STANDARDS OF LIVING.

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1936, Page 12

STANDARDS OF LIVING.

CO-OPERATIVE SUCCESS. Propaganda in essence is merely the placing of information before the public with the purpose of affecting community thought and action (states the ‘‘Newspaper News," Sydney). It may be, and often is, beneficient, as, for instance, in the “Say It With Flowers” campaign in America, and the “Flowers by Wire” in England, upon which complete services of delivery of flowers have been built up, not only throughout America and Eng. land, but across the world. To-day one may walk into a flower shop even in small American towns and order flowers for birthday parties or wedding events taking place in other parts of the world as casually as buying an immediate buttonhole, pay your money, and rely upon delivery within a few hours from receipt of order. If one is a regular customer of the florist the local transaction may be done by telephone. These simple world-encompassing sales date from, when some bright soul persuaded florists to co-operate in using the slogan on every piece of printed matter used, to plaster their windows with stickers, and simultaneously put out announcements, leaflets, and booklets. Newspaper and poster advertising kept up long-con-tinued support. Like procedure with ordering of posies, bouquets, wreaths, and boxes of flowers is available in Australia, but is not much known nor sought, nor catered to. It should be possible of development as a higher standard of living concomitant of the several vital statistics events ever recurring parallel with the lives of 61 millions of people. It should sell more flowers and create more employment.

The secret of the success of the idea in the first place, was mass publicity attractively presented and long continued. The crisp slogan was an essential to capture public imagination. Raisins were made a usual table dish by like means, and even to become a juvenile confection. Winter ice cream was popularised by judicious advertising by all means at disposal, displays in suburban and country newspapers being as well set as any. Tea sales were many times increased in the United States even after a false start, against active political and racial opposition, and the popular predilection for coffee. Organised publicity by booksellers could increase book sales; by vegetable growers the use of more unused varieties; by fruit growers more fruits might be popularised, fresh and dried; by wool growers wool might be reinstated in lost territory; by printers, to bring these items and others to the notice of various associations, accompanied by research factors indicating possibilities and probabilities. included among which are I that highest standards of living have! not yet been reached, and that an ini-1 mouse local market exists that but needs informing. Within the last weeks both New South Wales vegetable growers and Australian wool producers have practically asked for help. Advertising and printing are their life lines. But they need telling—by co-operative advertising.