Printers' Ink Volume 48, No. 4 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 Excerpt: ...form of publicity for reaching so small a clientele. He recommended a consultation with a firm of advertising specialists who are expert in fine literature. The head of this firm considered the problem and recommended a fine booklet to be sent to each of the three hundred buyers. These were to cost one dollar each, and tell the story of the new shirt so sumptuously that they would be read and preserved. His plan was taken under consideration and another authority consulted--a man engaged in reaching buyers in that very trade. He vetoed the booklet scheme at sight. "If you are willing to spend a dollar or two on each of your three hundred men just send each of them a shirt," he said. "You can't get anything that will tell the story better. Two or three days before the sample is mailed send a personal letter briefly calling attention to your improvements. Then calculate how long it will take for the sample to reach each man after mailing, and on the day when he ought to receive it send him a telegram. Your proposition won't be ignored or go wrong." This plan was put into practice, and has proved very successful, it is said. This is the sample as used to cover a small clientele. But it also has possibilities in general advertising. The maker of a brand of chewing-gum that is pretty widely known through newspaper publicity was casting about for more forcible ads to run in the big cities. He wanted something that would demonstrate the value of his product as an aid to digestion, hence wanted to reach the better classes. On the advice of a specialist uniformed distributors were sent through the large cities, entering hotels and restaurants at the busy hours and laying a sample stick at the plate of each diner. The campaign was unusually produc...