The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-10-29

play and be entertained. While
our guests, they will spend mil
lions of dollars. Every man,
woman and child in the state will
directly or indirectly be helped
and benefited, for the money
these folks leave in Florida slim
ulates business, increases employ
ment and pays taxes.
Advertising and publicity play
a very important part in bring
ing these people and this wealth
to our state and while Florida
has no official state publicity bu-
reau and spends no state funds
expressly appropriated for the
purpose of attracting tourists,
there are numerous groups, or
CARNATIONS and individuals who
spend hundreds of thousands of
! dollars each year to advertise
and publicize Florida at no cost
o the state or the taxpayer.
Each year thousands of Flor
ida pictures are published in the
photo sections and on news pages
Of magazines, newspapers and
trade journals throughout the
country. Rotogravure and maya
zine sections of great metropoli-
tan dailies publish many illus
trated feature articles that &C
| quaint millions of people with
he charms. advantages and
points OF interest in the state. In
thousands of movie theatres in
eresting short subjects thrill and
entertain additional millions with
colorful interesting Florida reels.
Radio programs in countless sta
ions, and often on national hook
up, tell listeners interesting facts
about Florida. On the highways
Of the nation will be found thou
sands of automobiles carrying
booster plates and bumper strips
that advertise the state. Beauti-
full exhibits, dioramas and trans
lighted displays greet travellers
in railway stations, hotels, and
public buildings. Tons of care
fully prepared literature, in the
form of attractive illustrated
folders, leaflets and booklets, are
mailed to tourist agencies, travel
bureaus, transportation lines ans
individuals from coast to coast,
aceuainting additional millions
with the interesting things to do
and see in Florida.
The amount of money spent on
such promotion runs into the
millions and thousands of men
and women in Florida depend for
their livelihood on this ceaseless
statewide effort to tell the mar
velous story of Florida to more
and more people each year.
Clerks, stenographers, copy writ
ers, photographers, printers, pub
lsihers, messenger boys, proof
readers. statesmen, and employees
in a hundred or more other oc-
equations, all have part to play
in this big and important task.
Key men in this great program
are known as publicity direc-
tors. Their job is to interpret in
an appealing, colorful manner,
through every available medium,
facts, information and data that
will create in the hearts of mil
lions the desire to visit the state.
Under their direction events are
staged, stories and articles are
written, celebrities are inter
| viewed. pictures are posed, book
let's and folders are prepared, adj
vertising is placed, mailing lists
are circularized and prospects of
every kind and character, every
where. are contacted and sold
on Florida.
| Heretofore, with no central or
| sanization or clearing house,
working selfishly and independt-
/ lv, hundreds of men and women
! in the state engaged in publicity
work. all with the same objec-
tive: TO bring more people 10
Florida. They have confined
/ themselves to their own particu-
/ lar problem. the promotion of
one city, section or attraction
vieing with each other for popu-
larity and giving little thought to
the state as a whole
Then a few weeks ago three or
four of these boys got their heads
! togcthe~ ard flnlrcd out that the
big job in which they were all
equally Interested was first TO
Bring People 20 Florida: at
tracing them TO this or that
point after then arrival was sec
nodary Why, they reasoned.
couldn't they all work together.
selling not Just one section or
one attraction bu; the state as q
whole
Out of this came the organization
this week Of the Florida ASsocia-
ton Of Publicity Directors, bring
ing together in closer understand
ing and cooperation leaders with
IN the state whose common OBJ
jective IS that Florida. her glo-
RES. attractions and advantages
may be more widely and fav-
orabIy known
Pulling traethgr boosting all