Presto

September 6, 1924.
THE PROCESSES OF
PIANO ADVERTISING
Manufacturer, Dealer and Ultimate Consumer,
Each Concerned in Means and Governed
by Results That Too Frequently
Are Not Desirable.
PRESTO
And you cannot coerce him into buying by making
the consumer demand certain things. But the manu-
facturer must co-operate with the dealer, and make
him to recognize that your problems are his, and
that his problems are yours also.
Dealer in Strategic Point.
The dealer is in the strategic point in our whole
marketing system. He is the neck of the bottle, and
the neck of the bottle controls all the rest of the
bottle, and if you control the neck, you control the
whole marketing system.
DUNCAN SISTERS USE
BALDWIN IN BROADCASTING
FALLACY OF BIG CIRCULATION
Circulation Is Useless and Wasteful and Often Harm-
ful When It Exceeds the Maximum of
Papers Read.
The whole process of piano advertising is getting
the manufacturer to appeal to the dealer; to train
the dealer to sell to the ultimate consumer; to induce
the ultimate consumer to buy from the dealer. To
all three advertising has the same significance.
To the ultimate consumer, who buys the local
paper, reads the dealer's ad and eventually buys the
advertised piano, advertising is a means to sales.
The dealer who places an ad in the local paper
appeals to his limited field of prospects. He does
not make a contract with the editor of the paper on
the basis of a big circulation, but because the local
paper is the surest means of reaching the number of
prospective buyers in his territory. He pays for the
value of his ad in a thousand, two, three, five or ten
thousand copies, sufficient to supply the subscribers.
Presuming that the editor had achieved the biggest
subscription results possible in his town and its en-
vironments, any number of copies printed over that
would be waste, as far as the piano dealer using the
pages is concerned.
The Manufacturer Advertises.
Where the piano manufacturer is concerned the
best means for reaching the dealer is through the
piano trade paper. Like the dealer, his field is
limited in prospects. But too often the fallacy of big
circulation beguiles him. If a piano trade paper
covers the retail piano field his end is served by it.
There are so many piano dealers in the country, and
if the piano manufacturer can reach them in the pages
of a trade paper his reasons for advertising therein
are served. As far as the piano manufacturer is
concerned any number of copies of the trade paper
printed over and above the number of piano dealers—
his possible customers—would be waste copies.
What Manufacturer Needs.
What the piano manufacturer needs is a trade paper
circulation that actually goes to piano dealers, not a
"big" circulation most of which circulates where it
does not do the piano manufacturer any good or
maybe circulates only in the imagination of a valu-
able ad space seller.
Prof. Paul W. Ivey, of the University of Nebraska,
who recently delivered an address before the conven-
tion of the National Association of Stationers and
Manufacturers, told a few interesting things about
methods; about the relation of the manufacturer to
the dealer and the manufacturer's means of reaching
him. He spoke in part as follows:
Change in Marketing.
What is the' change taking place in marketing and
merchandising? In the nineteenth century the manu-
facturer spent his time in manufacturing. The manu-
facturer's main idea was to increase the amount of
goods put out. But manufacturers now recognize a
new problem—the problem of marketing.
It would be fine if the manufacturer could manu-
facture his merchandise and turn it over to the dealer,
and then have his responsibility with reference to it
cease. That would be the manufacturer's millennium,
because he doesn't want to be the fellow who sells;
he wants to manufacture his products according to
his specifications and in the best possible way; he
wants to keep his ear to the ground and find out what
is wanted and then manufacture it. The manufac-
turer wants to keep out of the sales end, but he is
forced to enter it; he cannot get away from it. He
must enter into sales activities because he cannot get
an outlet for his product unless he does.
Methods Today.
The new idea in marketing is to recognize that no
man is independent, the manufacturer of the line, the
dealer that handles it; the manufacturer is interde-
pendent with the dealer, and he must help the dealer,
or he won't get the market for his goods that he
should get.
Eliminating the Dealer.
Some of the manufacturers are eliminating the
dealer, jumping over his head and selling to the con-
sumer. And some manufacturers are trying to get
the consumer to demand goods through national ad-
vertising, and they feel that through that medium
they can force their goods on to the dealers' shelves.
But the dealer is here to stay, in most lines of activity.
He is inefficient sometimes, but he is here to stay.
Cincinnati Instrument Favored by Famous Pair,
Who Give Popular Programs on Radio.
Vivian and Rosetta Duncan, "Topsy" and "Eva"
on the stage, have won many admirers through the
singing programs which are broadcast as well as
given on the stage. The popular artists in their de-
sire to please the radio audience have selected a
Baldwin piano for accompaniments.
The indorsement of the Baldwin by the Duncan
Sisters is another step in the popularity of the Cin-
cinnati product among the great artists.
The artists of the Grand Opera at Ravinia Park,
111., which closed August 31st, chose the Baldwin as
the official piano and it has won the praise of all
those who have heard it. The artists considered it
of prime importance to their performance to have
perfect piano accompaniment, and accordingly se-
lected the Baldwin as the instrument meeting the
exacting requirements.
PROTECTION FOR ALLIANCE MEN.
Itinerant merchants w T ill find their plans to open
stores in Alliance, Ohio, disturbed by city ordinances.
Anything conflicting with retail music dealers will
not be permitted. A stringent ordinance protecting
residents from unscrupulous dealers is now on the
law books of the city. At a meeting last week of the
City Council a bill licensing visiting merchants was
passed, following the endorsement of the judiciary
committee, Mayor L. E. Stevens and Police Chief
H. E. Morton. All merchants coming to this city
to open a temporary store of any kind must furnish
a bond of $500 and arrange to spend at least four
months in the city. For every week they are here
they will be charged a license fee of $100.
HARDMAN IN MILITARY SHOW.
A Hardman piano was supplied for the Annual
Military Show held recently at Peekskill, N. Y., by
R. S. Dunlap, who represents Hardman, Peck & Co.
line in Peekskill. The affair was highly successful,
being attended by more than two thousand visitors,
and the Hardman piano was given due publicity in a
special edition of one of the local papers. A music
program was given, including quartet numbers, group
singing and violin solos by Stephen Czukor.
E. B. JONES ANTICIPATES
BIG FALL BUSINESS
President of Schiller Piano Co., Oregon, 111.,
Cites Convincing Reasons for His
Optimistic Views.
"You know how optimistic I have been over our
business throughout the entire year," said E. B.
Jones, president of the Schiller Piano Company,
Oregon, 111., to a Presto man this week. "Well, it is
emphasizing my former statements when I say that
we are entering the busiest fall in the history of the
business."
The words are significant coming from a man not
given to verbal or printed exaggerations. Mr. Jones,
who is head of an old and responsible industry which
has retained its enviable place in the estimation of
the trade by strict adherence to admirable manufac-
turing ideals, is naturally enthusiastic at the recog-
nition of Schiller merits by the trade and the piano
buyers. For the business activity which Mr, Jones
considered in his anticipations concerned the Schiller
line.
"Our orders are not limited to letters. Telegrams
with urgent orders continue to pour in," continued
Mr. Jones. "Here is one from Alabama ordering
five pianos. Here is a telegraph order for three play-
ers from Idaho, and here is a carload lot order from
Georgia from an energetic dealer who believes in
spirited buying as well as spirited selling.
"Now if you want some real food for optimistic
thought, it is in this letter from Minnesota telling
of wheat fifty bushels to the acre; oats as high as
eighty bushels to the acre. I am glad that I closed
my ears to the pessimistic talk and kept pushing
ahead just as we have been doing, as now we will be
in shape to take advantage of the situation this fall.
"About six weeks ago when others were curtailing
I gave instructions to have set up on our floor three
more cases a day, also to double on our grand pro-
duction. Part of our plant is working nights until
nine o'clock; in fact, the boys have all agreed to co-
operate in every way to give service in filling orders
and turn out the work in the very best manner."
BIG ORGANS BURNED.
A large section of the Page Pipe Organ Co.'s
plant at Defiance, O., was destroyed by fire last
week and four organs ready for shipment were
burned. The instruments burned were for the St.
John's Catholic Church, Defiance, O.; Indianolo
Church of Christ, Columbus, O., and theaters in Win-
chester, Ind., and Grand Rapids, Mich. It had been
planned to build a new factory next year, but at a
meeting of the company's officials it was decided to
proceed immediately with the building plans.
Chas. Wright, Continental, O., has opened a music
store in his own building.
If You Have a Grand Piano Trade
(and of course you have)
You must be interested in the in-
struments developed by the Pioneer
Exclusive Grand Piano Industry.
jflorep
GRANDS
have steadily extended their influence
with trade and public until their demand
has become the realization of the makers'
vision of 1909.
Discriminating Dealers
are invited to consider the opportunities pre-
sented by Grands which are moving forward by
reason of a policy of standardized merit con-
sistently adhered to.
If you have discriminating compe-
tition please write for literature.
Jlorep Pros.
Washington
New Jersey
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