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12
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JULY 5, 1919
ARMY OF EDISON DEALERS ATTENDS VICTORY CONVENTION—(Continued from page 11)
"We are going to dig down into our pockets
to follow up your tone-tests with local adver-
tising over your name. We are going to make
you a wonderful proposition on the turntable
which you see back there on the stage. We are
going to offer to live-wire dealers who will be
on the level with us a conditional advertising
allowance, which is lavishly generous.
"We plan to go fifty-fifty with you on news-
paper advertising when our principal artists
come to your respective towns to fill concert
dates, such advertising to be over the dealer's
name, so that he will reap all the benefits.
"In addition to the big campaign of national
advertising which we are now running we are
about to launch a special campaign in
farm papers having a total circulation of
5,030,469. The total number of farms in
the United States, according to the 1910
census, was 6,361,502, so you see we are not
missing many. In short, we stand ready to
spend half a million dollars in direct dealer
co-operation with dealers who want such co-
operation and are willing to play the game with
us as it should be played.
"Edison dealers, the Edison factory is now in
a position to ring for full steam ahead. If we
didn't expect to furnish you with large quantities
of goods it is obvious we would not be ready
to spend such large sums in dealer co-opera
tion. The time has come to start the big drive
for absolute supremacy in the phonograph field.
We are with you to the limit and I don't believe
you would be here if you were not with us
to the limit."
Victor J. Petry Makes Address
Following this Victor J. Petry (Beaux Arts,
Paris), New York City, substituted for Miss
Elsie De Wolfe, the famous authority on good
furniture and interior decoration. Miss De
Wolfe, who has recently given a very power-
ful endorsement to the Edison period cabinets,
was scheduled to give a talk in person, outlin-
ing her opinion on the New Edison period de-
signs from the standpoint of artistic home fur-
nishing. Miss De Wolfe, however, was de-
tained in returning from Europe, which ac-
counted for the appearance of her associate,
Victor J. Petry. Mr. Petry paid a warm tribute
to Miss De Wolfe and her work and to all that
her endorsement of the Edison period cabinets
means. He said, in part:
"Until your reproductions of period pieces
were introduced we decorators had our own
troubles in trying to make those commercial
pieces of mahogany and oak blend with the
general furnishings. The whole matter of case
designing is in its infancy. America has so often
shown her alertness, cleverness and versatility
in_so many ways that I am sure she will give
a good account of her prowess in this particular
regard. Let us not attempt to get up '57 va-
rieties of design,' but let us adhere to what is
now and always will be considered the best."
Trade Problems Discussed
Following Mr. Petry came John Dorn, an
Edison dealer of West New York, N. J., who
discussed "Canvassing in a Metropolitan Dis-
trict." He spoke of the difficult art of canvass-
ing, and the best ways in which to approach
prospective customers. Among other things he
said: "Make your customers believe you are
giving them better service than they can get
Panoramic View of Edison Dealers From All Parts of the Country Who Attended
elsewhere, make them believe you are going Edison for almost nothing down and less than
out of your way to accommodate them, and nothing a week is good advertising, whereas
they will go out of their way to help you make I might think that an ultra-dignified advertise-
sales."
ment, utterly devoid of all striking display and
George E. Clark, acting manager of the disc absolutely shunning even the thought of terms,
reproduction laboratories, gave a very interest- is good advertising.
ing talk on "When a Diamond Is Not a Dia-
Distinctiveness in Advertising
mond." He outlined in detail the skill required
"However, I am convinced that the character
for making a diamond point, and told how the of the Edison magazine advertising which we
diamond for the Edison machine was obtained have been doing for the past nine months is
from the great diamond market of London, and good advertising because it stands out from the
how necessary it is to select absolutely clear ordinary routine of just plain copy on account
crystals of the highest quality.
of its distinctiveness. Each advertisement in
James P. Lacey, Edison dealer of Peoria, 111., itself constitutes a story, an account of some-
was the next speaker, and his topic was "En- thing which has actually happened. It tells of a
specific occasion on which a humanly inter-
esting test of the New Edison's ability to
re-create was made.
"When you open your morning newspaper you
expect to find on the front page something differ-
ent from that which you found the morning be-
fore. You eagerly scan the columns to find out
what has happened, the latest occurrences out
of the regular routine of daily life. Suppose you
should find on the front page the same themes,
the same stories in a new form, with new head-
ings, simply paraphrased from yesterday's
stories. You would soon grow tired of reading
that paper and would very shortly cut it out
altogether.
Arousing the Reader's Attention
"Then, isn't it logical to assume that a news
twist to advertising greatly increases the read-
er's interest? I think there is no doubt about
that, and that is why we strive to give every
Edison magazine advertisement a news angle.
"You will recall the Lazzari advertisement,
the Case advertisement, the Ciccolini advertise-
H. E. Blake, Convention Chairman
thusiasm With a Big E." He outlined the value ment and particularly the Fields advertisement.
of enthusiasm in every branch of the industry, Each one told of a happening of interest to the
music-loving reader, each was a distinct adver-
and said:
"There are only two kinds of dealers, the tisement in itself, each one possessed an indi-
live wire, or enthusiast, and the complainer, or viduality of its own, telling a story of its own,
pessimist. You are in one or the other class. though all on the same subject.
"You remember when a boy how, when a
The trouble is so many of us take too many
necessary qualifications for granted. Why not crowd would gather up near a corner and peo-
analyze your business and yourself as well and ple would come running from all directions, all
determine positively just how you measure up the fellows would shout 'Something's up.'
to your job? Call the following statement Something had happened out of the ordinary
ridiculous, if you wish, but weigh it well be- routine, something that quickened your inter-
fore passing judgment. I consider enthusiasm, est and appealed to your natural curiosity to
intelligently directed, the greatest business as- find out what was doing. Something of 'news
set of all. Don't imagine you can qualify as a value.'
Lessons From Motor Publicity
real, wide-awake dealer unless you are able to
"When an automobile manufacturer wins a
be a consistent as well as an everlasting opti-
great race, like the recent Indianapolis classic,
mist and enthusiast, because it can't be done."
the next morning his announcement of the
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achievement appears in the papers. His car
1 Palmer Talks on News
§ has accomplished a great feat. He does not
|
Value in Advertising | come out with the mere announcement that his
car has four cylinders, or six or eight cylinders.
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Following Mr. Lacey, Arthur J. Palmer, ad- He hits you between the eyes with a live, inter-
vertising manager of Thomas A. Edison, Inc., est-compelling statement to the effect that his
discussed "Advertising With a News Value." product has demonstrated its superiority over
its competitors. So it is with the tire manu-
He said:
"What constitutes a good advertisement? I facturer and the makers of the various auto-
should hesitate to pass judgment. I am frank mobile accessories used on the winning car.
"Recently I saw a striking advertisement of a
to confess that I do not know positively just
what does constitute a good advertisement, but new vacuum bottle that has an unbreakable lin-
ing. The figure of a man was shown handing
I have my own ideas.
"You might think that the shouting, circus one of the bottles up to the aviator of one of
type of advertisement, megaphoning to the pub- the overseas aeroplanes and the copy said that
lic the fact that they can purchase the New Hawker, Alcock and Read all had taken this