Evening star., 1932-05-01

~ Ocd1S III large manner on
just what publicity is. 1t is a
known fact that much money is
expended by automobile manu-
facturerS on So-called publicity
that is money thrown away. 1t
does not add to the selling argu-
ment of particular makes of cars
and often, if printed, diSguStS the
majority of readers. Not many
people are anxious to learn that
some movie star has bought some
new modelled car. ITS lust a
publicity stunt" they say, and
probably further comment that
the car was given to her. It
would be of much more interest
and information to know what
particular car some fine mechanic
bought, for he should know that
the car was a good one.
However, let US see what the
Automotive Daily News has to say.
While it does not tell the whole
story the editorial has merit.
We yield to no one in our ad-
miration Of the energy, the cour-
age and the magnificent achieve
! AACl4G VI Vic duCOulODlle industry.
Unworthy Endeavor.
But sitting on what we often
playfully call the wrong side of
| the editorial desk, we are con-
stantly reminded of a phase of
the industry'S endeavor which we
believe is unworthy of it. We re-
fer to much of the publicity ma
terial which is sent out in the
name OF the vehicle, principally
passenger car, manufacturers
We believe that a great deal of
this material is not only un-
worthy of the great companies
which send it out, but is a posi-
tive insult to the intelligence of
the readers down whose throats
1t is being crammed.
There are three suspects who
must be considered in the search
for the real culprit. First, there
Is the manufacturer who sends it
out or permits it to be sent out
IN his name. Then there is the
advertising agency which actu-
ally, IN most cases, does the send
ing. Finally, there is the automo-
bile editor who disgraceS his COL
umnS with such trash.
And that reminds us of a
story. A certain advertising
agency sent word to a client that
IL was not going to send out anv
more OF the literary pap that the
company had been using. The
agency insisted that the stuff was
so bad that even automobile
editors would not use it. Where
upon a company man arrived
with luSty ScrapbookS containing
clippings showing hundreds of in
SertlonS OF the abominable muck
that had been going out. Now
we ask you, what, in the midst of
do?
yet the average publicity
story of the type to which we re-
fer-and any one connected with
the automotive industry knows
what we mean-has a flavor, an
aroma, If we may call it so. of
pootlicking by the perpetrator.
Ihese atrocities usually begin:
Mr.. Whoozis, president of the
WhoozlS Motor Co. of Whoofville
and one of the keenest Judges of
value in the industry, TODAY an
nounced that the new Whoozis
17-cylinder line will revolutionize
automotlve engineering. Then fol-
lows a long dissertation by the
amlabIe WhooziS, setting forth his
views of everything from com
panlonate marriage to cooking
omeletS. There may be a tinV
paragraph giving the bore and
stroke of the Whoozis II. but
there probably is not.
That an editor should run such
trlpe is a reflection on his brains
or on conditions irr his office that
permit the advertising manager to
dictate what shall go into the
auto section
Auto Section Need.
There is place for the intelli-
gently run automobile section. as
is proved by a number of them
which are read every week bv
hundreds of thousands of read
erS. No intelligent man or wom-
an or child or donkey would read
many of the automotive public
lty stories that emanate from
somewhere that ought to know
better. No wonder we hear of
newspapers that have dropped
their automobile sections.
I'VE would like to direct tho Of
tentlon of those responsible for
motor vehicle publicity to the de-
Scrlpt1Ve material sent out bv the
machine tool industry. These
people build ingenious and intrio
cate machinery of which they are
just as proud as the automobile
men are of their wonderful prod
uctS. Yet the descriptive mate
rial sent out by the vast majority
OF the machine tool manufactur-
erS IN making announcements is
a simple statement of fact, a clear
description of operation. They
1orego comparatives and abhor
SuperIativeS. Their stories are
written so that the people who
may be interested can read them
WIN interest and get information
rom them, which is where they
1lHer from most automobile pub
hclty: This latter seems to be
aimed, not at all toward creating
reader interest, but to the end of
natIerlng some company official
fortunately, the waste basket
manufacturers still are in busi-
ness" "
How true that is that last para
graph!
Death of s. A. Miles