10
December 12, 1925.
PRESTO
LOCAL ADVERTISING
FOR THE DEALER
An Old Problem for Music Merchant in Which
Certain Phases Change Form with Pass-
ing Years, But Always Basically
Remain the Same.
CITING THE NEIGHBORS
Great Effectiveness in Influencing Sales is Attributed
to Opinion of Well Known People in
the Community.
The problem of local advertising for the music
dealer is an old one that preserves the element of
newness with the passing of every year—every day
for that matter. A phase in the methods of the ad-
vertising dealer that may have been most important
at one time is superseded by another, which in turn
comes to a day of disuse. Change in the favor for
this or that product naturally is reflected in the pub-
licity of the music dealer.
But after all the advertising of the music dealer is
both defensive and offensive, strives to prevent for-
getfulness of himself and his wares by the public, and
strives to convince the prospective buyers that his
instruments have more advantages in every particular
than those of his competitors.
So the purely local effect of his advertising is the
most important consideration for the music merchant.
Advertisers generally, both in and out of the trade
have come to realize, with considerable force, the
fact that neighborhood endorsements of various prod-
ucts have a publicity value that cannot be ignored if
the best results are to be secured in the way of sales.
Of course the fact that some great pianist uses and
commends a certain instrument undoubtedly lends dis-
tinction to it in the minds of the dealer's neighbors
and prospective customers. His reputation carries
weight, and the conviction that his judgment of tone
quality is worth following. It is in that way that the
national advertising of a number of the manufacturers
supply effective arguments to the trade. It is good,
but its power can be augmented by the advertising
arguments of a purely local origin.
Home-Grown Testimony.
When the dealer continuously associates the pianos
he handles with the names of local people known to
the public as professional musicians, or people of
musical taste or proficiency, he makes a contact very
effective for creating the sales influence. The testi-
mony of Miss Smith, the music teacher; of Mr. Jones,
the organist and choir leader, and of Mr. Robinson,
the band conductor, is usually considered conclusive
by many people in the town when the character of a
musical instrument is in question.
But a great many music dealers do not confine their
collection of testimony to that of local professional
musicians and well-known musical people. They rec-
ognize a number of facts that may have an influence
on prospects. The piano a neighbor owns may be
made a sales argument for some.
A constant analysis of the piano ads in the local
newspapers shows that music merchants recognize the
effectiveness of using purely local testimony about the
pianos. The fact that a neighbor has chosen a cer-
tain make of piano is considered an argument of un-
doubted force on some prospects.
Creating Homey Feeling.
That a certain well-known citizen has bought a
piano of a certain name, or that the particular instru-
ment was used at a local concert or at some func-
tion at the Elks' Club, or a church parish house, cre-
ates a homey feeling that is of valuable influence in
bringing about sales. The dealers in doing this are
not showing originality, but they are showing wisdom
in following a widely used method that acknowledges
the value of a human nature quality in the advertis-
ing appeal.
A great many music dealers have shown it worth
while to print in booklet form a list of the names of
those people in their territory who have purchased
instruments of certain makes. Many even have em-
bellished the booklets, with cuts of the homes in
which the pianos have been installed. Portraits of
the piano owners have also been made attractions in
the booklets, and houses and faces are both of power-
fully persuasive value with prospective customers.
How It Works.
The prospect may not personally know the piano
owner pictured in the booklet, but perhaps he passes
the house every day. That is something tangible that
gives force to the words of the booklet. Familiariz-
ing the public with the local owners of his pianos
makes the work of the salesman easier. In opening
talks with prospects the salesman is rarely embar-
rassed by this: "Your piano may be very good, but I
have never heard of it before," or words to that
effect.
Good salesmanship may overcome such a handicap,
but it may be entirely prevented by the homey kind
of piano advertising. The prospect will never make
such a statement when he has learned, by a dealer's
advertising, that one of the pianos is owned by a near
neighbor of the prospect, or that two or three are
owned in the next block.
Logic Is Plain.
The music dealer who admits the logic of the local
appeal need not wait until he has a long list of cus-
tomers of his pianos to point to. He can make a
more impressive showing with a hundred pianos than
with ten, but good local advertising will quickly add
to the ten. Ten good names of purchasers properly
featured in advertising and circulars will be found to
have excellent effect.
There is no doubt of the value of the endorsement
of the artist of international reputation when he
vouches for an instrument and his word in type may
be respected. But the neighbor in the next block or
the next street may be asked directly for his honest
opinion, and there is something tangible about that
which breeds confidence.
Grands—Players
CROWDS IN DEMONSTRATION.
How a piano firm crowded 2,600 people into a
theater to see a sales demonstration of the Gulbran-
sen Registering Piano and turned away as many
more, is told in The Gulbransen Bulletin for No-
vember. The firm is Dennis Brothers of Granite
City, 111.
The LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
Qrand*, Upright* and Playen
Finest and most artistic
piano in design, tone and
construction that can be
made.
YORK PIANOS
Upright* and Player Piano*
A high grade piano of great
value and with charming tone quality.
Livingston Pianos— Upright* and Player Planoi
A popular piano at a popular price.
Over 70.000 instrument* made by this company are sing-
ing their own praise* in all part* of the civilised world.
Write for catalogue* and state on what term* you would
like to deal, and we will make you a proposition if yea are
located in opeif territory.
WEAVER PIANO CO., Inc.
Factor,: YORK. PV.
Established 1870
QUITTING, NOT "MAYBE."
Sharp Music Company, of Denver, Colo., quit-
ting business, offers a $650 Schubert player-piano for
$295, twenty rolls and a bench included, but of
course it is a "used" piano. Then he says: "I'm
quitting and this doesn't mean maybe. There will
be no successor, no ifs or buts. In less than thirty
days the Sharp Music Company will be a thing of
the past, the store will be vacated, so you can read-
ily see that the stock must be disposed of, regardless
of losses."
While Germany leads in the sale of pianos in the
Australian market, the United States exceeds its sales
in playerpianos, especially in the upright type. In
this latter class there appears to be little danger of
immediate competition.
W. P. Haines & Co.
C KURTZMANN & CO.
Manufacturers of
BRADBURY, WEBSTER
and
W. P. HAINES & CO.
Grand, Upright and Reproducing
Pianos
138th Street and Walton Avenue
NEW YORK
526-536 Niagara Street
BUFFALO, N. Y.
Washington, D. C, Detroit, Mich., and other cities
of the country are following the lead of Chicago
in sponsoring the singing of carols at Christmas,
according to information received by Harry Edward
Freund, of the music research bureau, director of
the carols here and originator of the plan. Secretary
of Labor James J. Davis is backing the Washington
move, while Bishop Thomas Nicholson of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church is behind the Detroit effort.
The singing of carols will be an important part
of the program of the annual athletic carnival to be
given under the direction of County Treasurer P. J.
Carr the night of Dec. 19 in the Coliseum, Chicago.
More than 8,000 are expected to attend and it is
hoped that $50,000 will be raised for the worthy
poor of Chicago. Mr. Carr and his assistant, Jacob
Lindheimer, made the arrangements with Mr. Freund
and the committee, headed by Mayor Dever and
composed of public-spirited Chicagoans.
Announcement has been made of the plans to have
the carols sung in schools, clubs, hospitals, and jails.
Many of the large hotels will have carols sung by
choristers from Trinity Episcopal Church under the
leadership of Prof. Ralph F. Anschuetz. They will
also broadcast them over the radio.
BEN JEFFERSON'S "TIME OUT."
Manufactured by
Factories and General Offices
Harry Freund's Christmas Singing Plans Bring
Praise from Civic, Religious Leaders in
All Parts of the Country.
It will interest, and also please, a good many in
the trade to know that Ben H. Jefferson, who for
forty years was in charge of the publicity department
of Lyon & Healy, Chicago, is now taking a long rest
in California. Mr. Jefferson is, as he says, taking a
"time out" at Pasadena, where he is delightfully situ-
ated and is enjoying the balmy climate to the full.
He sends regards to all his old friends back in the
cold climate, who must continue to talk music, both
in print and orally, and wishes they too could have
a share in what the fruit and flower-land offers.
PIANOS IN AUSTRALIA.
KURTZMANN
OTHER CITIES FOLLOW
CHICAGO CAROL IDEA
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essentials of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
This Trade Mark I* cast
In the plate and also ap-
pears upon the fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all infringers
will be prosecuted. Beware
of Imitations such as Schu-
mann ft Company, Schu-
mann & Son, and also
Shuman, as all stencil
shops, dealers and users of
pianos bearing a name In
Imitation of the name
Schumann with the Inten-
tion of deceiving the public
will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law.
Mew Catalogue on Bequest.
Schumann Piano Co.
W. N. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, IIL
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