Presto
Issue: 1924 1981 - Page 13
PRESTO
July 12, 1924.
DANGEROUS USE
OF ADJECTIVES
Cheap, Cheaper, Cheapest Are Terms Convey-
ing Thoughts Uncomplimentary to Other
Goods in Stock Besides Those So
Classified in Advertisements.
GOOD, BETTER, BEST
ARTISTIC
JPIAJ^O
IN EVERY
DETAIL
Describing Excellent Qualities in Pianos Sells the
Goods and Creates Desirable Element
of Goodwill.
HADDOREF PIANO CO.
ROCKFORIMLL.
Wholetale Offices:
San Fraiic!*C£
I I I Cilrfornn SI
New Twfc G i
410 S.
Schaff Bros.
Players » nd Pianos have won their stand-
ing with trade and public by 54 years of
steadfast striving to excel. They repre-
sent the '
LARGEST COMPETITIVE VALUE
because of their beauty, reliability, tone
and moderate price. They are profitable
to sell and satisfactory when sold.
Brighten Your Line with the
SCHAFF BROS.
The Schaff Bros. Co.
Established 1868
Huntington, Ind.
GRAND PIANOS
EXCLUSIVELY
The development of the art of piano trade adver-
tising is marked by a greater care in the selection and
use of adjectives. It is an achievement when the
piano adwriter restrains himself in the use of the
dangerous parts of speech. But the proper adjectives
immensely increase the effectiveness of an advertise-
ment, and the man who unerringly picks the right
one may be ranked as dependable, which is a higher
title in the advertising held than genius.
The inappropriate adjective stands out the strong-
est in a headline where it brings the reader up with
a jolt that usually is not productive of the desired
effect in sales. "Cheap," "cheaper," "cheapest," sig-
nifying the price of a piano in a newspaper adver-
tisement usually conveys a meaning concerning its
tonal and constructive worth or rather unworthiness
to many of the readers. The piano prospects con-
sidered worth while by the high-class piano house
are scared away by any of the words for they read
another meaning besides that of price in the damning
terms.
When Words Are Futile.
The constant use of certain adjectives makes piano
ads stale and commonplace. Superlatives usually
fail of the purposes intended by the writers. The
adwriter should be a business man first of all and
more set on impressing the public properly than in
rendering it suspicious or disgusted. Advertising is
a means to an end and that end for the dealer in
business to stay is not to thrill the bargain hunters.
Many a piano dealer has written his own epitaph in
"cheap," "cheaper," "cheapest."
The Adwriter's Requirements.
The intelligent preparation of advertisements for
the press is the first requirement of the piano house
adwriter. His purpose is to keep the name before the
public, but at the same time to sell the goods at a
profit. The best definition of a good advertisement
is "one that brings paying results." But keeping the
name before the public is hurtful where the house is
associated with the cheap, cheaper or cheapest
thought.
The thought of good, better, best can be conveyed
in a piano advertisement by an infinite arrangement
of words and the inductive and deductive processes
that lead from the terms to the goods and from the
goods to the terms are supposed to be understood
by every piano advertising manager. The advertis-
ing writer can find interesting opportunities for show-
ing the why, how and when in writing about the
good, better-and best in pianos.
Telling Why.
The wise adman doesn't stop at suggesting that one
piano or player ought to be better than another be-
cause it costs more. When a piano is priced eight
hundred dollars the adman should make plain the
13
fact that the value is eight hundred dollars. The
customer thinks he is getting a square deal when the
value is equal to the price. Basically, advertising,
like selling, is showing. All advertising is not sales-
manship, no more than is all retailing goods real
salesmanship. There is a call for salesmanship in
the two great branches of distributive effort, retail-
ing and advertising, and the loss of profits from the
lack of it is stupendous.
Music Trade Fortunate.
From a study of the advertising men of the music
trade one is certain they do not constitute a group
of advertising technicians interested in the glorifica-
tion of advertising for its own sake and primarily in
its mechanical aspects. They are business men first
of all, directly interested in the problems of selling
the pianos and other music goods. To them advertis-
ing is a means to an end. Their aim is to sell the
goods at a profit to the house and at the same time
build goodwill and prestige for the concern. Good-
will is an attribute to the main activity, selling. In
fact goodwill should automatically flow from selling.
Goodwill adheres in the mind of the public from the
thought that the pianos and other things sold by the
house are of value equal to the price, not from the
thought that the goods are cheap, cheaper, cheapest.
BALDWIN KEYNOTE REVIEWED
BY TECHNICAL JOURNAL
Printing Art Tells How House Publication Admir-
ably Achieves Its Purpose.
The Printing Art, in its June number, reviews
"The Baldwin Keynote," published by the Baldwin
Piano Co., Cincinnati, among other house publica-
tions, and this is what the reviewer says:
Providing you have had no experience in selling
pianos and organs, you will be interested in noting
the methods used. The Baldwin Keynote, published
by The Baldwin Piano Company, of Cincinnati and
Chicago, is a thirty-page house publication practi-
cally devoted to illustrated testimonials, or illustra-
tions of installations or of prominent owners.
One very well-known owner is shown on the front
cover of Volume IV, Number I, illustrated here. It
seems that a third Baldwin Piano has been selected
by an occupant of the White House, the others hav-
ing been placed there by Mrs. Taft and Mrs. Hard-
ing.
In addition to testimonials, there are fifteen half-
tone reproductions of photographs showing various
arrangements of furniture, including a piano, in the
home.
As this publication is designed to help the selling
force, there are also illustrations of schools, churches,
and homes, where the Baldwin Piano has been placed.
There are illustrations of store windows of various
dealers, so that the salesmen may have some sugges-
tions for arrangement to give dealers.
To assist the sales force, that it may not have to
carry the entire burden of interesting prospects, here
is the Baldwin advertising schedule for 1924:
Advertising space carried in six national maga-
zines. (Their names are given.)
This advertising will feature great international
artists with their endorsement of the Baldwin Piano.
(Our old testimonial plan again.)
This national advertising will be supplemented "by
a great stream of advertising material and dealers'
helps to be used by Baldwin dealers."
That shows a comprehensive understanding of sales
requirements, and if the manufacturing is as care-
fully planned as the sales work, then the Baldwin
must be a good piano.
G. W. Moore has resigned as manager of the
Meridian, Miss., branch of the Southern Piano Co.
to become sales manager for the local store of the
O. K. Houck Piano Co., Knoxville, Tenn.
One Style—One Quality
giving you the
Unequaled Grand
at
Unequaled Price
Already being sold by leading dealers
throughout the country
KURTZMANN
Grands—Players
Manufactured by
C. KURTZMANN & CO.
Write today—tell us your next year's re-
quirements and we will meet your demands
with prompt and efficient service.
Factories and General Offices
Columbian Grand Piano Mfg. Co.
526-536 Niagara Street
BUFFALO, N. Y.
400 W. Erie St.
CHICAGO
The Heppe, Marcellus and Edouard Jules Piano
manufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos In the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented In the United States, Great Britain,
Prance, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only.
Main Office, 1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
July 12, 1924.
DANGEROUS USE
OF ADJECTIVES
Cheap, Cheaper, Cheapest Are Terms Convey-
ing Thoughts Uncomplimentary to Other
Goods in Stock Besides Those So
Classified in Advertisements.
GOOD, BETTER, BEST
ARTISTIC
JPIAJ^O
IN EVERY
DETAIL
Describing Excellent Qualities in Pianos Sells the
Goods and Creates Desirable Element
of Goodwill.
HADDOREF PIANO CO.
ROCKFORIMLL.
Wholetale Offices:
San Fraiic!*C£
I I I Cilrfornn SI
New Twfc G i
410 S.
Schaff Bros.
Players » nd Pianos have won their stand-
ing with trade and public by 54 years of
steadfast striving to excel. They repre-
sent the '
LARGEST COMPETITIVE VALUE
because of their beauty, reliability, tone
and moderate price. They are profitable
to sell and satisfactory when sold.
Brighten Your Line with the
SCHAFF BROS.
The Schaff Bros. Co.
Established 1868
Huntington, Ind.
GRAND PIANOS
EXCLUSIVELY
The development of the art of piano trade adver-
tising is marked by a greater care in the selection and
use of adjectives. It is an achievement when the
piano adwriter restrains himself in the use of the
dangerous parts of speech. But the proper adjectives
immensely increase the effectiveness of an advertise-
ment, and the man who unerringly picks the right
one may be ranked as dependable, which is a higher
title in the advertising held than genius.
The inappropriate adjective stands out the strong-
est in a headline where it brings the reader up with
a jolt that usually is not productive of the desired
effect in sales. "Cheap," "cheaper," "cheapest," sig-
nifying the price of a piano in a newspaper adver-
tisement usually conveys a meaning concerning its
tonal and constructive worth or rather unworthiness
to many of the readers. The piano prospects con-
sidered worth while by the high-class piano house
are scared away by any of the words for they read
another meaning besides that of price in the damning
terms.
When Words Are Futile.
The constant use of certain adjectives makes piano
ads stale and commonplace. Superlatives usually
fail of the purposes intended by the writers. The
adwriter should be a business man first of all and
more set on impressing the public properly than in
rendering it suspicious or disgusted. Advertising is
a means to an end and that end for the dealer in
business to stay is not to thrill the bargain hunters.
Many a piano dealer has written his own epitaph in
"cheap," "cheaper," "cheapest."
The Adwriter's Requirements.
The intelligent preparation of advertisements for
the press is the first requirement of the piano house
adwriter. His purpose is to keep the name before the
public, but at the same time to sell the goods at a
profit. The best definition of a good advertisement
is "one that brings paying results." But keeping the
name before the public is hurtful where the house is
associated with the cheap, cheaper or cheapest
thought.
The thought of good, better, best can be conveyed
in a piano advertisement by an infinite arrangement
of words and the inductive and deductive processes
that lead from the terms to the goods and from the
goods to the terms are supposed to be understood
by every piano advertising manager. The advertis-
ing writer can find interesting opportunities for show-
ing the why, how and when in writing about the
good, better-and best in pianos.
Telling Why.
The wise adman doesn't stop at suggesting that one
piano or player ought to be better than another be-
cause it costs more. When a piano is priced eight
hundred dollars the adman should make plain the
13
fact that the value is eight hundred dollars. The
customer thinks he is getting a square deal when the
value is equal to the price. Basically, advertising,
like selling, is showing. All advertising is not sales-
manship, no more than is all retailing goods real
salesmanship. There is a call for salesmanship in
the two great branches of distributive effort, retail-
ing and advertising, and the loss of profits from the
lack of it is stupendous.
Music Trade Fortunate.
From a study of the advertising men of the music
trade one is certain they do not constitute a group
of advertising technicians interested in the glorifica-
tion of advertising for its own sake and primarily in
its mechanical aspects. They are business men first
of all, directly interested in the problems of selling
the pianos and other music goods. To them advertis-
ing is a means to an end. Their aim is to sell the
goods at a profit to the house and at the same time
build goodwill and prestige for the concern. Good-
will is an attribute to the main activity, selling. In
fact goodwill should automatically flow from selling.
Goodwill adheres in the mind of the public from the
thought that the pianos and other things sold by the
house are of value equal to the price, not from the
thought that the goods are cheap, cheaper, cheapest.
BALDWIN KEYNOTE REVIEWED
BY TECHNICAL JOURNAL
Printing Art Tells How House Publication Admir-
ably Achieves Its Purpose.
The Printing Art, in its June number, reviews
"The Baldwin Keynote," published by the Baldwin
Piano Co., Cincinnati, among other house publica-
tions, and this is what the reviewer says:
Providing you have had no experience in selling
pianos and organs, you will be interested in noting
the methods used. The Baldwin Keynote, published
by The Baldwin Piano Company, of Cincinnati and
Chicago, is a thirty-page house publication practi-
cally devoted to illustrated testimonials, or illustra-
tions of installations or of prominent owners.
One very well-known owner is shown on the front
cover of Volume IV, Number I, illustrated here. It
seems that a third Baldwin Piano has been selected
by an occupant of the White House, the others hav-
ing been placed there by Mrs. Taft and Mrs. Hard-
ing.
In addition to testimonials, there are fifteen half-
tone reproductions of photographs showing various
arrangements of furniture, including a piano, in the
home.
As this publication is designed to help the selling
force, there are also illustrations of schools, churches,
and homes, where the Baldwin Piano has been placed.
There are illustrations of store windows of various
dealers, so that the salesmen may have some sugges-
tions for arrangement to give dealers.
To assist the sales force, that it may not have to
carry the entire burden of interesting prospects, here
is the Baldwin advertising schedule for 1924:
Advertising space carried in six national maga-
zines. (Their names are given.)
This advertising will feature great international
artists with their endorsement of the Baldwin Piano.
(Our old testimonial plan again.)
This national advertising will be supplemented "by
a great stream of advertising material and dealers'
helps to be used by Baldwin dealers."
That shows a comprehensive understanding of sales
requirements, and if the manufacturing is as care-
fully planned as the sales work, then the Baldwin
must be a good piano.
G. W. Moore has resigned as manager of the
Meridian, Miss., branch of the Southern Piano Co.
to become sales manager for the local store of the
O. K. Houck Piano Co., Knoxville, Tenn.
One Style—One Quality
giving you the
Unequaled Grand
at
Unequaled Price
Already being sold by leading dealers
throughout the country
KURTZMANN
Grands—Players
Manufactured by
C. KURTZMANN & CO.
Write today—tell us your next year's re-
quirements and we will meet your demands
with prompt and efficient service.
Factories and General Offices
Columbian Grand Piano Mfg. Co.
526-536 Niagara Street
BUFFALO, N. Y.
400 W. Erie St.
CHICAGO
The Heppe, Marcellus and Edouard Jules Piano
manufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos In the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented In the United States, Great Britain,
Prance, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only.
Main Office, 1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).