NEW ZEALAND MANUFACTURES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17315, 29 November 1921, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND MANUFACTURES.

AN EXPERTS OPINION. "The average Australian, whether consumer, retailer or wholesaler, is a whole-hearted and enthusiastic supporter of any product made in the Commonwealth."

Thus Mr J. M. A. Tlott. of the wellknowu firm of advertising agents cf that name, in a very interesting article, in a AVellington trade journal, from which we make the following excerpt : There are. of course, many reasons which account for this state of affairs, but one or them undoubtedly is the fact that the Australian manufacturer is proud of his product, and that he has been far-sighted enough to see that education of the public mind by means of advertising is one of the essentials to maintain his market and develop his business. Large advertising allocations are made each year, not only by individual firms, but also by groups of associated manufacturers. Year in and vear out, various associations have recognised that they must acquaint the public of the facts regarding their respective industries. an£ money has thus been allocated regularly towards aggressive and persistent advertising. The splendid results of this policy were particularly noticeable in May last, when Manufacturers' Week was held in Svdney.. The windows of almost every important retailer, were entirely given over to displays of Australianmade products, covering; every possible articlei —from paints to perambulators, 1 from woollens to proprietary remedies. Wonderfully effective window shows of locally produced articles were made by the huge departmental stores —Farmers', David Jones', Hordern's, Foy's—and by scores of otlters. The newspapers assisted with special issues dealing with local industry generally, while every journal contained scores of advertisements telling the public of the merits of locally produced goods, and why the Australian should purchase an Australian-made product. Similar methods must be employed if the New Zealand manufacturer is to secure his fair share of the trade of the Dominion. Advertising must be utilised —the consumer must be told why he should buy New Zealand-made goods, and the reasons in favour of the local product must be advanced consistently and persistently. The lack of orders and consequent unemployment now existing in so many industries could be used as the keynote of a really strong series of advertisements telling Maoruanders why they should support the products of the local factory or mill. It may be urged by some manufacturer who reads this that the amount he could spend in advertising the products of his comparatively small factory would not enable Ihim to make ,a sufficiently strong appeal- In reply, it must be remembered that it is always possible for him to concentrate his expenditure into some specific territory which, he can develop most efficiently. Havinjr built his business effectively In that district he can then add territory after territory to his field of operations until eventually he is covering tlhe Dominion as a whole. This is known as the zone plan, and it has been cmp.oyed suqcessfully by some of the largest and most successful advertisers of today. Starting in a small way, they concentrated their advertising expenditure into & specific district, and gradually extended their operations until the Dominion was covered. Another way in whidh the disabilities of the small manufacturer can bq overcome is by means of group advertising. This has been used with, marked effect by many trades in tho United States and" Canada, in the Homeland, and in Australia. Probably many readers of these pages have seen thei advertisements on behalf of the Scottish Woollen Manufacturers' Association. This Association is said to have allocated £50.000 for advertising during 1921, and the bulk of this sum was spent in the newspapers of the Motherland. Strong and effective advertisements are being used in a long list, of journals, and the campaign provides for continuous advertising throughout Uha twglv© months.

Another very interesting campaign wbich is running in England just, at the present time la that on behalf or the Associated Straw Hat Manufacturers. This trade group waa faced; with exceptional difficulties, and it waa felt tlhat they could best be overcome) by each manufacturer contributing to an advertising fund, based on a fair ratio of contribution, the entire_ sum being utilised in newspaper advertising. The advertisements tell why straw hats should be worn, particularly the British, straw hat. They do not refer to any individual brand, but. endeavour to stimulate the purchase of straw (hats generally and -particularly to convince the. reader that it is essential that the straw hat which ho purchases is of. British manufacture.

The group, advertising of Irish linen is another case in point. Some three or four years ago the various linen manufacturers in Ireland came to the conclusion' (hat advertising was essential in order to stimulate the demand ior their products. Some of them still conduct individual campaigns, but in addition to these they contribute in conjunction with all other linen manufacturers to a fund which is expended in advertising Irish linen generally. The campaign is conducted in the name of the Irish Linen Society, and very large sums of money are being spent in newspaper and trade paper advertising in England and also in the United Stdtfb and Canada.

Of special interest to our manufacturers is the advertising campaign which is running this year on behalf of the Shoe Manufacturers' Associations of Canada. This group of "Canadian traders is placed in precisely the same position which faces many New Zealand manufacturers to-day. A huge quantity of imported boots had been brought into Canada, whil e the so-call-ed "Buyers' Strike" commenced operations at about the same period. It was felt that there was danger of wreckage in this industry which employs some 70,000 workers, so the committee of the Association met and decided that an advertising campaign was imperative. A levy was agreed upon which enabled every manufacturer to contribute his quota towards the fund as a whole, and the money was expended in large and effective newspaper advertisements addressed to the Canadian buyer, and stressing the reasons why he should purchaso only boots and shoes which had been made in Canadian factories.

The general attitude of the American manuff cturer towards advertising is markedly more sympathetic than that Srevailing in the Motherland, and in ;ritwh Dominions, and therefore the examples which have heen quoted m this article have heen those of operalions on behalf o? manufacturers of the British Empire. Many fimrlar instanoes could be quoted from the United Staes—showing how the members of various associations of manufacturers have g°t together each paying his share towards general advertising campaign, designed to develop the. demand tor the products of that particular industry.