14
July 25, 1925.
PRESTO
INTERESTING THE BRITISH
INDIA MUSIC PROSPECT
Ways to Sales There Are Vastly Different
From Those Used at Home, According to
Foreign Publicity Man.
There is a percentage of people in British India
who might be considered prospects for American
pianos and musical goods as well as radio, but the
manner of interesting the percentage differs mate-
rially from that employed at home. Exceptional and
interesting advertising conditions in India were men-
tioned in the address of James S. Martin, foreign
publicity manager for an American typewriter com-
pany.
Advertising in India, Mr. Martin said, is in many
ways the direct opposite of that art as it is practiced
in the United States. For instance, no signs are
carried inside street cars, because people with pur-
chasing power do not ride in those cars. Advertising
signs are all carried on the outside of such cars,
where that small proportion (about 10 per cent of
the people in India) who purchase other than the
bare necessities of life can see and appreciate them.
There is no store or window advertising, for the rea-
son that, for the greater part of the year, it is too
hot to stand and look at a store window. Conse-
quently quite large businesses in India have decep-
tively modest exteriors, and only recently have trim
and attractive business shops made their appearance.
"On the other band," Mr. Martin explained, "all
the outworn, overworked advertising methods of ten
or more years ago in the United States work splen-
didly in India. The man on stilts, the afloat or deco-
rated automobile, the hawker and street salesman
with samples, and the procession of 'freaks' appeal to
the native population and start business on foreign
merchandise." Indicating other methods to be fol-
lowed or avoided, Mr. Martin said:
"You can hire a motion-picture theater in India
for $32 for an afternoon and display an advertising
film to a good crowd of invited 'prospects.' You
can not do much with billboard advertising, for the
sun's glare and the torrential rains work havoc with
almost any paper display. Shrewd advertisers in
India use metal signs, which stay up and defy the
climate.
"Indians must see American goods before they will
buy them. Trial sales through the bazaar keepers,
and highly picturized advertisements, with very little
print (in a country where ninety per cent of the peo-
ple are illiterate) are the only means by which atten-
tion may be commanded."
MRS. HELEN SCHAFF DIES
AT HER HOME IN CHICAGO
Deceased, Who Was 81, Was Widow of the Founder
of Schaff Piano String Company.
Mrs. Helen Schaff, grandmother of Edmund C.
Johnson, president of the Schaff Piano String Com-
pany, 2009-2021 Clybourn avenue, Chicago, and
mother of Mrs. L. M. Johnson, treasurer of the com-
pany, died at her home, 601 North Pine street, in
that city, July 19. Mrs. Schaff, who had reached
the age of 81, had been ill for a long time.
Mrs. Schaff was the widow of the late John A.
Schaff, founder of the Schaff Piano String Company.
Her son, W. G. Schaff, is president of John A. Schaff,
Inc., New York City.
After funeral services, on Tuesday, July 21, the
interment took place at Rose Hill Cemetery, Chicago.
FEATURES PLAYERS AND ROLLS.
The merits of the playerpiano of the Starr Piano
Company, Richmond, Ind., are being strongly fea-
tured by the Goosman Piano Co., Toledo, Ohio, and
incidently the pleasurable co-operation of the in-
strument and the Q R S music rolls is a convincing
feature of continuous store activities. Newspaper
advertising, window attractions and store demonstra-
tions are all made interesting means to the desirable
end—sales of rolls and players.
DURABILITY OF
CABLE MIDGET PROVED
After Being Continuously Played for Sixty
Hours in Contest Remarkable Little Piano
Is Found in Tune.
The manner in which a Cable Midget upright re-
mained in tune under exceedingly trying circum-
stances has proved conclusively that the Cable Mid-
get at least has successfully overcome one criticism
sometimes brought against the small piano—namely,
that it does not stay in tune.
In a piano playing endurance contest recently held
in Tulsa, Okla., a new Cable Midget upright just
received from The Cable Piano Co.'s factory by the
Darrow Music Company, was played continuously
for sixty hours. At the end of that time this remark-
able little piano was still in perfect tune.
A large card displayed on the piano after the con-
test read as follows:
THIS CABLE MIDGET PIANO
Used nearly sixty hours continuously by Mr.
Waterbury. Has not been tuned since leav-
ing the factory and is now in perfect tune.
Come in and try it over.
Instruments That Endure
SOLD BY DARROW MUSIC CO.
A SALT LAKE CITY EVENT.
The state of Utah is celebrating an anniversary
this month and the music dealers in Salt Lake City
are doing a prominent part in making the occa-
sion memorable. A feature that is particularly sea-
sonable and impressive is the window of the Con-
solidated Music Co., which commemorates the
entrance of Brigham Young and the first colonists
to the justly celebrated valley.
The Pastime Theater, Malvern, Ark., has installed
a Reproduco pipe organ, made by the Operators
Piano Co., Chicago.
QULBRANSEN PHRASE ENCOURAGES SALES
W J N D O W S T R I P S W E R E USEDON
4 0 MUSIC S T O R E S IN C H I C A G O
j£VEN THE BIG STATE STREET)
L5T0RES ADOPTED THE
GULBRANSEN S L O O A N !
IN NEWSPAPER
ADVERTISING
The publicity gained for the Gulbransen Register-
ing piano during the recent convention is an enor-
mous gain for dealers in every part of the country.
Gulbransen dealers nationally as well as locally seem
to feel that the reading columns publicity obtained
for the Gulbransen Registering piano has great value
to them in increasing public familiarity with tVie prod-
uct, judging by the many expressions of favor and
commendation which they have written in.
One of the trade papers has editorially gone on
record as saying that the feature of the Music Trades
ON THE
TAXfCA&S
THE EDISON SHQP.HA0A
"START THE DAY WITH MU5IC" WINDOW
Convention that seemed to attract the greatest atten-
tion of the public was the rap taken at jazz by A. G.
Gulbransen, president of the Gulbransen Co. A
check-up on the newspaper publicity during the con-
vention period seems to bear out that statement.
While Mr. A. G. Gulbransen's interview regarding
jazz music did receive the widest publicity, it is in-
teresting to note that there were two other publicity
features that went over in a big way as far as the
Gulbransen Registering Piano is concerned.
The "Start the Day with Music" idea gave the
Gulbransen convention publicity in other \va\s be-
sides newspaper publicity. The photographic repro-
ductions herewith show how the slogan was used on
window strips in forty music stores in Chicago, on
tags worn on coat lapels, on the taxicabs, in news-
paper advertising, on banners on buildings, etc. It
may conservatively be said no music slogan ever
gotten up was used in such a widespread way in
Chicago, with so little preparation and time in which
to work as was the "Start the Day with Music"
thought.
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