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Hkaclfcade Review
Published Monthly
FEDERATED BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS, INC.
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New York
Serving
the Entire
Vol. 89
Music
Industry
April, 1930
No. 4
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r romotion
From
the
RANKLY speaking the piano promotion
campaign, launched with such enthus-
iasm at the National Musical Conven-
tions in New York in 1926, has not
proven a success, and there are many who feel
that the results have been very meagre in pro-
portion to the time and money spent. There
has been considerable criticism from this direc-
tion or that, much of it undeserved, but how
many have pointed out that the real cause of
the apparent failure of the plan was almost
total lack of dealer co-operation? The purpose
uf the campaign was to revive public interest in
the piano and piano-playing, but the majority
of the men in direct contact with the public,
and whose efforts were essential to the work of
putting over the movement, were either half-
hearted in their co-operation or ignored it en-
tirely.
Any such promotion campaign should either
originate with retailers or have their complete
support. In the case of the piano, the manufac-
turers contributed liberally in most cases, and
the amount raised each year, although compara-
tively small, was nevertheless utilized to good
advantage. Considerable national advertising
was bought in class papers, and sonic millions
of pieces of propaganda were prepared and dis-
tributed, although apparently only a small pro-
portion was used to full advantage. The main
fault is not to be found with those who con-
ceived or carried out the promotion plan, but
rather lies with those who failed to make use
locally of the valuable tools thus placed in their
hands.
In comparison with the policy pursued in the
piano trade, let us give consideration to what is
being done in the home furnishing industry to
encourage the use of better and more modern
equipment in the home. Here is a movement
that has originated with the dealers that is sup-
ported chiefly by the dealers' money, the men
who have realized the wisdom of having some
new appeal to present to the home owner. Thou-
sands of dealers halve pledged themselves to
contribute a set proportion of their gross sales
annually for a period of four years to the fund
which will approximate $4,000,000. If the cam-
F
ottom
By B. BRITTAIN WILSON
paign fails they themselves will suffer directly,
but if it should succeed they will profit, as will
the manufacturers who support them. Let it be
said here that the manufacturer who seems dis-
inclined to co-operate is not finding his business
path one of roses. There is no neutral ground,
the members of the industry are either for or
against the movement.
Here is a logical development in sales promo-
TTTHAT the music trade
** can learn from the
present sales
promotion
campaign of the dealers in
home furnishings, who are
spending their own money.
tion. We have had an overplus of such effort
coming from the top, or rather from the pro-
ducer. We have found groups of manufacturers
first marking up their lines and then through
various forms of propaganda endeavoring to
spur the dealer on in his selling. When, how-
ever, the dealer conceives and executes the
movement, the effort is more spontaneous and
increased sales revert directly to the benefit of
the manufacturer. We have an excellent ex-
ample in the co-operation of the florists whose
slogan, "Say It With Flowers," is so widely
quoted. Here is a move among the retailers
that has benefited both themselves and the
growers, and the fact that a man in New York
can, through the florists' telegraph service, place
a lily on the chest of a deceased friend in Mil-
waukee means just that much more business
for some Wisconsin flower grower.
Let us glance at what these home furnishers
are doing, not with the idea of having the piano
men declare themselves in and arrive free on
the other fellow's ticket, but rather for the pur-
pose of endeavoring to gather from the move-
ment some ideas that might help in the placing
of musical instruments in the home. Certainly
an attractive piano, phonograph or radio is quite
as important in the home as the fancy love seat,
and less likely to lead to trouble.
Space does not permit outlining in detail all
the activities that have been launched in connec-
tion with the National Home Furnishing Cam-
paign, but here are a few of the things that are
being done. There is being conducted a na-
tional advertising campaign using leading maga-
zines, and to tie up with this there is provided
excellent advertising copy for the use of the
dealers in their local papers. There has been
retained a general director of merchandising
who is constantly studying the problems of the
retailer as they actually exist and makes val-
uable recommendations. A window display serv-
ice of higli character is maintained with prize
contests at frequent intervals to stimulate the
effective use of the display material by dealers.
There are field men constantly on the road in-
terviewing retailers, giving them the benefit of
their advice and enlisting new dealers in the
campaign.
On top of it all, there is being maintained in
the Department of Commerce at Washington,
for the full period of four years, a special repre-
sentative of the home furnishing group to assist
the department in studying that market, and to
gain information of value to his trade at first
hand. This is but part of the campaign, but it
gives some idea of its exhaustive character. It
is a dealers' campaign primarily and they have
constant contacts to remind them of that fact.
When a field man comes in he does not repre-
sent the manufacturer, but rather the retailer
upon whom he calls. It is a set-up that is ideal
for insuring direct public contact, and the sus-
tained interest of its supporters, and the results,
even at this early date, have been of a character
to arouse enthusiasm.
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