r
PRESTO
July 10, 1920.
persistent and very liberal advertising. Anything well advertised
will win a demand. It is now only a question of advertising with
the thoroughly good phonographs of recent origin.
Presto will never see the wisdom of any piano dealer who neg-
lects his established business, and pushes the phonograph as the chief
end of his effort. But it is almost equally a mistake for the piano
dealer to permit the "phonograph shop" to carry off the trade in the
newer instrument. Select a phonograph that will justify your effort
and stick to it. If you want a second, find one also. But don't "see"
the cheap ones, and consider no agency that makes you dependent
upon a middleman, or that ties you to the conduct of your business
for the manufacturer along lines that keep you down while you boost
him up.
CIRCULATION AGAIN
Now and then the old bugaboo of circulation in connection
with that of an established trade publication is permitted to escape
the restraint even of persons who actually know better; much, much
better. It would seem almost unnecessary to refer again to the ques-
tion, if question it is, but the facts are so obvious, and the reasons for
expressing them so genuine, as to make the following bit of actual
pungency worth while.
There can be no trade paper with a circulation larger or more
comprehensive than the boundaries of the particular business whose
interests it serves. Not how many copies of a paper, but the strength,
the influence of it, matters, and any publication that has to its credit
nearly two score consecutive years of unfailing health and sanity like
Presto, for instance, need hardly explain even to the credulous the
value of circulation as it applies to a firmly founded business.
A publication that has for so many years devoted its untiring
effort to the business upon whose good conditions rests its own
sources of nourishment and, after its long period of activity, is more
active than when it started, can be working only on a sound founda-
tion; for there is nothing in all the world that can continue for any
length of time, and create for itself a sphere that radiates with good
influence, unless it has renewed or rejuvenated itself from year to
year; even from day to day.
>
The advertising of any product that must go to the people at
large necessarily must be directed through a medium that itself
attracts large numbers of readers. But the publicizing of a product
whose immediate interest is the man who retails it to the public calls
for the use of those publications whose business it is to reach the
dealer, and whose reputation is such as to make the bare insertion
of the ads in its columns another proof of the regard in which it is
generally held.
No trade publication, certainly no trade paper, that has faith in
itself will refuse to particularize in any matters that concern adver-
tisers in search of special promotion in its own line. But many pub-
lications—even some trade papers—may falsify in the matters of
circulation. Presto is not of that kind. It is as proud of its circula-
tion as it is of the confidence shown in it by its advertisers. No trade
paper can be expected to have what is commonly called a "large cir-
culation," in the sense of the popular organs of fiction, fashion ana
miscellaneous fecundity. Trade papers are, in a sense, technical.
They must carry facts and figures which, if made widely public, might
rather hurt than help the trade in which they are employed. This
trade paper has a circulation which has been growing sanely and
surely for thirty-seven years. It is a quality circulation by which no
advertiser can fail to realize large returns for comparatively small
investment. For any further information, ask questions and you will
get facts—and only facts.
THE INVISIBLE SOLOIST
San Francisco seems to have "started something" calculated to
lift the "movies" above the plane of some of the criticism to which
readers of the musical columns in the daily newspapers have become
accustomed. And by the same Frisco innovation the strictures which
have of late flowed freely from the feather-weight moralists, with
reference to the harmless and fascinating film drama may be in a
measure removed. For the Imperial theatre, San Francisco's largest
movie show, has introduced artistic piano performances as a regular
feature of the program.
A copy of the pink tinted bill of fare of the Imperial proves that
the management is of discriminating character. The entertainment
opens with an overture by a good orchestra. Number two is the
Screen News, which is followed—number three—by "Severi" and the
Imperial orchestra, accompanying the Chickering Ampico: a. "Prel-
ude in G minor; b. Request number." Two more numbers follow, and
then comes the big play—thi^ time William Faversham in "The Man
Who Lost Himself." And the list of characters is presented in regu-
lar flesh-and-blood theatre form.
It is announced, on the cover of the program of the Imperial
theatre, that the moving picture industry is the "third largest in
the world." How many in other industries and trades know that?
We certainly didn't. And if it is true—as probably it is—then the
matter of the kind of show, and its attendant features and special
attractions, must be of great interest.
If the biggest moving picture theatre in Frisco finds that music,,
perfectly played, is a drawing card, it is reasonable to suppose that
other big moving picture theatres throughout the country will follow
suit. And then the Ampico will become as familiar as the other
movie stars. Mary Pickford and her agile husband, "Doug" Fair-
banks, the fighting Farnams, "Bill" Hart—none of the heroes and
fair heroines of the film drama will be more applauded—nor can they
do as much for public refinement—than the wonderful Ampico, or any
other of the wonderful reproducing pianos whose powers are lim-
ited only by the skill and genius of the greatest pianists whose per-
tormances they perfectly reproduce.
The Ampico in the San Francisco theatre, and also elsewhere, is
doing great missionary work. It presents the remarkable spectacle
of art, in its highest development, taking a popular place at the front
of the stage.
The toy with a string between its legs is hardly a posture-master
more extravagant than are some of the big-house ad-writers when ap-
proached with an advertising suggestion by the service department
of the trade-press. A truly big man when in charge of an advertising
department always has time—plenty of time—to listen to any and all
suggestions from the trade press or any other source. Even so obscure
a source as the service department of the trade press may originate
an improvement in advertising once in a while.
:;< $
:;:
Immigration laws will be strictly enforced for a few years, not
only by the United States but also by the other countries that took
part in the great war. It might not be wise to bar out good piano
mechanics who would declare their intention to become citizens.
Approximately 32,000,000 immigrants have come to the United States
in the last one hundred years.
Have you watched the strong personalities the piano industry
has been developing of late years? There are single piano concerns
today which exceed in volume of business, in capital invested, and in
the degree of their activities, the total aggregate of power and per-
formance of the industry forty years ago. \
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Canada ought to be a good place in which to sell American pianos
as soon as manufacturers of this country begin to get a surplus of the
instruments made. It has more territory than the United States, yet
the population of Canada is only 8,361,000, and Montreal, the largest
city, has only 714,000.
Some of the piano men who died years ago have monuments to
mark the places of their burial; others have none. The monuments of
the latter class are in their pianos, which combine genius and art,
imagination and human nature—instruments built after a great deal
of practice.
Piano Store Manager
WANTED
A large, financially responsible Chicago Piano
Manufacturer, with Branch Stores in several
of the principal cities of the U. S., has an open-
ing for a thoroughly experienced, aggressive
Manager or Sales Manager to take complete
charge of one of these Branch Stores. Liberal
salary and excellent future prospects for suc-
cessful manager. Can also use several experi-
enced floor salesmen. All applications strictly
confidential. Apply by letter today.
Address Chicago Manufacturer, Care Presto
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