AUSTRALIAN TRADE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 94, 14 January 1939, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN TRADE

Effect Of National Sales Policy

PUBLICITY IN BRITAIN “Ou several occasions I have seen in New Zealand newspapers comments by travellers returning from Great Britain concerning Australian trade pub licity in that' country,” said the Australian Trade Commissioner, Mr. C. E. Critcbley, yesterday.

"As a rule the comments have been critical, and sometimes Australia’s efforts have been compared unfavourably with those of other Dominions. The real facts are of interest. Australia has departed from the blazoning type of advertising, and little use is made of large hoardings and full frontpage advertisements (at huge cost) in the principal London papers, which is the probable explanation why visitors do not see much evidence of the sales force in their travels. The comparative absence of this publicity is the result of the diverting of the funds into a campaign of closer contact with retailers. The results show this to be the most effective publicity that could be desired, the increase in the volume of sales having been amazing. 1 have not yet bad particulars of sales of Australian produce in England in the last two years, but the following figures of previous periods tell the sto ,- y : Average Annual Sales.

National Sales Policy. "These figures show the effect of a national sales policy,” the commissioner states. “The tremendous increase in sales compares more than favourably with the general trend of business between the year 1923 and 1936, and so could have been obtained only as a direct .result of a very vigorous selling campaign. “There is another fact of importance. The number of retailers in Great Britain stocking Australian products has increased from 6000 to 50,000 in the past 10 years. This in itself is excellent commendation and shows the effectiveness of the work of the Director of Australian Trade Publicity. His efforts are not confined to personal canvassing. in 1937 advertisements appeared in 319,000,000 copies of British newspapers and magazines, and other forms of publicity include posters on trams, buses, vans, and hoardings, shop window displays, special exhibitions, movie shows, lectures, broadcasts, pamphlets, booklets and brochures.”

1923 to 1026. 1933 to 1936. Butter . ■ — • 811,552,0001b. 224,769,0001b. 6,775,0001b. 12.412,00111b. Eggs 952,000doz. 19,489,000iloz. Canned fruit . 12,797,0001b. ■10,555,0001b. Sultanas, currants and raisins 52,309,00011). SO,194,0001b. Apples and pears (fresh) 97,707,0001b. 180,986,0001b.