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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
GINGERIZE THE MUSIC ROLL BUSINESS.
{Continued from page 3.)
done by the retailers, and then they sit up and wonder why business is dull and why the talking ma-
chine branch of the business is a live one.
One ought not to look far to find the reason.
The talking machine manufacturers put forth intelligent, constructive and educational advertis-
ing. They associate the names of the greatest artists with their monthly lists of new records. They
tell some attractive feature of the records which they have just produced, but not a word from the piano
•merchants concerning their product.
Is it any wonder the people visit stores and purchase talking machine records when their atten-
tion is constantly called to them in an attractive form, and they hear nothing—absolutely nothing—
about music rolls?
It is just the difference between a dead one and a live one, and the men who are supposed to and
who should make the music roll business a live one are doing nothing to promote public interest in
its behalf. I say nothing—precious little at the best.
The music roll business must be intelligently treated, and the attention of the users of player-
pianos must be persistently called to the attractive features that are put forth each month.
The music roll business cannot be built profitably on the basis of throw-ins, and it cannot be built
on the basis of indifference and inactivity on the part of those who have a direct fundamental mone-
tary interest.
There is nothing that will kill a product as quickly as having it drop out of public attention. A
product must be talked about to be sold, and when I scan the music trade advertising of the country
and find little or nothing said about music rolls, as a natural sequence it seems to me that there must
be a dull and unprofitable condition existing in that industry.
The profit on the sale of a talking machine is fair, but a profit on the records insures a steady
income.
.
. •
The same conditions apply to the player. The profit on the original sale may be modest, but it
can be continually augmented by good monthly sales if the attention of the player owner is intelli-
gently and persistently drawn to just what the piano merchant can offer him in the way of music.
To send out a little bulletin with rolls numbered and titles given is not enough.
We talk about trade developers. Here is where the infusion of some good red, vitalizing blood
would work to excellent advantage.
I would suggest that the piano merchants everywhere work out
a plan of interesting their local trade, of featuring the music rolls in
such a way that people will talk—become interested, and then they will
buy, because the interest must first be created.
Make the music roll business profitable.
Advertising As A Business Stimulator.
SIGNIFICANT tribute to the value of advertising is revealed
A
in the annual reports of a number of companies in which
they point out that certain lines of goods have shown a decided
increase in sales as compared with other years, due entirely to the
fact that they have been advertised more largely and more persist-
ently than ever before.
The fact that these companies credit advertising for growing
profits has a moral for every business man, and is of especial in-
terest to those who are prone when times are disturbed, or (business
is dull, to shut off needed publicity, just at the time when it is most
needed in order to stimulate an interest in their business and keep
public interest awake.
At no time in our history was it so necessary as now for manu-
facturers and merchants to comprehend the importance of arousing
the trade and the public to a full sense of confidence in the future
of the country, and to a proper appreciation of the improvement in
industrial conditions which had been retarded through the limita-
tion of business energies, resources and legitimate expenditures.
It has been clearly shown that the large business concerns that
have carried on liberal advertising campaigns have had the least
percentage of business decreases since the European war dis-
turbed conditions in this country.
And this is also true whether the manufacturer or merchant is
selling pianos, or some other line of goods.
Timidity and fear of the future as exemplified in unneces-
sarily cutting down expenses on all sides has unquestionably a
psychological influence that is harmful. It makes people fearful
and uncertain, and creates a mental condition that hinders progress
in every direction.
Now is the time for optimism—for action—for stimulating
confidence among the trade and public by demonstrating that you
yourself have faith in the country's business future by advertising
and helping create a condition that will tend toward creating better
times.
courage him,to show that confidence by making a suitable adver-
tising appropriation in his local field, and thereby making the
national campaign most effective at home.
Dealers in Crown and Concord pianos and Combinolas should
be quick to realize that the efforts put forth by the George P. Bent
Co. in trade and general advertising cannot secure the most satis-
factory results unless the dealer gives support to the campaign
locally.
General advertising is the most effective weapon for trade
building, and it is doubly effective when it is brought home to the
public in the dealer's own territory through suitable publicity in
the local papers.