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REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXXXII. No. 8
Piblished Every Satwday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Feb. 20,1926
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New York Merchants Using Radio to
Fight "Bait" Advertising
City Association Takes Radical Step in Broadcasting Talk by H. J. Kenner of New York Better Business
Bureau on Retail Methods Involving Bargain Offerings—"Bait" Advertising Explained to the Pub-
lic and Also Salesmen's "Switching" Which Its Use Involves in the Warerooms Spacing
S a result of the two conferences held dur-
ing the past three weeks by a special com-
mittee of the New York Piano Merchants'
Association, details were completed this week
for inaugurating the first radio talk sponsored
by the Association on the subject of improving
certain local piano advertising and merchandis-
ing practices. The talk, which will require about
ten minutes, has been prepared by H. J. Ken-
ner, general manager of the Better Business
Bureau of New York, and was delivered over
Station WMCA, New York, on Friday evening.
February 19, as part of the regular Hardman
Hour of Music.
The committee, composed of L. Schoenewald,
chairman, John J. Glynn, Milton Weil, C. T.
l'urdy, E. Paul Hamilton, and Albert Behning,
has made further arrangements to have the talk
repeated from two other local broadcasting sta-
tions, to be announced later. A second talk
of this series is being prepared by C. L. Den-
nis, of the Merchandising Service Department
of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce,
and will be submitted to the committee at an
early meeting.
The problem being worked on by the com-
mittee, assisted by Mr. Kenner and Mr. Den-
nis, is to make the talks constructive and at the
same time to warn the public of "fake" bar-
gain advertisers. It is planned to introduce the
talks with a short piano prologue, and to con-
tinue a soft piano accompaniment as they are
presented. The first talk given by Mr. Kenner
was entitled "Better Business Pianologue," and
follows below:
"The piano introduction has provided an ap-
propriate musical background for this better
business talk. And music is too well established
in the recreational life of every listener to re-
quire much praise or comment here. The power
to enjoy it is possessed by all peoples of the
world.
"In the educational sense, understanding and
appreciation of music are important and highly
prized. Such knowledge enriches the life of the
individual man, woman or child just as com-
mand of a foreign language opens up new
realms of thought and mental activity beyond
the limits of one's native tongue.
"Great educators believe that the child reared
in a musical environment and taught to read
and play music and to understand its principles
is endowed with treasure rare. The family
A
whose members provide music on
struments experience happiness not
homes devoid of- music. Parents
homemakers cherish music and
means by which it is achieved.
"Perhaps the most popular of
favorite in-
available in
and other
esteem the
musical in-
rriHE decision of the New York Piano
J. Merchants' Association to use the radio
in order to fight "bait" advertising and the
evils which are inherent in its train, is a
radical step and unique in the trade. The
address, which was put on the air through
the courtesy of Hardman, Peck & Co., on
Friday evening of this week was clear and
should hold interest for the listener-in.
What the result will be is, of course, prob-
lematical, but will be watched with
interest, since this is a new method of fight-
ing selling policies which the trade agrees
arc injurious.—Editor.
struments is the piano. Its use is well-nigh
universal. " From it melody flows at the will of
music lovers whose numbers are legion. For
generations, the piano has been the mainstay
wherever music has been played and sung.
"Pianos to-day are the pride of a great craft
and industry. With but few exceptions, the
makers of pianos have put good materials to
conscientious use. They have created instru
ments of artistic merit.
"The makers of good pianos far outnumber
the producers of poor ones. Stores of good
repute, where a prospective purchaser finds pi-
anos of real worth, and courteous service from
salespeople, exist in much greater numbers than
stores conducted by irresponsible or unscrupu-
lous merchants.
" 'Serve the buyer well,' is the selling motto
of legitimate business to-day. In scores of
piano stores in this city you can buy with con-
fidence. They are the home of the square-deal
where salesmen will give you accurate facts and
helpful opinion. Newspaper advertising, or
booklets, or circulars published by such stores
can be relied upon.
"But, alas, in some few stores, pianos are
sold all too frequently under the old Roman
motto, 'Caveat Emptor,' which means, 'Let the
Buyer Beware.' It is regrettable to have to say
that the prospective piano buyer walks into such
places with nearly the same risk with which the
fly walks into the spider's parlor.
"You may recall having seen advertisements
in some newspapers offering player-pianos al
amazingly low prices—pianos without name and
without fame. Perhaps you have seen a player-
piano, offered as a $600 value, for about $275,
with a bench, scarf, lamp and music rolls
thrown in—Free. At least, the advertisement
says they're free, though, of course, you pay
for them in the piano's price. The problem is
getting the advertised piano at all. Speaking
generally, newspapers are unaware of the ex-
tent to which such advertisements mislead their
readers.
"Should you respond to such advertising—in
a store window, a circular or a newspaper—you
will find probably that the salesman's efforts to
sell the advertised instrument are half-hearted.
Gently but firmly he will try to divert your buy-
ing interest from the low-price instrument to
what he calls a better piano selling at a higher
price. If he finds this difficult he will point out
why the low-price piano is inferior. He will
even 'knock' it vigorously.
"By such conduct he reveals that the store's
intention was not to sell the piano advertised,
but was to attract you to the store and induce
you to sign a contract and make a small cash
payment on a higher-price instrument.
"It is indeed unfortunate that such advertising
and selling practices exist. In the piano trade
such announcements are called 'bait advertis-
ing,' and a salesman's efforts to divert a cus-
tomer to something else are called 'switching.'
And all of this is very adroitly done by those
stores and salesmen who resort to such deplor-
able methods.
"Fortunately, however, such practices are be-
coming less common. They are being opposed
by legitimate piano merchants and by the Bet-
ter Business Bureau of New York City. The
Bureau is furnishing facts gained by its investi-
gators to the newspapers and also makes irre-
sponsible dealers face facts and demands that
they mend their ways.
"The trustworthy maker or dealer is easy to
find. Let me suggest that you take the time
(Continued on page 4)