imirv 582 Bus. Admin. Lib. PRINCIPLES UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORN1 AT LOS ANGELES UNIVERSITY of CALTFOR^M AT LOS ANGELES LIBRARY STAH NORMAL StUUUL, . CJUli, Library Graduate S^v^ ol of Business of California Los ^ ie> -eibs 24, California PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING A SYSTEMATIC SYLLABUS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING BY DANIEL STARCH, Ph. D. University of Wisconsin 2 / 3 3 < CF;:.\ The University Cooperative Co., Madison, Wis,. November, 1910. Copyright by D. Starch 1910 Bos. Admin. Library HF 5821 S79p PREFACE This syllabus is designed to be a systematic outline of the fundamental principles of advertising. It is in- tended to serve as a guide for those who wish to make a thorough study of the best literature available on the various topics. The aim in the preparation of the syl- labus has been to formulate and classify the principles and to give the better references on each topic. Good literature in the field of advertising is meager. That a thorough understanding of the facts and prin- ciples of advertising is of considerable value, no one would question. A farmer with energy and common sense may be very successful without the slightest knowl- edge of scientific agriculture. But, other things being equal, the farmer with training in scientific agriculture will be the more successful. Likewise the man with en- ergy and common sense may be highly successful in the practice of advertising without much knowledge of the theoretical facts and principles. But, other things be- ing equal, the man with a thorough knowledge of the facts and principles of advertising will be the more suc- cessful. Scott. Psy. of Ad.. 1-6 ; 152. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 74-78. French, A. and S. of Ad., 17-31 : 47-61. REFERENCES AND ABBREVIATIONS BOOKS. Scott, The Psychology of Advertising, (Psy. of Ad.) / Small, Maynard and Co., Boston. Scott, The Theory of Advertising, (Th. of Ad.) ' Calkins and Holden, Modern Advertising, (Mod. Ad.) D. Appleton and Co., New York. French, The Art and Science of Advertising, (A. and S. of Ad.) Sherman, French and Co., Boston. Lewis, Financial Advertising, (Fin. Ad.) Levey Bros, and Co., Indianapolis. Deweese, Practical Publicity, (Pr. Pub.) Matthews- Northrop Works, Buffalo. James, Psychology, (Psy.) Holt and Co., New York. Angell, Psychology, (Psy.) Holt and Co., New York. Gale, Psychology of Advertising, (Psy. of Ad.) University Book Store, Minneapolis. PERIODICALS. Profitable Advertising, (P. A.) Advertising and Selling Co., New York. Judicious Advertising, (J. A.) Lord and Thomas Publishing House, Chicago. Advertising and Selling, (A. and S.) Advertising and Selling Co., New York. Printers Ink (P. I.) New York. The terms 'ad' and 'ads' will be used throughout for the sake of brevity. CONTENTS Introduction. Part I. Securing Attention. I. Importance of attracting attention in advertising. II. The nature of attention. III. Laws of attracting attention. IV. Perception ease in comprehension and reading of ad- vertisements. V. Eye movement and attention. VI. Artistic attractiveness of advertisements. Part II. Securing Persuasion and Action. I. The text. 1. Description of the article. 2. Advertisable or selling points. 3. Classes of arguments. 4. Relative persuasive power of different argu- ments. 5. Motives appealing to women. 6. Appealing to instincts. 7. Securing action through imitation. 8. Securing action through suggestion. 9. Methods of "keying." II. Manner of expression. III. Mediums. 1. Classes of mediums. 2. Merits and demerits of different mediums. INTRODUCTION Definition. Advertising may provisionally be denned as calling the attention of people to a commodity, and inducing them to buy the commodii-j. Current defini- tions are that "Advertising is salesmanship on paper," or that "The aim of advertising is to attract attention and to sell goods. ' ' Obviously then advertising consists in persuading the public, usually through print, to do cer- tain things. As such, it is an appeal to the minds of the people. All advertising problems are therefore subsidiary to the one main problem, How may adver- tisements He presented in order to influence most effect- ively the minds of possible customers? What is the most appropriate headline? "What is the most attrac- ive form? What are the most "pulling" arguments and points? What is the most effective way of ex- pressing my arguments? What are the most suitable mediums for advertising a given article? What is the best succession of points and arguments either in one advertisement, or in a succession of advertisements, or in a series of follow-up letters? What is most apt to secure response? Etc. All questions have the same ulti- mate aim, to influence people. ^Acknowledgments are due to Prof. Oilman and Prof. But- ler of the department of Business Administration for reading the manuscript and making helpful suggestions. PRINCIPLES OP ADVERTISING 11 The principles of advertising are based, either di- rectly or indirectly, upon psychology. Broadly defined, psychology is the scientific study of mental life the behavior, function, and laws of mental processes. Its central problem is, How does the mind work? To know how to influence the mind through advertising, one should know the workings and laws of the mind. The aim of advertising is twofold, to attract attention and to secure persuasion and action. Accordingly the topics will be divided under these two heads. Calkins and Holden, Mod. Ad., 1-12. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 11-18. NATURE OF ATTENTION 13> PART I. SECURING ATTENTION I. Importance of Attracting Attention in Advertis- ing. Reasons : Lewis, Fin. Ad., 95-96. 1. Reading habit is different today from years ago. More magazines and newspapers pub- lished today. Hence reading is more rapid and skimming. Hence harder for an ad. to- secure attention. 2. Today the number of advertisers has greatly increased. Consequently, it is more difficult to attract attention. In 1870 the Century Mag- azine carried 66 different advertisers; in 1907 it carried 364. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 183. II. The Nature of Attention. 1. What is attention? James, Psy., 217-238. Angell, Psy., 80-108. a. The selecting activity of the mind. b. A fluctuating power. 2. Kinds of attention. James, Psy., 220-226. Angell, Psy., 84-92. a. Voluntary or active. NATURE OF ATTENTION 15 b. Non-voluntary or spontaneous or passive. c. Involuntary or compulsory. The type to which advertising mostly appeals. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 24. 3. Span or scope of attention. Angell, Psy., 96-98. a. For number of units. Scott, Th. of Ad., 6-8. b. Area. French, A. and S. of Ad., 178-180. III. Laws of Attracting Attention. 1. Law of counter attraction. Power of an ob- ject to force itself into our attention depends on the absence of counter attractions. } Scott, Th. of Ad., 9-12. a. Its application to advertising. b. Recent tendency toward better headlines. In 1881 less than 40% of ads in Cen- tury Magazine had good headlines; in 1909 nearly 90% of the ads had good headlines. 2. Law of intensity. The power of an object to attract attention depends upon the intensity of the sensation aroused. J Scott, Th. of. Ad., 12-15. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 13-18. Different ways in which this principle is util- ized: a. Size of type. Gale, Psy. of Ad., 52-54. b. Size of space. The law of attention value of space is: Large space has more than LAWS OP ATTRACTING ATTENTION 17 proportionally greater attention value than small space. Evidence for this: 1). Tests and investigations. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 157-177. 2). Mortality rate of advertisers. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 178-187. 3). Recent tendency toward use of larger space. Increased use of two page ads. / A. and S., 19, 946-948. \ Relative increase in full page ads. In 1892, 18% of advertising space in Century Magazine was given to full page ads, as compared with 43% in 1908. Relative decrease of half page ads. In 1881 the Century Magazine con- tained 2.5 as many half page as full page ads. In 1909 it contained only 0.4 as many half as full page ads. 4). Opinions of advertising experts. P. I., Jan. 6, 1909, p. 39. 5). Why is larger space as a rule more profitable ? c. Color. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 98. 1). Relative attention value of colors. Gale, Psy. of Ad., 55. Scott. Th. of Ad., 14. 2). Practical results of ads. printed in colors. A. and S., 19, 1196. LAWS OF ATTRACTING ATTENTION 19 d. Moving objects arouse stronger sensations. 1). Use in street advertisements. 2). Use of action in pictures of printed ads. In 1881 practically no 'ac- tion' pictures in ads in Century Magazine. In 1886 about 11% of full page ads contained 'action' pictures. In 1909 about 34% full page ads contained action pictures. ( e. Stimulating several senses at once. E. g., thick paper stimulates touch as well as vision. 3. Law of contrast. The attention value of an ^ object depends upon the contrast it forms with surrounding objects. Scott, Th. of Ad., 15-18. Devices used to secure contrast: ^a. Unusual background, e. g. black or color. b. Unusual border, bv^ a <^ _<^CfC^( c. Turning or inverting an ad. Curved and diagonal lines, etc. d. Unusual pictures. e. Unusual ideas, especially in the head line. Advantages and disadvantages of these devices. 4. Laws of primacy and recency. Objects at the beginning and at the end of a series of objects attract more attention. The relation of this principle to preferred positions: a. What are preferred positions? Starch, Psy.of Preferred Positions, J. A., 7, 23. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 93-99. Lewis, Fin. Ad.. 280-296. LAWS OF ATTRACTING ATTENTION 21 1). In Magazines: The last outside cover page. The first inside cover page. The last inside cover page. The page facing the first page of reading matter. The page facing the last page of reading matter. The page facing the last inside cover page. The page facing the table of con- tents. 2). In newspapers : Full positions i.e. entirely surrounded by reading mat- ter. Positions having no other ads on the same page. Positions next to reading matter. The top or bottom of a column. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 280-296. b. Why preferred? Because of greater at- tention value. 1). Seen first and last. 2). Seen by more persons. 3). Seen more frequently. c. Difference in attention value between preferred and non-preferred positions For tests see Starch, J. A., 7, 23-26. 1.) Syllable tests. 2). Tests with advertisements. 3). Relative difference in prices for pre- ferred positions. Starch, J. A., 7, 25. ( LAWS OF ATTRACTING ATTENTION 23 d. Value of different parts of page. See Starch, J. A., 7, 24. See Starch, J. A., 6, 17-19. Gale, Psy. of Ad., 51. 1). Half pages: Upper vs. lower half. 2). Quarter pages. e. The right and left pages. Starch, J. A., 6, 17-19. 5. Law of Repetition. Attention value of an ob- ject depends upon the number of times it comes before us, i. e., on repetition. Scott. Th. of Ad., 24-29. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 11-13. a. How frequently should same ad. be re- peated ? Allison, A. and S.,19, 926-929. b. Is it better to use larger space occasion- ally or small space frequently? c. How much of an ad should be repeated. or be in common to all ads of a given article? e. g. Picture of same person in all ads of an article. ^ Should ads of a given article be placed in the same positions in a given me- dium? 6. Emotion. Attention value of an object de- pends on the intensity of the feelings aroused. Humor, sorrow, fear, curiosity. Scott, Th. of Ad., 29-32. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 47. 7. Attention to human beings. A natural tend- ency to notice other persons. Hence extensive use of pictures of human beings. 8. Commands make deeper impressions. EASE IN COMPREHENSION AND READING 25 IV. Perception Ease in Comprehension and Read- ing of Ads. 1. Principle. The amount of attention and in- Ls terest which an ad arouses, depends upon the ease with which it can be understood. Scott, Th. of Ad., 18-24. 2. An ad should be easy to understand. a. 1). With regard to display words and headlines. Objections to "new- fangled" names of breakfast foods. See P. L, Jan. 20, 1909, p. 40. 2). With regard to pictures and illus- trations. Scott, Th. of Ad., 140-146. 3). With regard to the text. b. Comparative value of relevant and ir- relevant text or cuts. Gale, Psy. of Ad., 41^9. c. Objections to irrelevant matter. 1). Says nothing about the article. 2). Puts antagonistic idea into mind of reader. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 560-570. Scott, Th. of Ad., 141. 3). Attention value is less. 4) . Often gives feeling of being deceived. See A. and S., 19, 1180-1221. d. Present tendency is away from use of ir- relevant material. In 1892 about 15% of ads in magazines used irrelevant cuts or words. In 1909 less than 8% used ir- relevant material. (e. True function of display line. EASE IN COMPREHENSION AND READING 27 1). To attract attention by its size. In a test, two full page ads, which had no display line, were noticed and remembered but once each. All ads with headlines were noticed nine times each. 2). To give the gist of the ad. Hence must be relevant. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 143-145. 3). To convey definite meaning to peo- ple for whom the ad is intended. Scott, Th. of Ad., 154-161. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 143. f. True function of picture. 1). To attract attention. 2). To really illustrate. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 564. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 140-142; 560-593. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 59-75. French, A. and S. of Ad., 217- 227. An ad should be easy to read. Ease in read- ing depends upon : a. The type used. Plain better than fancy type. Lower case better than caps. French A. and S. of Ad., 208-216. P. A., Oct. 1908, 524. Lewis, Fin. Ad.. 108-124; 594-609. Scott, Th. of Ad.. 119-129; 138-139. EASE IN COMPREHENSION AND READING 29 The length r.f th lines (3 in. better than s very long or very short lines.) * French, A. and S. of Ad., 170-180. J. A., Oct. 1908, 108. |c. The background white ordinarily better " than colored or black background. Black print on white paper can be read about 40% more rapidly than white print on black paper. Xd. The distribution of letters and words. Cf. Worst Ad. contest, P. I., Apr. 7, 1909, p. 76. V. Eye Movement and Attention. 1. General Principles : a. The focus of the eye is usually coincident with the focus of attention. b. Whatever arrests eye movement arrests attention, e. g. a cross line over a long horizontal line tends to stop the eye at the cross line. Scott, Th. of Ad., 165. 2. Devices used in ads for arresting eye move- ment : Borders keep eyes from slipping over the page. True functions of borders: 1 ) . To arrest eye movement as indicated. 2). Hence to set off one ad from an- other This especially necessary for ads smaller than a page. 3). To decorate the ad. This is rarely useful and only for some articles. a EYE MOVEMENT AND ATTENTION 31 Border should be simple. If too elaborate it is apt to distract from the ad itself. Bates, Art and Literature of Business, 1, 195-198. b. Circles concentrate eye movement within limited area. c. Diagonals and curved lines designed to di- rect the eye to certain desired points in ad. d. Dividing the page into right and left halves instead of top and bottom halves provides a vertical division line, hence is" apt to stop the eye on both ads. The re- cent tendency to divide pages into vertical rather than horizontal halves. e. All illustrations and lines should direct the eye to the ad and not away from it. See A. and S., 19, 1594. VI. Artistic Attractiveness of Advertisements. 1. Fundamental principles: a. Attention to advertisement should be at- tracted agreeably. b. A beautiful advertisement is more apt to- secure the good will of the reader and thus more apt to influence and persuade him. The pleased reader is optimistic and more ready to act. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 22-29. French, A. and S. of Ad., 64-69. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 121. c. A beautiful advertisement holds the at- tention longer. In constructing attract- ARTISTIC ATTRACTIVENESS 33 ive advertisements the following points must be considered: ( 2. Form or proportion of ads. French, A. and S. of Ad., 70-75. a. Pleasing proportions and forms : 1). The "Golden Section" or "Golden Cut, " is a rectangle whose sides are as 1 :1.62. It is considered the most pleasing proportion. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 29-33. 2). The "Apparent Square" whose di- mensions are apparently 1 to 1, or mathematically the vertical is to the horizontal side as 1 is to 1.03. See Scott, Psy. of Ad., 31. 3). The "Double Square," whose sides are 1 to 2. 4). The circle. 5). The oval with proportions the same as the "Golden Section." The short axis is to the onlg axis as 1 is to 1.62. b. Evidences for the preference of the ' ' Golden Cut ' ' as the most pleasing pro- portion. 1). Objects in general use, such as books, envelopes, cards, stationery, windows, doors, etc., are near that size. 2). Experiments show that the golden cut is chosen most frequently as the most agreeable form. c. Proportions of ads as they appear in magazines. ARTISTIC ATTRACTIVENESS 35 1). The full page ad is usually 5y 2 by 2). The quarter page ad has the same proportion of 1 :1.50. 3). The half -page is usually 4 by 5% in. or 1:1.33. 4). The horizontal quarter is usually 2 by 514 in. or 1:2.7. 5). The vertical half page ad. is 2% by 8% or 1 :3. Hence 1) and 2) have most nearly the pro- portions of the golden section. In book- lets, circulars, etc., the ad writer can select the most desirable dimensions. The diffi- culty of the long single column ads is solved by dividing the column into smaller sections. P. A., 19,1204. /3. Balance of the parts of an ad. a. Location of central feature. It should ordinarily be slightly above the mathe- matical center. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 34-37. b. Right and left, or horizontal, balance. Parts on the right of the central feature should be counterbalanced by parts that appear equally heavy on the left side, such as cuts and paragraphs of print. c. Upper and lower, or vertical, balance. Upper and lower sections should coun- terbalance. The lower section should be slightly heavier to prevent top-heaviness. ARTISTIC ATTRACTIVENESS 37 Harmony. a. Structure and appearance of an ad should harmonize with the article adver- tized. Thus a millinery ad should ordi- narily be different from a hardware ad. The former should emphasize artistic points, the latter strength and durabil- ity. b. The parts of an ad should harmonize with one another, with respect to: 1). Border some articles may be en- hanced with a decorative border. 2). Quality and kind of paper. French, A. and S. of Ad., 228-242. 3). Tone that is, the appropriate de- gree of greyness or blackness, the proper proportions of black and white. French, A. and S. of Ad., 78-80. P. I., Apr. 6, 1910, p. 87. 4). Colors. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 610. A. and S., 19, 1067. 5). Styles of type. Three principles should determine the style of type: a). It should be easy to read. b). Fancy type should be used only when it adds to the effectiveness of the ad. c). Not more than one of__two dif- ferent type faces should be used in one ad. French, A. and S. of Ad., 210 A. and S., 19, 650-652. ARTISTIC ATTRACTIVENESS 39 5. Ideas presented in an ad should not be dis- agreeable or disgusting. Scott, Th. of Ad., 107-115. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 121-124. P. I., Apr. 27, 1910, p. 10. 6. Classes of commodities requiring emphasis on artistic features foods, clothing, jewelry, household furnishings, etc. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 188-214. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 157-166. THE TEXT. 41 PART II. SECURING PERSUASION AND ACTION The ultimate aim of every ad is to persuade the reader to act, either to purchase or to inquire ; or at least to in- crease his desire for the article. To accomplish these ends, three topics must be considered : 1. The arguments and points to be presented in the text of the ad. 2. The manner of expressing these facts, whether in words or in illustrations or in both. 3. The mediums in which the ad is to be presented^ I. The Text Description and argument. 1. Description of the article. a. In the absence of the article itself, the ad must present such a vivid and precise description that the reader can fully picture it in his mind. Hence descrip- tion must arouse mental images. b. "What is a mental image? James, Psy., 302-311. Angell, Psy., 199. c. Classes of mental images. Scott,"Th. of Ad.,~194-204. d. To describe an object in terms of its images gives as concrete an idea of it to DESCRIPTION OF ARTICLE 43 the reader as is possible without having the object before him. Scott, Th. of Ad., 208-211. P. I., Apr. 6, 1910, p. 92. e. Arouse as many images as possible. Scott, Th. of Ad., 204-207. f. The description of articles appealing pri- marily to one sense should emphasize the images of that sense, e. g. musical in- struments and auditory images, food and taste images, etc. Scott, Th. of Ad., 211-288. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 157-165. P. A., 17, 460-461. 2. Advertisable or selling points and arguments. a. The necessity of presenting definite points and specific facts. No generalities. Deweese, Pr. Pub. 37-49. French, A. and S. of Ad., 187-191. P. A., 17, 1244-1269. b. How to secure definite points. Thoroughly understand the article. 1). The material of which it is made. 2). The workmanship in producing it. 3). Its various uses. 4). Its appearances. 5). Its economic aspects. See A. and S., 19, 66. c. Steps in securing decision. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 93-105. 3. Classes of Arguments. a. General. These apply to all articles that may be advertised. CLASSES OF ARGUMENTS 45 1 ) . Reliability and age of the firm. 2). Quality of the article. 3). Price and economic advantages. b. Specific. In addition to the general ar- guments, each commodity has special arguments, e. g. food ads may empha- size sanitary and healthful qualities., taste, nutritive qualities, convenience in preparing and serving of the food, etc. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 201. 4. Relative persuasive power of the different types of argument. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 116-125, 153-156. French, A. and S. of Ad., 148-155. a. Tests and experience show that the ef- fectiveness of different argument is usual- ly as follows : 1). Agejind reliability of the firm. 2). Attractiveness of the ad. 3). High jnialities of the article. 4). Cheapness. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 122-125. Gale, Psy. of Ad., 59-67. b. Honesty The most fundamental general motive. 1). An ad must give every appearance of honesty. Must not arouse sus- picion. 2). The guarantee and backing of the firm. P. A., 16, 628. A. and S., 19, 837. PERSUASIVE POWER OF ARGUMENTS 47 Bates, Art & Literature of Busi- ness, 2, 363; 5, 62. a). By giving statement of definite guarantee, b). By use of trade mark. (1). Definition A mark or name which iden- tifies an article as made or sold by a certain firm. Hence a guarantee of reli- ability, a business asset, a protection to the maker. (2). To be effective it should appear in ev- ery ad of the article. P. A. 18, 1002. P. I., Jan. 12, 1910. p. 68. A.andS. 19, 490, 510, 1349-1352. 3). Types of dishonest ads. a). Objectionable medical ads cure-alls, b). Financial ads of unusually large returns. c). Many ads guaranteeing em- ployment and offering defi- nite salary. d). Many ads of things " absolutely free." Collier's Weekly, June 19. 1909, p. 19. PERSUASIVE POWER OF ARGUMENTS 49 4). Dishonest methods in advertising perfectly reliable goods. Bates, Art & Literature of Business 2, 186-8. c. Importance of giving the price. Gives definiteness to the ad. P. A., 16, 482. P. A., 15, 36. P. I., Feb. 2, 1910, p. 50. 5. Motives appealing to women. P. A., 17,586. P. A., 18, 1100. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 111. a. Large share of articles purchased by women. b. Women more attracted by: 1). Artistic ads tests indicate that women are influenced 30% more frequently by "artistic ads" than men. Gale, Psy. of Ad., 68. 2). Bargains. 6. Appealing to instincts. a. What are instincts? James' Psy., 391-414. Angell, Psy., 339-345. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 52-55. b. Appeals to instincts are most apt to in- fluence one's actions. Instincts are the most deeply ingrained parts of human nature. Hence appeals to instincts in ads. APPEALING TO INSTINCT 51 c. Appeals to individualistic instincts. Scott, Psy. oTAdT, 56-67. 1). Food, clothing, possession, con- struction. d. Appeals to racial or altruistic instincts. Scott, Psy r~of~Ad.y 68-74. 1). Parental. 2). Social. e. Appeals to intellectual instincts. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 75-79. 1). Curiosity. Illustrations of ap- pealing to curiosity, see P. A., 18, 896. 2). Moral. 3). Pleasure. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 185-194. 7. Securing action through imitation. 3. Importance of imitation in producing ac- tion. Much of our action is imitation of others. Advertising may cause peo- ple to imitate in the desired ways b. Types of imitation. 1). Voluntary. 2). Involuntary or unconscious. Evidences of unconscious imitation. a). Various kinds of involun- untary actions. Stratton, Exp. Psychology and Culture, 199-208. b). Mob imitation, fads, etc. Scott, Th. of Ad., 55-61, Ross, Social Psychology, 63-82. SECURING ACTION THROUGH IMITATION 53 c. Practical principles of appealing to imi- tation through ads. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 38-51. P. A., 17, 102. 1). Construct your advertisement so that it presents action which the prospective customer is apt to imitate. This must be done in two ways. Through picture and illustra- tion of persons using the ad- vertised article. Through viv- id description of such action. 2). We imitate those persons whom we admire. Hence no actions or situations should be presented in advertisements which are dis- agreable or below the standard of living of those to whom the ads are intended to appeal. 3). We imitate more readily if we know that many others are do- ing this same thing. Hence use of testimonials. These must be genuine and unsolicited. P. A., 15,23. For illustration of ad appealing to imitation see Colgate contest, P. I., Jan. 12, 1910, p. 10. Securing action through suggestion. French, A. and S. of Ad., 192-198. P. A., 17, 362. a. Meaning and significance of suggestion. C SECURING ACTION THROUGH SUGGESTION 55 1). Definition. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 80-81. 2). Suggestion and the ideo-motor principle. Scott, Th. of Ad., 47-54. James, Talks, to Teachers, 171. 3). Suggestion vs. reasoning. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 82-84. 4). Universality. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 81-82. b. Practical principles of utilizing sugges- tion in advertising. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 84-92. ri). Suggestion should be definite. The direct command. Scott, Th. of Ad., 62-78. /2). Suggestion presented repeatedly has accumulative effect. 3). Suggestion is reinforced by per- sonal authority. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 89. /4). Avoid any opposing suggestion. /5). Suggestion should have every semblance of being true. J6). Suggestion is more effective . with small inexpensive than with large articles. (c. The Coupon a specific application of suggestion. Scott. Th. of Ad., 79-95. 9. Methods of " keying "methods for deter- mining the effectiveness of different ads and different mediums. METHODS OF KEYING. 57 a. Early but unreliable method of "please mention" this paper or magazine. b. Request to cut out and send the ad. c. The return coupon which identifies the ad and the medium. d. Use of different addresses of same firm in the different ads. e. g. F. A. Smith & Co. or Smith & Co., etc. Calkins & Holden, Mod. Ad., 261-270. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 151-156. II. Manner of Expression. 1. Short,, concise^ and forceful words. 2. No long sentences. 3. No meaningless phrases. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 172. 4. Many paragraphs. 5. Correct diction. P. I., Jan. 5, 1910, p. 28. P. A., 15, 33. Bates, Art and Literature of Business, 1, 192-194. 6. Few or no superlatives. No brag. P. A., 17, 606. 7. Personal andjlirect. Bates," Art and Literature of Business, 4, 313-315; 233-238. A. and S., 19, 587. P. I., Apr. 13, 1910, p. 18. Apr. 20, 1910, p. 35. 8. Positive, no negative statement. TTT; Jan. 5, 1910, p. 28. Jan. 12, 1910, p. 16. MANNER OP EXPRESSION 59 9. Seldom or never use rhymes or jingles. Calkins and Holden, Mod. Ad., 317-332. 10. Style and argument suited to class of people to whom ad is directed. Scott, Th. of Ad., 154-161. { 11. Length of text. Depends on the article. E. g. an automo- bile ordinarily needs longer text than soap. Depends on familiarity of public with the article. Unknown article needs longer text. A. and S., 19, 208. 12. Order of points. A. andS., 19, 382. a. The "you" sentence or phrase which arouses interest and states some direct point. This usually the function of the headline. b. Description and specific reasons for your proposition. c. Defensive points, if needed to answer ob- jections. d. Emphasis on price. e. Guarantee of satisfaction. f. How and where to obtain article. g. Solicitation to some action. III. Mediums. 1. Classes of Mediums. a. Printed periodicals. 1). Newspapers daily and weekly. 2). General magazines. CLASSES OF MEDIUMS 61 3). Trade journals. Engineering, business, profession- al, farm journals, etc. 4). House organs. b. Billboards and outdoor advertising. c. Street railway cards. d. Letters, circulars, booklets, catalogues. e. Handbills. f. Miscellaneous Directories, theatre pro- grams, calendars, blotters, novelties, etc. 2. Merits and demerits of different mediums, a. What determines value of a medium? 1). Number of people it reaches. a). What is exact circulation? b). In what territory does it cir- culate ? c). What proportion is the circu- lation of the total population in that territory? 2). Class of people it reaches. a). Who are the people indus- trial, social, religious, educa- tional status, b). Where do they live country small cities, or large cities, c). What is their income and hence their purchasing power? Calkins and Holden, Mod. Ad., 286-305. French, A. & S., 19 942. MERITS OF DIFFERENT MEDIUMS 63 3). Standard of advertising accepted. The confidence readers have in mediums. Scott, Th. of Ad., 96-106. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 246. P. L, Apr. 14, 1909, p. 42. P. A., 17,599-603. 4). Adaptation of medium to article. b. Newspapers. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 206-227. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 226-248. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 77-84. Calkins & Holden, Mod. Ad., 81-87. P. I., Mar. 16, 1910, p. 3. 1). Merits and uses. a). For quick results, b). For local products and con- cerns and also for national campaigns. 2). Defects. a). No uniform high standard. P. I., Feb 2, 1910, p. 30. b). Many refuse to give reliable statement of circulation. A. and S. 19, 1213. cf. Dept. of circulation in P. I. c. General magazines. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 251-279. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 85-91. Calkins & Holden, Mod. Ad., 63-81. 1). For national products. MERITS OP DIFFERENT MEDIUMS 65 2). For products in demand the entire year as well as in special seasons. 3). Text in magazine ad should be different from newspaper ad. Mental attitude of reader is dif- ferent. Newspaper is skimmed hurriedly while magazine is read more leisurely, hence text may be fuller. 4). Are more reliable and discriminat- ing in accepting advertising. P. I., Jan. 19, 1910, p. 148. Feb. 9, 1910, p. 39. 5). Purchasing power. Magazine read- ers are found almost entirely among families with annual in- come of $900 or more. d. Trade Journals. 1). Go to special classes. 2). Hence little waste circulation. 3). Readers more confident in their professional journals. A. and S., 19. 72 and 204. e. Street railway advertising. Scott, Psy. of Ad., 215-225. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 297-310. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 177-184. Calkins & Holden, Mod. Ad., 88-94. 1). Cards in street cars read leisurely and repeatedly. 2). This tends to increase importance of the article advertised. MERITS OP DIFFERENT MEDIUMS 67 3). Cards in street cars are usually last ads seen by the shopper on the way to make purchases. 4). Text must be brief and of the dis- play character. f. House organ. A. and S., 19, 1083. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 392-420. 1). With proper mailing list there is little or no waste circulation. 2). Is more apt to receive attention be- cause not crowded in with a lot of other ads. 3). Can give complete and detailed in- formation and arguments. 4). Can be used in nearly all lines of business. g. Billboards and outdoor advertising. Calkins & Holden, Mod. Ad., 94-100. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 311-318. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 211-222. h. Letters and follow-up systems. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 421-450. Deweese, Pr. Pub., 127-142. French, A. and S. of Ad., 267-278. A. and S., 19,244. P. I., Apr. 13, 1910, p. 18, and Apr. 20, 1910, p. 35. i. Booklets and folders. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 353-391. French, A. and S. of Ad., 255-266. j. Miscellaneous. Lewis, Fin. Ad., 320-352. University of California Library Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. Libra ry LOS- University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. 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