Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JANUARY 20, 1923
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
National Publicity for Welte-Mignon
William C. Heaton, President of the Auto Pneumatic Action Company, Outlines Plans for National Campaign With Insertions
Reaching 4,000,000 Families—Provision Made for Intensive Manufacturer and Dealer
Co-operation—Country-Wide
Service System Now in Operation—A Review of What Has Been Accomplished With the Welte-Mignon
Announcement of a plan to advertise nation-
ally the Welte-Mignon (Licensee) reproducing
piano was made this week by W. C. Heaton,
presideiit of the Auto Pneumatic Action Co.,
Fifty-first street and Twelfth avenue, New
York.
The plan as outlined briefly by Mr. Heaton
has been laid out not only to stimulate the
sale of Welte-Mignon equipped pianos, but also
to acquaint the general public with exactly what
I lie reproducing piano is and how it differs from
the regular foot-pumped player-piano which is
known to nearly every one throughout the
country.
The plan calls for full-page insertions in the
leading publications of national distribution,
which have been carefully selected to reach a
maximum class of buyers who will be essen-
tially interested in an instrument of the Welte-
Mignon type. The advertising as planned will
be continuous throughout the balance of 1923,
commencing in March, and will reach a circula-
tion of over 4,000,000 families at every insertion.
Service Planned for Dealers
The use of this space in national, publications,
according to Mr. Heaton, is but one phase of
the elaborate dealer service co-operation in-
cluded in the plan. Every facility to enable
the dealer to take advantage of this national
publicity in his local community is in the course
of preparation and will be released in ample
time to enable him to co-operate to the fullest
extent in linking his particular store with the
general national publicity.
Frank Seaman, Inc., one of the largest and
best-known advertising agencies in the country,
have been appointed to work with E. A. Vogel,
advertising manager of the Kohler Industries,
in devising this comprehensive plan. The Sea-
man agency has made a nation-wide analysis of
the reproducing piano sales problem from every
angle, and the plan now in work will carry into
every dealer's territory the exact Welte-Mignon
story he wants told to his public.
In announcing the plan for national advertis-
ing Mr. Heaton made a very interesting state-
ment concerning the position of the Welte-
Mignon (Licensee) in the field and what has
been accomplished with both the mechanism
and the music up to January 1, 1923.
Welte-Mignon Is Million Dollar Investment
"I think it will be of interest to the trade in
general," said Mr. Heaten, "to know that we
have made an investment to date of over a
million dollars in bringing our Welte-Mignon
(Licensee) action and De Luxe reproducing
rolls to their present position in the field.
"This investment has been made because we
are firm believers in the future of the repro-
ducing piano and have realized all along that
there is an unquestioned and growing need of
the reproducing mechanism of the highest type
available to the independent manufacturer and
his dealer. With the reproducing piano becom-
ing continually a more and more important unit
in the volume of sales and profits, we know
that our investment has been well made.
"We have made our plans to exploit nation-
ally the Welte-Mignon (Licensee), based on the
knowledge that we have reached a high point
of perfection, both in the mechanism and the
music. Every basic fundamental on which re-
producing piano sales and success are founded
is now an accomplished fact as regards our
product.
Artistic and Mechanical Perfection
"Our unrestricted license to use the basic
Welte patents, together with the patents we
control on De Luxe pneumatic actions, has
given us a basis for the development of our
remarkable action. Its remarkable simplicity
of construction is a point which every manu-
William C. Heaton
facturer and dealer will recognize as an im-
portant factor in the sale and maintenance of
any mechanical instrument.
The Artistic De Luxe Library
"The De Luxe Welte-Mignon (Licensee)
library to-day contains nearly 1,000 selections
and commands one of the foremost positions
in the field for artist name value, careful selec-
tion of numbers and price. Four hundred and
thirty-three of these numbers have been added
during 1922—211 of which were recorded by
thirty-two new artists whom we have secured
and 222 numbers by ninety-five of the artists
who recorded for the famed Welte-Mignon
library.
"It is our plan to exploit artists of present-
day fame and international reputation whom we
now have under contract to record exclusively
for our library.
"We have just completed in our new factory
magnificent new recording laboratories, which I
feel without a vestige of doubt are the finest
and most modern in the industry, considered
both from an artistic and mechanical stand-
point.
Nation-wide Extent of Service
"To date our service department extends from
coast to coast, with service men operating from
five central points—New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Boston and Dallas. Every man in
the field is a thoroughly trained Welte expert
whose duty it is to instruct the dealer's repair-
men in the proper regulation, adjustment and
care of instruments equipped with our mechan-
ism.
"How far-reaching this service has grown is
best shown by the fact that during eleven
months of 1922 more than 1,800 Welte-equipped
reproducing pianos have been inspected and ad-
justed. Six hundred tuners and repairmen have
received instruction in the care and regulation
of such instruments. Three thousand test rolls
and 6,000 books of instruction have been dis-
tributed to manufacturers, dealers, tuners and
repairmen the country over, placing all neces-
sary information at their disposal.
Production Facilities
"We have in our new factory the facilities to
take care of any production demand that can
possibly be made on us, whether for De Luxe
or Welte-Mignon (Licensee) actions. The re-
cent moving of our factory has permitted us to
lay out our floor space and equipment in a way
that will give us maximum production by the
most efficient methods. Our factory is geared
up for a 1923 output which will be at least
double our 1922 production. We firmly believe
with the co-operation on the part of the
manufacturer in determining his requirements
as early as possible that we are in the position
to entirely overcome the shortage of Welte-
Mignon actions which was experienced during
1922.
Coast-to-coast Distribution
"The retail distribution of Welte-Mignon
(Licensee) equipped pianos through manufac-
turers and their dealers practically reaches
every city, town and community in the United
States. The Welte-Mignon (Licensee) is ready
for real exploitation. The library presents one
of the greatest arrays of selections and artists
in the pianistic world. Facilities for the pro-
duction of actions and music are unequaled in
the industry. A network of service covers the
country. Distribution taps every State in the
Union. With the proper plans of exploitation
that are being prepared and the earnest co-
operation of every manufacturer and his dealers,
there is nothing that can stand in the way of
placing the Welte-equipped reproducing piano
in the position that it deserves in the field of
reproducing pianos."
TO HAVE ADVERTISING .DEPARTMENT
Los ANGELES, CAL., January 14.—With six stores
in southern California devoted to the sale of
musical merchandise the Platt Music Co., of 620
South Broadway, in this city, has established a
completely equipped advertising department to
handle not only newspaper advertising, but to
conduct campaigns of direct publicity. It is
under the supervision of Robert W. Cox, who
for the past three years has prepared and
placed advertising for the Platt Music Co. as
well as other local retail merchants.
SADLER MUSIC CO. TO BUILD
AURORA, I I I . , January 15.—The Sadler Music
Co. on South Broadway in this city is making
plans to erect a modern business building on
the present site, work upon which is expected
to start early this Summer.
For over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N. J.