Good advertising is good publicity. Advertising is the thing that makes
your trade increase.
Everything you do in connection with your business and every act of
yours outside of your business is an advertisement.
Reputation is an advertisement, so is honesty, politeness,
correspondence, methods, catalogues, circulars and salesmen. Neatness
is an advertisement, and so is promptness, thoroughness. And then there
is another kind of advertising which is your statement in the
newspaper. This is the printed kind of advertising, and this kind of
advertising is the most common, in fact, when we suggest that you
should advertise, it immediately comes to your mind that advertising is
space in the newspaper.
Keep in mind, however, when we speak of advertising we refer to
everything in connection with your business that makes an impression
upon the public or the prospective buyer.
Some of the old timers refrain from printed advertising in newspapers,
saying that the best advertisement is merit. Merit is a good
advertisement, but it is mighty slow in its action.
If the inventor of the typewriter planned and built the machine in his
barn without letting anyone know about it, if he kept absolutely quiet
about his doings, relying on the fact that the typewriter had merit, it
would never be known to the public unless he told about it. If the
inventor of the typewriter waited for merit alone as the vehicle for
acquainting the world with the merits of the typewriter, the world
would never know of it, unless, perhaps, a fire inspector or an health
officer accidently stumbled across the machine while inspecting the
premises.
If the inventor waited for intrinsic merit to sell his goods, he would
find that months and years would elapse before he could develop his
business into profitable proportions.
If you have a good thing you must tell about it. Telling makes selling.
Telling is advertising.
Professional men hold up their hands in horror when you suggest
advertising to them. They tell you they don't believe in advertising,
that it is not ethical, that it is not dignified. Doctors and lawyers
are most notable in this respect. One of the first things of their code
of ethics is "Thou shalt not advertise." They mean paid newspaper
advertising. The man who originated this idea evidently did not have
the money to pay for any, and it was a case of sour grapes.
Let us look into this matter of ethics and see whether the doctor and
the lawyer really believe what they say about this matter of
advertising.
It is a rare spectacle to find a lawyer who will not gladly give an
interview to a newspaper reporter during some important trial.
The doctor gladly avails himself of the opportunity to read a paper
before a medical society, and he sees to it that this paper is
published in a medical journal later on.
Professional men belong to clubs, take part in public affairs, speak
before people, work on committees, and actively take part in anything
that will bring them in the limelight of publicity. They do this
advertising themselves, yet they say they do not believe in
advertising.
Uncle Sam builds war ships, equips his soldiers splendidly, conducts
his business affairs with high grade talent, all this that the United
States may be well advertised among our sister nations.
Advertising is absolutely essential to successful business. Not printed
advertising alone but all kinds of advertising. The quality, the price,
your aggressiveness, everything in your business is an advertisement,
either a good advertisement or a bad one. It behooves you to see the
advertising you do, whatever kind it may be, is of the good kind.
If you expect to remain in business a long time your advertisements
must be good. Keep in mind that methods are advertisements.
One bad move, which is a bad advertisement for you, calls for two or
more good moves or good advertisements.
Have everything, every detail of your business carry a good
advertisement, that is, have it help your business.
Have every employe pulling on the same center tugs and have them all
face forward, and your vehicle will move forward.