Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JUNE 19, 1926
The Music Trade Review
Destructive Advertising Is One of
Industry's Most Vital Problems To-day
A. G. Gulbransen, President of the Gulbransen Co., Points Out That the Destructive Retail
Advertiser Consistently Destroys the Confidence of the Public
TN many cases the music dealer who does
destructive advertising is apparently success-
ful. He appeals to a certain class of trade and
gets their business. The thinking people, how-
ever, not only do not patronize him, but suffer
a loss of confidence in the whole piano busi-
ness.
Thus the destructive piano advertiser, while
selfishly attracting a certain amount and cer-
tain class of trade to himself, injures the possi-
bilities of other dealers doing business with
what is a much larger and much more durable
group of buyers.
There is so much disgraceful piano advertis-
ing that when a manufacturer or dealer runs
advertising designed to create a desire for
music, to build up the business, he knows that
a good part of its effectiveness will be spent in
combating the harm done by the other type
of copy.
Good piano advertising always will be seri-
ously handicapped until selfish and destructive
advertising is corrected.
Imagine a double-page newspaper spread,
made up of constructive piano advertising—all
except one-quarter page—-or one-eighth of the
total space. And that small space screaming
out, "The Cheapo Piano, made by the Lord-
knows-who; nothing down, no payments until
after the Fourth of July just to show your
independence; lamp, scarf, bookcase and living-
room suite free."
That one little ad could do more harm than
all the good done by the other one-and-three-
quarter pages of advertising. That is why I
feel the destructive advertising must be elimi-
nated from the newspaper page.
Take the destructive advertising that is done
in the Sunday newspapers and substitute the
name of any article such as furniture, bathroom
fixtures, rugs, washing machines, etc., wherever
the word "piano" is used. Think of the imme-
diate destructive effect on whatever, business
you might choose to advertise in that way!
With this type of advertising goes under-
handed, dishonest business methods. This has
the effect of further damaging the whole piano
business. Lying, deception, misrepresentation,
poor merchandise, slickly worded contracts,
subterfuges to tie up the customer—are part of
the selling plan. The alert customer, in dis-
gust, either gets out of the trap and decides to
defer the purchase of a piano, or is fooled by
appearances and inducements and is caught in
the trap.
I do not overlook the fact that merchants are
encouraged in demoralizing business practices,
to some extent, by manufacturers who make un-
businesslike and unsound inducements to dealers
to get volume, when there is the slightest slack-
ening in demand. In this way the market is
upset, confidence of the merchant is destroyed
and untold damage is done the whole industry.
How to eradicate or minimize destructive
piano advertising is one of our most serious
problems. It has to do with the whole matter
of production—of the public's attitude and feel-
ing of pride in having a piano in the home.
In my opinion, if the piano associations are
to be of any value to their members, this is the
sort of thing that must be taken up and given
the fullest attention by the manufacturers and
dealers.
In the working out of a solution the news-
paper publisher must be taken into considera-
tion. This is an angle that the merchant fre-
quently overlooks. It is not alone a matter of
dealer and public—it concerns dealer, newspaper
publisher and the public.
If the local newspaper looked into their ad-
vertising columns more carefully, it would
strengthen them very materially. It would in-
crease the interest, regard and confidence that
people would have in their paper.
Local advertisers may be assured of this:
That the leading national advertisers, who study
their advertising and results very carefully,
would not spend thousands of dollars for a
single page in the Saturday Evening Post or
other similar mediums if they had to compete
with destructive advertising. It would not pay
them to use the space under those conditions.
Indianapolis Piano Merchants Report
First Six Months Ahead of Last Year
Spring Sales Have Been Sustained for Longer Period Than Is Usual, According to Their State-
ments—Many Visitors to the Local Music Merchants
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., June 14.—Summer
•*• has hit the local territory and is having its
reflection in the slump of piano sales, though
it is noted that sales have been sustained for
a longer period during the early Spring than
heretofore. This condition is believed to be the
result of added advertising demonstration and
work by piano dealers. Tlie sales which have
been made during the past month have, as
usual, been confined to the better grade of
instruments with the used instruments running
a poor second.
Sales at the Pearson Piano Co. have been
confined largely to the better grade of instru-
ments. This store features the Duo-Art, Stein-
way and Kurtzmann. Harry W. Wert, sales
manager, who recently assumed this position,
expresses optimism over the future outlook as
regards their piano business. While Mr. Wert
realizes that this is the time of year when slump
in sales is expected, nevertheless, he believes
that such a condition is only a temporary one.
Mr. Wert is a firm believer in the promotion of
musical activities, both in Indianapolis and the
surrounding territories. Following out this plan,
the Pearson Piano Co. has been conducting nu-.
merous recitals throughout the Parent-Teachers'
Association and the Welfare Club of this city.
Recitals have been held at the John Herron Art
Institute. As an added feature, Mr. Wert has
caused to be brought out a small bride's bro-
chure and engagement book. This is sent to the
newly married people and is followed up after-
wards by a personal call and by literature out-
lining the value of the piano in the home. In
commenting on the situation and the future out-
look, Mr. Wert said: "All I see ahead is plenty
of hard work with real selling methods, more
carefully worked out, added interest in the pros-
pect and above all that each salesman carry the
message to more people each day."
H. J. Teague, of the Christena-Teague Piano
Co., is well pleased with the results obtained
during the first six months of this year and
states that they are ahead of a corresponding
period of last year.
The Rapp & Lennox Piano Co. likewise re-
ports that sales during this month have been
below their usual mark, but that their volume
has been maintained correspondingly with their
last year's record. The only form of advertising
as: been their windows.
The Pearson Piano Co., as announced by Mr.
Harry W. Wert, recently sold a Steinway grand
for the personal use of Margaret Baihle, Welte
local artist.
Visitors during the past month were George
E. Mansfield, of the Kurtzmann Piano Co.;
George Schaeffer, of the Lester Co.; Mr.
Fuller, of Simpson & Frey; H. W. Lewis, pur-
chasing agent of the Buescher Band Instrument
Co., of Elkhart, Ind., and Albert Price, presi-
dent of the Schaeffer Piano Co.
W. G. Fuhri Back From
Transcontinental Trip
Columbia Vice-President and General Sales
Manager States Dealers Eager to Hear New
Columbia Models
W. C. Fuhri, vice-president and general sales
manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co., has
just completed a highly satisfactory coast-to-
coast trip, visiting a number of Columbia
branches and meeting many dealers who had
already indicated an eagerness to hear the much-
heralded new Columbia phonograph—the Viva-
tonal Columbia.
Mr. Fuhri left New York on May 3, and made
his first stop at Chicago, where he spent several
days with A. J. Heath, the new Columbia man-
ager in that territory.
From Chicago Mr. Fuhri went through to
Los Angeles, then up to San Francisco and
Seattle, demonstrating the new Viva-tonal
Columbia to interested groups in each city.
On his swing East Mr. Fuhri stopped off at
Minneapolis and St. Louis, returning to New
York in time for the convention of the music
industry at the Hotel Commodore.
Pratt Read
Products
keys actions
players
are shipped on time.
When we make a
promise you can
count on it.
When you w a n t
quick s e r v i c e you
can get it.
We have over
200,000 sq. ft.
of manufacturing
space to back you
up with.
Write us at the
Erst opportunity.
PRATT, READ & CO.
Established in 1806
The PRATT READ PLAYER ACTION CO.
Deep River, Conn.