too encouraging.
Summer. so the experts said, IS
not the time to sell radio sets.
There were already too many makes,
too many dealers.
Refuse TO Be Daanted
Lurking around the ccThtr was al
WAYS the possibility that some rev
development would make present
sets obsolete.
Business was rome too good, any
way. Radio was supposedly a lux
lirv. and when fa> ,orJes were laying
of workers it was 10 time to Try
10 induce them 10 make the tlrst
pavmcnt on some new, untrled re-
ceiver.
All these vet blankets did little
to disturb the stout hearts in the
MANAGEMENT of Grigsby- Grunow.
Competition did not worry them
much. The danger of an already
saturated market was ignored.
They had an idea. Good radio
sets up to this time had been selling
for around $500 Why not design
the best set possible TO sell Tor less
than half this price. make it In big
quantities, and put it over the same
way Ford did the flivver?
So the Majestic electric radio was
designed. and manufacturing meth
DDS on a large scale were carefully
worked out. They explain how the
idea was put into effect;
We invited fifty-fve leading
radio distributors or jobbers to Chi
caec. showed them the Majestic
ado. and told them that we
planned to make 100000 sets in SIX
months.
We showed them plans OF our
factories. our facilities for the pur-
chase of raw materials We told
them that mass production requires
mass sales. and that If they would
follow our plans they would make
money. We told them that mass
sales can not be expected IN radio
scts selling from $500 up.
We told them that it was up
In them to line up good dealers,
and to help keep sets moving. OF
these hfty-dve distributors, fifty
signed up before the Majestic radio
went into production.
Sales Go Soaring
In five months. three of them
summer months, when radio sales
arc supposed to be slow, each of
these distributors has sold an aver
ave of 10000 receivers.
TODAY we have orders on our
books which will keep us booked
solid until the first of the year, even
though We are producing at the rate
OF $500 Majestics d day"
Until a few years ago automobile
owners drove their cars only in
pleasant weather. BY various meth
DDS motor car makers educated the
public on the idea of driving twelve
months year.
Grigsby-Grunow reasoned that
people could also be sold the idea
OF operating radio sets the year
round and so they went after the
business intensively. At the very
beginning they created a market
which was not known to exist.
The company has no statesmen.
Under the direction of Herbert E.
Young, general sales manager, fifty
men in the field cooperate with the
distributors, and maintain contact
with Majestic dealers.
These men are not order takers,
but men with intensive sales in
training who give dealers practical
aid in keeping Majestic radios NOV
ing.
Can't See Slump
An official was asked how long
he thought the present high rate of
production would continue, and
when the slack-up would come.
He showed us that. if radios were
produced at the rate of $500 a day
every day for the next twenty-five
years, there would be only one for
every family in the country-not in
dividualS. but families.
Slogans in a plant are too often
meaningless, or plain bunk. But
two signs hanging in the Majestic
plants are worth our notice:
OUR SLOGAN
Make them fast. make them
we'll
It makes a price that makes
them sell.
MAJESTIC POLICY
Best construction. fast produc-
ton means low cost ard satisfied
customers.
In these GrigSby- Grunow give
their secret formula for successful
mass production. And the best of
it Is. they make the formula work.