Music Trade Review
Issue: 1924 Vol. 78 N. 14 - Page 52
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
48
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
APRIL 5, 1924
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Century National Advertising Drive
Holds Many Lessons for the Retailer
Broad and International Campaign of the Century Music Publishing Co. Covers Every Avenue of
Approach to the Prospective Music Buyer—An Interview With L. G. Battin
/ ^ \ N several occasions this department has
^^^ made reference to the fact that, aside from
whatever slight reductions in the way of dis-
counts that might be given by the publisher
to the dealer, the real health of the retail busi-
ness lay in the extension of actual sales, added
clientele, and volume of business from other
directions. It has been particularly pointed out
that substantial additions may be made to the
average dealer's business through the develop'
nient of a mail order department.
The tendency, which in a short time will be-
come universal, to mark all standard music with
its actual retail sales price is a move that will con-
siderably aid, not only present retail mail busi-
ness, but will allow further extensions. The
marking of such prices and with it the move to
eliminate entirely discounts to sheet music
purchasers places the mail order business on a
plane that will allow high standard competition.
It will avoid the past price-cutting evils and
special discount arrangements which deterred
or made impossible the entry of many dealers
into that field.
Marking the actual retail sales price on
standard sheet music will add to the general
health of the average dealer's business in many
other directions. He will be assured of a fair
margin of.profit and he can legitimately com-
pete in every direction without lowering busi-
ness standards. Ii will enable him to enlarge
his advertising appropriations and give the
utmost thought and attention to circular matter,
thematic catalogs • and other sales builders.
When a dealer enters the mail order field he
really enters on an intensive advertising pro-
gram and for this reason information from
SONGS THAT SELL
What'll I Do? (New)
Lazy (New)
My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time
successful advertisers .should be of exceptional
(New)
value to him when making his plans.
Mindin' My Bus'ness
To p.-esent to the dealer some valuable data
along these lines that would be of use to him
Lovey Came Back
in the extension of his mail business, The Re-
Oh, Baby (Don't Say No—Say Maybe)
view has obtained an interview with L. G.
Hattin, general manager of the Century Music
If the Rest of the World Don't Want You
Publishing Co., one of the largest and most
Cover Me Up With the Sunshine of
consistent advertisers, certainly so far as the
Virginia
sheet music business is concerned, in the coun-
Shanghai Lullaby
try. The Century Co. has advertised in national
publications for almost a score of years and it
Forgetful Blues
must pay it and pay well as it not only con-
tinues its campaigns but increases the scope of
them each year. When Mr. Battin was asked,
I Love My Chili-Bom-Bom
"Does advertising pay" he quickly responded:
Sittin' in a Corner
"We'll say it does."
Indiana Moon
Pressing the question still further, our inter-
viewer asked: "Can you trace any results of
You
direct advertising as the reason for your ever
That Old Gang of Mine
increasing volume of business?"
"Most assuredly, we see evidence of it every
Yawning
day in the year. Rut, the best evidence, and the
Down Home Blues
kind I like to talk about," continued Mr. Battin,
Universal Dance Folio No. 7
"is the answer I get by looking into the ledgers
Special Mid-Year Edition
and making up a comparison list of the improve-
ments each customer makes each year. I mean
Peterson's Ukulele Method
by this—increased business.
World's Favorite Songs
"If you were asked," he was asked, "for a
fir:{ class formula of a first class advertising
campaign, how would you answer it?"
Song Gems from Irving Berlin's Third Annual
"1 would answer it by first selecting the best
MUSIC BOX REVUE
space in trade papers, change copy as often as
necessary, and, above all, tell the truth, and
An Orange Grove in California
nothing but the truth in all our announcements
The Waltz of Long Ago
that reach the trade. Secondly, 1 would select
the best national advertising mediums that
Little Butterfly
reach the music-loving public, using as much
Learn to Do the Strut
space as may be necessary to tell our story
briefly and in telling it be mighty sure that we
Outstanding Song Hits from
tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
TOPSY
and EVA
"Of course, we send all inquiries from our na-
tional publicity to the dealers in the territory
Rememb'ring
from which they come. This does not lessen the
I Never Had a Mammy
value of this publicity to us as, naturally, deal-
ers' sales of Century are for our benefit and it
is a constructive move because it makes the
dealer successful and makes him a better Cen-
1607 Broadway, New York
tury representative. We want to assure the
dealer of a healthy Century business and that is two pages, (c) Special catalog of 600 titles for
the reason we advertise Century for his benefit. special mailing purposes, (d) Special catalog
"Getting back to the point, however, when we for moving picture players, (e) An eight-page
have hooked up with the trade through the trade thematic catalog for general distribution, (f)
paper and with the consumer through the na- A thi-ty-two-page thematic catalog especially
tional magazine; we then blend these two hook- designed for teachers' convenience. (g) A
ups together by supplying the dealer with proper SpaniUi catalog to r.icct the needs of Spanish-
ammunition; attractive signs for window and Amercan trade.
indoor display, catalogs of numerous descrip-
"So you see we have covered the entire field,
tions appealing to a variety of tastes in fact, we the trad:\ the consumer and the component
have some one item of consumer material that parts of the consumer. Hut, the most important
will fit any particular person.
of all is that the product must be of the highest
For instance: (a) A complete Century cata- possible order to back up the expenditure which,
log for general, distribution, (b) A special in the case of the Century Music Publishing Co.,
(Continued on page 49)
teachers' graded catalog of pocket size in thirty-
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
MEOW
-YOU CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH THIS NUMBER —
ITS WONDERFUL
IM FALLING IN LOVE WITH ASHADOW
Be First
With A Hearst
HEARST MUSIC PUBLISHERS OF CANADA LIMITED
WALTZ
SONG
48
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
APRIL 5, 1924
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Century National Advertising Drive
Holds Many Lessons for the Retailer
Broad and International Campaign of the Century Music Publishing Co. Covers Every Avenue of
Approach to the Prospective Music Buyer—An Interview With L. G. Battin
/ ^ \ N several occasions this department has
^^^ made reference to the fact that, aside from
whatever slight reductions in the way of dis-
counts that might be given by the publisher
to the dealer, the real health of the retail busi-
ness lay in the extension of actual sales, added
clientele, and volume of business from other
directions. It has been particularly pointed out
that substantial additions may be made to the
average dealer's business through the develop'
nient of a mail order department.
The tendency, which in a short time will be-
come universal, to mark all standard music with
its actual retail sales price is a move that will con-
siderably aid, not only present retail mail busi-
ness, but will allow further extensions. The
marking of such prices and with it the move to
eliminate entirely discounts to sheet music
purchasers places the mail order business on a
plane that will allow high standard competition.
It will avoid the past price-cutting evils and
special discount arrangements which deterred
or made impossible the entry of many dealers
into that field.
Marking the actual retail sales price on
standard sheet music will add to the general
health of the average dealer's business in many
other directions. He will be assured of a fair
margin of.profit and he can legitimately com-
pete in every direction without lowering busi-
ness standards. Ii will enable him to enlarge
his advertising appropriations and give the
utmost thought and attention to circular matter,
thematic catalogs • and other sales builders.
When a dealer enters the mail order field he
really enters on an intensive advertising pro-
gram and for this reason information from
SONGS THAT SELL
What'll I Do? (New)
Lazy (New)
My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time
successful advertisers .should be of exceptional
(New)
value to him when making his plans.
Mindin' My Bus'ness
To p.-esent to the dealer some valuable data
along these lines that would be of use to him
Lovey Came Back
in the extension of his mail business, The Re-
Oh, Baby (Don't Say No—Say Maybe)
view has obtained an interview with L. G.
Hattin, general manager of the Century Music
If the Rest of the World Don't Want You
Publishing Co., one of the largest and most
Cover Me Up With the Sunshine of
consistent advertisers, certainly so far as the
Virginia
sheet music business is concerned, in the coun-
Shanghai Lullaby
try. The Century Co. has advertised in national
publications for almost a score of years and it
Forgetful Blues
must pay it and pay well as it not only con-
tinues its campaigns but increases the scope of
them each year. When Mr. Battin was asked,
I Love My Chili-Bom-Bom
"Does advertising pay" he quickly responded:
Sittin' in a Corner
"We'll say it does."
Indiana Moon
Pressing the question still further, our inter-
viewer asked: "Can you trace any results of
You
direct advertising as the reason for your ever
That Old Gang of Mine
increasing volume of business?"
"Most assuredly, we see evidence of it every
Yawning
day in the year. Rut, the best evidence, and the
Down Home Blues
kind I like to talk about," continued Mr. Battin,
Universal Dance Folio No. 7
"is the answer I get by looking into the ledgers
Special Mid-Year Edition
and making up a comparison list of the improve-
ments each customer makes each year. I mean
Peterson's Ukulele Method
by this—increased business.
World's Favorite Songs
"If you were asked," he was asked, "for a
fir:{ class formula of a first class advertising
campaign, how would you answer it?"
Song Gems from Irving Berlin's Third Annual
"1 would answer it by first selecting the best
MUSIC BOX REVUE
space in trade papers, change copy as often as
necessary, and, above all, tell the truth, and
An Orange Grove in California
nothing but the truth in all our announcements
The Waltz of Long Ago
that reach the trade. Secondly, 1 would select
the best national advertising mediums that
Little Butterfly
reach the music-loving public, using as much
Learn to Do the Strut
space as may be necessary to tell our story
briefly and in telling it be mighty sure that we
Outstanding Song Hits from
tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
TOPSY
and EVA
"Of course, we send all inquiries from our na-
tional publicity to the dealers in the territory
Rememb'ring
from which they come. This does not lessen the
I Never Had a Mammy
value of this publicity to us as, naturally, deal-
ers' sales of Century are for our benefit and it
is a constructive move because it makes the
dealer successful and makes him a better Cen-
1607 Broadway, New York
tury representative. We want to assure the
dealer of a healthy Century business and that is two pages, (c) Special catalog of 600 titles for
the reason we advertise Century for his benefit. special mailing purposes, (d) Special catalog
"Getting back to the point, however, when we for moving picture players, (e) An eight-page
have hooked up with the trade through the trade thematic catalog for general distribution, (f)
paper and with the consumer through the na- A thi-ty-two-page thematic catalog especially
tional magazine; we then blend these two hook- designed for teachers' convenience. (g) A
ups together by supplying the dealer with proper SpaniUi catalog to r.icct the needs of Spanish-
ammunition; attractive signs for window and Amercan trade.
indoor display, catalogs of numerous descrip-
"So you see we have covered the entire field,
tions appealing to a variety of tastes in fact, we the trad:\ the consumer and the component
have some one item of consumer material that parts of the consumer. Hut, the most important
will fit any particular person.
of all is that the product must be of the highest
For instance: (a) A complete Century cata- possible order to back up the expenditure which,
log for general, distribution, (b) A special in the case of the Century Music Publishing Co.,
(Continued on page 49)
teachers' graded catalog of pocket size in thirty-
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
MEOW
-YOU CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH THIS NUMBER —
ITS WONDERFUL
IM FALLING IN LOVE WITH ASHADOW
Be First
With A Hearst
HEARST MUSIC PUBLISHERS OF CANADA LIMITED
WALTZ
SONG
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