Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MAY, 1U1
ntAOE!
More People Buying Better Pianos?
QUESTION was recently
asked prominent members of
the fur industry regarding
the present status of their business
and the universal answer was that
"more people are buying better
furs." This was considered a mani-
festation of much better times and
may be applied to the piano busi-
ness with the remark that "more
people are buying better pianos."
In other words with the public in
the frame of mind to spend more
money it looks as if we have passed
the time when people buy only what
Carleton Chace
they can afford to buy. When we
read the comments about the fur industry it brought to
our mind a conversation we recently listened in on regard-
ing advertising which exploits a "come on" piano for, we
will say for illustration, $168. The conversation took place
between a department store piano manager and a manu-
facturer. "To begin with," said the manager, "to adver-
tise a piano at that low figure gives the reader the wrong
impression, makes him think of pianos as being only worth
that much and signifies that your house handles cheap
merchandise. Secondly, we all know that this is bait adver-
tising and that if the salesman can possibly do it he is going
to sell a prospect a higher priced instrument. He will
endeavor to raise the prospect to at least a $295 instrument.
Now in my experience I have found that it is much easier
to raise a prospect to $295 or even higher, from a price
like $240 than it is to raise him from $168. Invariably the
person looking for the $168 model is one who can't well
afford to pay more anyway and sometimes, if the salesman
persuades him to buy a more expensive instrument, he be-
comes a poor credit risk." We believe that there is some
sound thought behind this statement particularly at this
time when "more people are out to buy better pianos" the
same as they are for better furs. If there ever was a time
when a minimum retail price for pianos could be elevated
it is now. Why not try it?
A
A Little
Advertising Logic
ITH a few notable exceptions, retail piano houses
do not attach sufficient importance to advertis-
ing. As a sales influence its power can be set to
almost any height of production within the vision of those
who use it." So said Brent Williams in a recent address at
the Retail Piano Sales Clinic in St. Louis, Mo. They are
words well spoken by an observer outside the piano industry
whose wide experience as an advertising counselor has
taught him just what a well thought out advertising cam-
paign can really do. Comparing piano advertising lineage
to that of other industries it is pitifully small. Yet it
would seem that retail mark-up should permit a greater
outlay for advertising than generally seems to be the case
at present. We cannot argue with a dealer who strives to
keep his sales expense down to a minimum but if his ad-
vertising appropriation is less than 5 % of his total sales we
do not believe that he is getting adequate benefit from the
space he has been using. As several speakers at the clinics
stated, presentation and preparation of copy and layouts
are vital to the success of any effort and we quite agree
that price and terms are not enough to create a desire to
buy and buy at one particular store. Large enough space
with a theme which not only arrests attention but makes
the reader remember the advertisement long after reading
it is the type of advertising that pays dividends and be-
comes a creative force which stimulates sales. Remember
to incorporate in your copy some reference to the impor-
tance of a piano in the home, either from a cultural educa-
tional viewpoint or for the pleasure that may be derived
through it, first as a musical instrument and secondly as
a necessary adjunct to a properly furnished living room.
Anyone of these three factors can be made to appear
more important to the reader than price and terms if your
advertising copy is well written and properly displayed.
And, do not forget also, that dignity in advertising copy
is just as important as an artistic window display with a
well appointed wareroom behind it. The day of misleading
or trick advertising is over.
Used Pianos
At Wholesale
M
ONTH before last we wrote a paragraph on the
scarcity of used pianos. Now we discover that a
new branch of the industry has been developing
in which are found used piano wholesalers. A few years
ago dealers didn't know what to do with trade-ins but to-
day there seems to be a genuine market for them when it
becomes profitable to make a specialty of merchandising
them at wholesale.
The Supply
Situation
T
HAT the piano business is small in comparison with
some other industries is probably a safe guard against
any drastic curtailment in supplies. There is a short-
age of Swedish rod but according to a string manufacturer,
with whom we went into this situation quite thoroughly,
he stated that he saw no reason for alarm because the steel
wire manufacturers in this country can supply ample wire
and if it becomes necessary can duplicate the Swedish rod
by producing with small firings as it is done in Sweden.
Placing of orders well in advance will assure deliveries of
wire and most of the string manufacturers have protected
themselves well in advance. The ivory market is some-
what tight but key manufacturers do not seem alarmed
and if worst comes to worst composition keys are available
which prove very satisfactory. It might be possible that
in the future ivory keys may be found on only the most
expensive pianos. From all that has been told to us we
do not believe that the trade has much to fear regarding
supplies for this year at least. Of course what may happen
next year is anyone's guess just at the present time.