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DECEMBER 11,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1920
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH
RETAIL PIANO ADVERTISING ?
Charles A, Stein, of Birch-Field & Co., Inc, Sounds a Note of Warning to the
Trade Against Allowing Its Advertising to Sink Down to Questionable Levels
IIIIIIIIII
A national survey of the retail piano advertis-
ing activity would make one think that many
of the good sound business men in the field were
on a vacation, leaving the industry in charge
of the oftice boys. A year ago, when the de-
mand for pianos was greater than the supply,
everybody was advertising—now, with the ware-
rooms filled, and a restricted demand, most
everybody has crawled in the back room and
shut the door.
Even in Milwaukee—home of the Co-op.
Newspaper Campaign—the Co-op, is not Co-
oping this year.
The Co-op, has been put in the Coop. Why?
—when this is the very time when it should be
functioning in a bigger, more comprehensive
way than ever before?
Retail advertising in Boston has fallen off per-
ceptibly. Conditions require an especially ac-
tive campaign in that part of the country now.
Our records prove that all cities show a de-
cided diminishment of retail advertisements
'everywhere, with the exception of New York,
which I shall take up later on in this article.
And this emphatic decline refers not only to
newspaper advertising, but to all the other forms
of advertising and publicity usually employed.
Why the piano merchant generally does not
gear up his advertising appeal with the actual
Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^
business conditions obtaining to-day is a pro-
found mystery.
As to the eternal bugaboo of prices—wouldn't
it have been an excellent move in the right di-
rection if the manufacturers and dealers would
have jointly defrayed the cost of a co-operative
newspaper advertising campaign in leading com-
munities—in commanding space, and in a well
expressed, clear and logical manner, explicitly
stating the reasons why piano prices cannot
come down now, why the present prices are fair
and equitable, and point to the many "horr.ble
examples" of excessive prices in other industrial
fields?
To hook up such a basic and tangible propo-
sition with an eloquent plea for the right kind
of music in the home, and what it signifies there,
would have gone far in assisting retail business
now—it would have educated the music-loving
public on a matter of extreme importance, and
most significant, it would have effectually less-
ened the national slump in sales.
Resolutions, conventions and pow-wows, evci
though they have the scenic background of
grave, portentous dignity and impressive de
liberation, cannot remotely accomplish what a
well-conceived and carefully constructed educa
tional campaign, such as I have roughly out-
lined, could effect.
New York City newspapers and those of the
outlying suburbs have carried considerable
musical instrument advertising copy of late. Was
it sound? Was it constructive? Could it be
termed "quality advertising"? With but few
conspicuous exceptions, it was the old stone-
age stuff—Piano Bargains—Discontinued Style
Sales—One Day or Two Day Sales (why not
READJUSTMENT PROCESS MUST BEGIN WITH THE FARMER
(Continued from page 7)
the fundamentals. An honest shaving of prices
cannot take place until there is a lessening of
production costs, and these costs will be cut only
when they are granted relief from underneath.
In other words, it centers upon the agriculturist
to realize the situation and take appropriate,
and what may become necessary, action towards
bearing his burden in the carrying out of the
readjustment program.
"The only likelihood of a chance of price re-
duction from any other cause lies in the adjust-
ment of the tax situation, and the cutting down
or elimination of excess profit taxes,, with a view
to eliminating the pyramiding of taxes that has
been the natural result. If there is any im-
provement made in the tax situation it will mean
that both manufacturers and merchants will be
compelled to take a temporary loss covering
products actually in stock, or in process of com-
pletion, and accept a certain shrinkage in assets,
and the outcome "will be a chance to make a
slight shaving in prices generally.
Have Reached Bottom of Business Depression
"Personally, I believe we have reached the bot-
tom of the business depression, and that we are
about to return to a safe and sane basis. The
coming of the New Year, in my mind, will see
a number of changes for the better in the gen-
eral business situation.
"The merchants who have held off buying
slock to carry them over the next few months
in anticipation of a general break in prices will
find in the Spring that they will have lost, rather
than gained, by the delay, for prices will be
much the same as they are now and dealers will
have difficulty in getting goods promptly enough
to serve their purposes. The manufacturer can-
not be expected to do all the gambling, and he
is not going to make up reserve stocks of in-
struments for the last minute accommodation
of dealers unless he has bona-fide orders on
hand.
Short Terms Protection Against Deflation
"Those retailers who, in the face of the facts
that are presented by manufacturers, insist upon
believing that the period of deflation will be an
extended one, should at least arrange to pro-
tect their interests in the event of any such de-
flation in the matter of piano prices, by insisting
upon short terms and, most important of all,
substantial first payments, sufficiently large to
cover any possible price reduction. Those who
are fond of making comparisons with the auto-
mobile trade can realize what would have hap-
pened had machines been sold on the basis of a
couple of hundred dollars down, and a month
later the list price been reduced $600 or $700.
Under such conditions it would pay the buyer
to give up his car and sacrifice his first payment
for the sake of realizing the benefit of a full
price cut in the purchase of a new car. It is, of
course, out of the question for such a condition
to exist in the piano trade, but to insist upon
the buyer securing a substantial equity in the
instrument at the outset will afford the dealer
protection against the unexpected.
"It might be well as a last thought to again
refer to the farming situation, and to advise
retailers who are catering to the rural trade to
watch their credits carefully."
Charles A. Stein
get these down to hours, and so make them
more exciting, intense and intensive)—Removal
Sales—Clearance Sales, etcetera and ad nau-
seam has been the basis of the advertising,
verily, a sustained riot of bargains and seduc-
tive offers. Such appeals naturally spur a por-
tion of the public constantly to look for some-
thing for nothing, and there is, in consequence,
a hopeless revision downward to the very abyss
in bargains, and in the last analysis it is fair
to ask "who holds the bag?"
The retail piano industry had an exceptional
opportunity this Fall to do the finest kind of
advertising, and to prove the obvious, actual
value of a piano purchase now. That it did not
rise to the occasion is proved by the foregoing
facts.
To summarize, it is sad to relate that there
was in many cases either a decided slackening
off in advertising activity at the wrong time or
a use of the vicious old and inept "something
for nothing" appeal that should have been ever-
lastingly mummified years and years ago.
Get busy. The country is not gone to pot.
There are plenty of good live prospects—pros-
pects with the necessary money. Go get 'em.
Sell them on the value to them of a piano in the
home. Tell them that music will help to chase
away the blues—will compensate them for many
of the expensive luxuries they are compelled to
forego, and you'll do more and better business.
For over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N. J.