Automatic Age

Issue: 1931 September

12
A u t o m a t ic A g e
September, 1931
W H Y WE FIRST CHOSE
THE A U T O M A T IC AGE
By MR. BUD LIEBERMAN, President,
Buddick Engineering Company, Inc.
New York City, as Told to
Wm. Gersh, New York
Representative
first chose the A u t o m a t i c A ge to tell the
world of the SKE-BAL-ETE.
Bud Lieberman
There are many reasons for advertisers
choosing certain media to express their
advertising message in a well directed cam­
paign. Here, Mr. Lieberman, President of
the Buddick Engineering Company, Inc.,
now on the market with one of the newest
and truly original games for operators
which has appeared in a long while, the
SKE-BAL-ETE, was faced with the prob­
lem of where to place his greatest adver­
tising efforts. He felt that they had every­
thing the operators desired in the SKE-
BAL-ETE itself. They guaranteed the
money-making qualities, the construction
of the machine was superb. The inventor
of the SKE-BAL-ETE was the man that
originated the first spiral machine, Mr.
Dick Wolff. The concern was all dressed
up but with no place in particular to go.
Mr. Lieberman tells us that he spent a
good many hours talking with different
operators and also many hours doing some
heavy thinking to the answers of many
questions these men gave him. His expe­
riences we feel will prove valuable to many
other manufacturers who will sometime or
later find themselves in the same quandary.
All dressed up, and wondering just where
to go. Mr. Lieberman, we are proud to
say, decided as well as any executive long
engaged in purchasing advertising space
would, and we think that he is on the go
to a great success, but allow us to let him
tell you in his own words, just why he
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“ We worked day and night to get the
SKE-BAL-ETE finished for the operators,
so that they might start in locating them
in time to catch the end of the Summer
season. Follow that with the great Fall
season, when everything picks up, and then
plunge into the most profitable indoor
Winter season as a climax to a final splurge
of making real money. Not alone was Mr.
Dick Wolff, our inventor pushed to get the
game set, but everyone connected with the
firm was taking a hand in its completion.
“ We went over every part of the ma­
chine as if our lives depended upon it. We
played with it over Sundays and then
would come down to the plant Sunday
night and many times remain through to
Monday morning. It was exciting work.
We felt that the operator would appreciate
all this when he saw the machine itself.
He certainly has appreciated it greatly. We
thank him for it, and can only promise that
every machine he will purchase will be as
high in quality, and superb in construction,
as the first, if not better.
“ This is drifting away from the question
you have asked me, Mr. Gersh. I felt,
though, that it was necessary to tell you
all this so that you could realize just how
hard we had worked and in just what
mental condition it had all left us. We
now felt greatly relieved, and very happy,
why, all there was left was to tell the
operators all about it.
“ That sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, let
me tell you, it proved as hard as the de­
veloping of the machine itself. In fact we
went around with a puzzled expression for
days. Having had some advertising expe­
rience previously we decided to judge the
different media in the field by the hard,
cold business methods used by the adver­
tising agencies.
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September, 1931
18
A u t o m a t ic A g e
“ The first question I then asked, was,
what is the paid circulation of the medium
in question? What do the other manufac­
turers in the trade think of it? What is
the cost of this advertising per head of
paid circulation? Do the operators like
it? How long has it been engaged in the
field? Has it successfully put over other
advertised products? From there I went
to the more human questions. Do I like
to read the magazine? Is it interesting?
Does it give me the news? Will it help
me to get information?
“ I questioned many of the men active
in the trade for their opinoin. The answers
were unanimous, advertise in tfie A u t o ­
m a t i c A ge , it is the operator’s own me­
dium. I also followed this with a session
of statistical reports. Let me tell you why
I was so careful.
“ SKE-BAL-ETE is a great financial in­
vestment. It carries with it the hard work
of every one in the plant, our hopes, our
very ambitions. In fact our whole plant
was interested in making the SKE-BAL-
E T E known to every operator, and then
allow the operator himself to judge that
this was the game of a million pennies, the
amusement achievement of the age. I feel
that this will therefore help you to realize
just what was placed on my shoulders, as
President of this organization, to decide.
Dick Wolff
that the cost per head of paid circulation,
WHICH IS THE KIND OF CIRCULA­
TION I FEEL THAT ANY A D VER­
TISER SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN,
was so much lower than any other medium
in the field that it at first seemed un­
believable. From my figures I found that
it cost less than one-half cent to reach
each reader. Its great and long-life in the
field naturally were also considered as vital
factors. The hundreds of machines and
products which it successfully helped to
put across was possibly one of the greatest
points in favor o f this fine medium.
“ As I said before, we chose the A u t o ­
A ge to help us introduce the greatest
amusement game of the century to every
operator in the world. We have placed
everything in us to bring about the SKE-
BAL-ETE. We know from the wonderful
praise it has received by the many who
have already seen it that it is without a
doubt, the amusement achievement o f the
age. We have everything tied up in this
great game, but we feel certain that our
decision as to the magazine first and always
to represent us was absolutely right, for
figures do not tell lies.”
m a t ic
“ I spent many an hour figuring this ad­
vertising question. After going through
everything that is known to this industry,
after laying out a complete set of statistics,
after getting the opinions of many manu­
facturers and operators in the industry,
I CHOOSE THE AUTOMATIC AGE TO
CARRY OUR FIRST MESSAGE, AND
TO BE OUR PERMANENT A D VERTIS­
ING REPRESENTATIVE. I felt sure
that this was the medium of main interest
to every operator in the world. In short
here is the manner in which I summed UP
the situation.
“ The A u t o m a t i c A ge presented me with
the exact figures of its paid circulation,
even classified in states, making it simple
for me to see towards just which states
I cared to place my greatest energies. I
found that the men in the trade, manu­
facturers, jobbers and operators alike, con­
sidered it their business bible. I found
© International Arcade Museum
There isn’t much to be said in conclusion.
Such statements speak for themselves. Mr.
Lieberman, like many other men, was
forced to a keen business decision because
the field had become glutted with maga­
zines. As he tells us of his calculations
there is an admirable lesson of business
efficiency. He first procured a sworn,
classified statement of circulation. Paid
(Continued on page 15)
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