The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-07-03

sumers, it appears that there must
be a good deal of service value in
advertising, for it is to be noticed
that most consumers prefer to buy
advertised brands, and to patronize
those stores. which make the best
impression with their advertising.
OF course these are only surface
indications. A satisfactory answer
to the question Of why business
must advertise should 60 deeper
into the actual work done by adj
vertising from the standpoint of
business, and should examine the
actual results of advertising from
the standpoint of consumers inter
ests.
While viewing the matter from
these angles. it is well to keep IN
mind that the interests OF consum-
ers and the interests Of business
are really the same in the end, al
though in any particular transac-
ton it might appear that the one
may benefit at the expense OF the
other. Consumers want better
goods, lower prices, and more ef-
ficient distribution. Business wants
the benefit Of greater sales volume,
which it can get only by providing
better goods at lower prices through
more efficient distribution.
| II both get what they want, the
| result viii be greAters pfs<isss44on,
more employment, higher wages,
and a more satisfactory living for
| all.
Now, what does advertising have
to do with all this? Advertising is
an important part of the work
which business has to do in getting
Its goods sold Strange as it may
perhaps seem, goods do have to be
sold, and it takes effort to sell
| them.
| If all statesmen were to stay at
home, and If there were no adver-
Using and no mail-order catalogues,
and If the vegetable man were to
stop crying his cabbage--if all sell
| ing effort were to stop today on
the order of some dictator, what
would happen? AS surely as the
sun will rise tomorrow, we would
Immediately plunge into the deepest
and blacklist depression ever seen
or imagined.
If anyone doubts this, let him re-
fleet for a moment on our high
geared industrial system and the
forces that make it 90. 1t is lar
different proposition from the hand
icraft system Of long ago.
From ancient times through the
American Colonial era, not enough
goods were being made to sat-
iSfy the most elementary wants
of people, and anyone who could
make a useful article had no trou-
Bile finding buyer. But in this
modern production era our efficient
factories and farms are geared to
provide for a great deal more than
the elementary needs of the peo-
pie, and it is necessary to devote
some effort to finding customers
and persuading them to buy.
| People don't automatically buy
new washing machines and i'm
proved refrigerators just because
they need them. The average person
has to be urged by a salesman OF
by advertising before he will buy
In fact, it is human nature that we
like being persuaded to do some
thing for ourselves.
Think of the millions of men
women, and children who have
whittier, better teeth because adver-
tisers persuaded them to take bet
ter care of their teeth and to visit
the dentist regularly In many o1
our purchases we are even aware
of the influence of advertising, be-
cause we accept its reminders anc
suggestions unconsciously, and WE
have come to depend upon its con-
slant prompting.
/ 1t is easy to see that large par
of the current volume of buying BY
consumers is the direct result o.
craftsmanship and advertising. L
all business should stop trying Il
sell their goods, consumer buying
would slow down and eventually
get sluggish. OF course we would al
continue to buy those things which
we do not need to be reminded
about but even on some of thes.
articles our purchases might de
line. II every salesman and every
advertiser should stop trying to per
suade people to buy, it is certain
that less goods would be sold.
When consumer buying does fall
off, the effect is Immediately fel
in the stores and factories, and q
once industry is forced into Low