MARKETPLACE, VOL. XIII, NO. 16
EDITORIAL
What's Happening?
•
Bill Gersh
The one very unusual thing that's happening at this time, and this is widespread thruout
the industry, is fear. Fear of what could but never does happen. In short, fear of fear.
Thie has been brought into being by the very people who condemn fear of fear. Kfrs who
are going along with very little, if any , advertising promotion to stimulate the industry
and, thereby, help themselves. Diatribe who are apathetic, not promotionally advertising
their own firms or the factories they represent or openly selling off equip't to keep their
names actively in print. Operators who tell one and all thry're cutting back buying new
machines, especially when there are so few to openly show them why they should buy new mach-
ines f or their better tuture welfare.
The l ong experienced and knowledgeable know that sooner than later the new, younger mfrs
who are in the field are going to fill the void created by the apathetic and the feart'ul.
This can, and will, create new leadership. Mq even upset old ideas and bring into being new
and different methods. Because the new mfrs who have entered into this industry so aggress-
ively, want to realize a decent return on their investment.
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In direct contrast to this apathy, fear and lack of promotion is the fact greater liber-
ality has come into being. The high courts of New York and California have cast aside bias
of years gone by. Have agreed to the "equal protection guarantees of the U.S . constitution"
as expressed in the letter of attorney Warren I. Wolfe of Los Angeles,Calif. (Page 9, July
30, 1974 issue of "Marketplace") Also the facts contained in the letter of attorney Theo-
dore Blatt of New York,N.Y . (Page 3, June 30, 1974 issue of "Marketplace" ) .
Thie fear and apathy has resulted in a temporary business slowdown for which much too
ma.ny make varied weak and illogical excuses, blaming everything and everyone but themselves.
Operators still featuring 10¢, 3/25¢ play and splitting gross take 50/50 point at inflation
and howl "recession" to excuse their own ineptitude and, especially, their fear of fear.
Mf're and diatribe answer with an ages old long withered excuse for lac~ of promotional
advertising to help boom business, "Why should we spend money when business is slow?", they
ask , forgetting or trying to forget that, when business was booming they asked, "Why should
we spend money when we've got more business than we can handle?" Why spend money, especially
tax deductible money, to gain prestige, respect, leadership, at any time? But there are
others who want to go ahead, get ahead, build for tomorrow.
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To those progressive and aggressive men who have no fear of fear and ' who've asked, "What 's
happening?", perhaps the above may be sufficient food for tho't to ascertain what happens
when illogicality supplants hearty, happy, optimistic promotion.
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