Year: 1879

From the London (English) Daily Echo.l


American advertisers have the reputa-
ton OF an originality and smartness far
in advance OF that enjoyed by their
European brethren. Some OF their de-
vices tor securing publicity are OF char
acter that we hardly wish to see initiated
sons-prudence and persistency-which
people might learn from them with ad-
vantage. With the exception of the
great advertisers. who know too we'll
the value of publicity to forsake its ad-
vantages, tho majority Of people con-
duct their advertising business in timid
and irresolute manner which usually re-
suits in pecuniary loss and frequently
disgusts them with what is, after all, the
very liteblood of business. when really
their own want OF sagacity and pluck is
alone to blame. The ordinary advertis-
er goes in for squirt, and while the fit
Is on him he will pay money to any jour-
nal he may iall across. or that may be
introduced to him by fifth rate esagent.
for the sake of the b!ack-mail paid IN
1 double commission. By-and-by the bills
come in, the advertiser finds he has
spent three times as much as he meant
to; the specially he has been trying to
introduce has fallen fat on the public
taste, or business generally has become
dull and he iancies buyers are few and
little likely to pay attention to his an
nouncements. He stops short accord
ingly and loses nearly all the benefit of
his previous expenditure. The success
reaped by those whose advertisements
appear from year to year. should, teach
men of business first to be careful in
the selection of the medium they choose,
and next. when satisfied on this point.
to persevere, disregarding apparent
failure, and never retrenching, sxpendi-
rure when business is dull. The man
who shut up his shop to save his expen-
ses when trade was slack would be
counted fool, and yet he could hardly
| damage his reputation more than the
advertiser who. tor similar reason.
withdraws his announcements. The
people who read the papers in dull
times are those who buy when trade re-
1 wives; and he who will get most OF there
cGstom is the man who has kept his
name well before them when their atten-
tion was unoccupied. Moreover, adj
vertising In this country is lett too much
to large capitalists" Ii the small trader
! who is forever grumbling at his want OF
ability to compete with large houses.
and at their comparative monopoly ot
public custom, would only remember
that in the columns of the newspaper
!, press he can, at comparatively small
cost. command publicity co.extensive
with the bounds OF civilization, and n
certain lucrative return, richer and


richer in results every succeeding year,


he would doubtless more frequently use


it. Those who pride themselves on not
+ being advertising houses should bear
in mind that IN trade nothing wears ias-


ter than good reputation when nobody


ever hears anything about it. A Yankee
, contemporary tells story much to the
: point. OF town where every one adver-


tised, with the exception Of one man.
: Every thrived except him. but he
obstinately declared that nothing should
/. ever make him advertise. He was mis-


taken. although he only discovered it
t the day after his bankruptcy, when he


had to instruct the auctloner to advertise
i: the sale of his business for the benefit of


his creditors.