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BRAND NAMES
(Cont. from Page 6)
TV, not to speak of Musak, have stimu-
lated more music consciousness, more
musical knowledge and taste by far than
existed in the palmiest days of instru-
ment sales.
One extreme, of course, is the perhaps
too widespread availability of such
products as toasters, radios, etc., result-
ing in price chaos and lessened incentive
for the dealer.
But yours would appear to be the
other extreme. 5,000 dealers for the
United States for all makes, one for
every 8,600 families, might well be
insufficient visibility, insufficient aggre-
gate selling momentum, too much ob-
stacle in the way of the purchase. If
each leading make alone were to re-
store the old fashioned hard-hitting
speciality, selling that built the industry,
the real way to get back the piano busi-
ness, it would take more that the life-
lime of every dealer here, to cover his
exclusive market.
And also are you appealing to all the
replacement impulses? The fine quality
of the product, one of your big plusses.
of course, also gives it long life. But
the average quality and durability of
other products, replaced much more
quickly, is certainly much better than
the Piano Trades editorial suggested.
Cars aren't turned in because, they're
no longer operable. If that were the
case, the huge second hand market
would die of starvation. They are
turned in partly at least, because for
reasons of style, appearance, even just
plain bandwagon movement, families
having been sold the idea that old cars
are out of date.
Furniture, of which the piano is also
a unit, is replaced not usually because
the chair lacks a leg or the upholstery
springs are uneven, but because of the
desire of the housewife for a "new look'
in the living room. And all the while,
in countless homes, the old upright
piano stays in the picture, because she
has not been sold the idea that a "new
look" must include a new piano.
The taste exists. The dollars exist.
The opportunity exists. Fortunately,
much of the public's essential confi-
dence in your time-tried trademarks
still exists.
Does your faith, your will, your
drive still exist? Ask yourselves these
questions—and the census figures on
musical instruments will take on a new
aspect. You will be out to see your
neighbors, as the trade originally was.
And your sales will tell the story.
Not just your piano, organ and instru-
ment sales, but if you carry radio and
TV. your sales of these products also,
will rise proportionately. For an entry
to the home for one product, the old
story of specialty selling tells us. is a
potential entry for everything the
dealer has to sell.
If I have gone past the areas you
have expected in these remarks; if I
have expressed opinions where you mav
believe no one but a seasoned veteran of
this business is qualified, I nevertheless
urw your consideration of the fact ^
Music Dealers Can Now Obtain Information
Kits for Brand Names Foundation Entries
The search is on for the music store
which has most effectively presented
the story of the pride, value and respon-
sibility back of manufacturers' adver-
tised brands in its advertising and pro-
motion during 1952. This store will be
honored as "Brand Name Retailer-of-
the-Year" in the music field and will
receive Brand Names Foundation's cov-
eted "Retailer-of-the-Year" plaque be-
fore 2,000 leading business executives
on Brand Names Day-1953. at the Wal-
dorf-Astoria in the fifth annual award
competition.
The announcement was made by
Foundation president Henry E. Abt.
who said that a "Brand Name Retailer-
of-the-Year*' plaque and four "Certifi-
cates of Distinction" will be presented
to five top firms in the music field and
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER, I952
in each of twenty-one other fields.
Last year's "Brand Name Retailer-
of-the-Year" award in the music field
brought national publicity to the San
Antonio Music Company, San Antonio.
Texas; and to "Certificate of Distinc-
tion" winners: Whittle Music Co.. Dal-
las. Texas; Wilking Music Co.. Indi-
anapolis. Indiana; Brown Music Co..
Jackson. Mississippi; and Joseph Lu-
cas Music Mart, Portland, Oregon.
Ray Erlandson. President of the San
Antonio Music Company, will join rep-
resentatives of the nineteen other firms
named "Brand Name Retailer-of-the-
Year" for 1951 in selecting this year's
winners. Each of these judges is a
member of the Executive Committee of
the Foundation's Retail Advisory Coun-
cil.
troni the same viewpoint that I have
taken.
It s a certainty that the American
consumer is being competently pur-
sued to expend his dollar in many inter-
esting channels, too many for any trade
or industry, regardless of the value and
merit of the product offered, to expect
to get an adequate share of that dollar,
unless the manufacturer and merchant
is willing to go in, sleeves rolled up
and make the "pitch."
To do that effectively, you have to
believe in it yourself. Do you believe
that the musical instrument justifies its
place in the family budget, in the
home? Do you believe in the value
and merit of the particular brand you
sell? Do you believe in the service you
are rendering?
If you believe it, you can convey
that belief. In that kind of brand sell-
ing— by manufacturer as well as
dealer, you are selling more than just
a product, more than just a service;
you're selling the essence of America.
I am confident, that when we receive
the entries for the Music Dealer Brand
Name Retailer-of-the-Year competition
this fall, for the awards to be given
next April, the pace set by these modern
pioneers. Messrs. Morgan, Erlandson
and the others will be matched and
challenged in hundreds of cities.
For you see, I believe in you—and
your capacity to conquer worlds, as I
know you will believe in yourselves
and you products, and the public will
believe in your brands. Through these
constantly renewed faiths.. America has
been and it will be the greatest nation
in this world.
As they did last year, more than
twenty retail trade associations and
forty business publications are expected
to cooperate with the Foundation in
the promotion of this annual event.
Las yeart's entries totalled 6,000. This
year, according to Mr. Abt, entries are
expected to double that number.
Twenty-!wo Classifications
Any firm in twenty-two classifications
of retailing can file for an award. The
only exceptions are firms which re-
ceived "Brand Name Retailer-of-the-
Year" plaques during the past three
years. They arc ineligible to compete
in the three yearly competitions follow-
ing their awards. Winners of "Certifi-
cates of Distinction" citations, the "run-
ner-up" awards, may continue to com-
pete for the top honor in their fields.
Stores can be entered by an executive
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