SCIENCE OF PUBLICITY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 July 1925, Page 8

SCIENCE OF PUBLICITY.

MODERN ADVERTISING

WORK OF MESSRS. J. ILOTT, LTD. There are still a number of people breathing New Zealand air who think of aa advertising agency as a rather gloomy office in which sits a man who, with the aid of an office boy and typist, makes a living by accepting advertisements for insertion in various newspapers. There are others who picture a room filled with men who have the knack of drawing pretty girls and pointing fingers. There are still others but there are so many misconceptions that it- is more interesting to correct than to examine them (says the New Zealand Free Lance). Our representatives recently received an invitation from Messrs. J. Ilott, Ltd., to visft their newly acquired premise* on the south-west corner of Jervois Quay and Harris Street, and well styled Publicity House. Knowing that Ilott' s is the first organisation iii Australasia devoted exclusively to advertising, to own its own home, we were curious to see the inside of the handsome three-storey corner building which has been remodelled to meet the needs of this large and progressive house. It will come as a surprise to many readers to know that there are no fewer than seventy people on the staff of J. Ilott, Ltd., and when it is remembered that this organisation has branch offices in Auckland, Christchurch., and Dunedin, an associate house in Sydney, and special representatives jn London, some plea of the' growth of advertising as a definite essential of modern business can b e gained. The fact is that the term “Advertising Agent” is a misnomer. It does not describe a- fraction of the activities of such a concern as J. Ilott, Ltd. By accompanying" the New Zealand Free Lance representatives on his tour of Publicity House, as the Ilott building is aptly'called, the reader will, receive interesting evidence of this point.

The Ilott organisation occupies the whole -of the second and third floors of this large building. Our first impression is one which reminds us of illustrations in “Efficiency” magazines. There is a bright “busy-ness” about these offices: an excellent atmosphere which makes the idle onlooker feel something of 'an interloper. Facing the head of the stairs is a properly appointed reception counter. The girl who greets us has a smile which speaks volumes for the spirit of the firm. In a couple of minutes we are shaking hands- with a leading executive in the Conference Room. MODERN EQUIPMENT. “I suppose we’d better begin at the fountain head,” said the executive, and leads us to a comfortably furnished corner office overlooking the sea. The Managing Director being away from his natural haunt, we are able to enter. - ‘ ‘What’s that box-like affair at the side of the desk, which looks as though it were a distant relation of the telephone?” we ask. “Dictagraph,” comes the answer, “We use this system right through the building. It saves any amount of time and running about. Suppose Mr. Ilott wants to speak to the accountant, or vice versa, it’s simply a matter of pushing down the button over his name. No need to get out- of your chair. You can speak to any executive or department- head by speaking in. the direction of the box—no receivers or ear-phones are necessary. 1

“Good stuff! We’d heard of dictahpones, but ” “We use those, too. We believe that time and money are much the same thing.” The room leading off from the office of the managing director is the board room. It also houses the comprehensive library which is operated for the benefit of the staff. Quite 'apart from the offices of the general manager and the assistant manager is the conferenceroom. “Not only is this room set aside for'interviews and consultations,” said our guide, “hut it is here that advertising campaigns are horn. x\s soon as a manufacturer requests us to prepare suggestions for a campaign, a conference is called in this room. It is attended by the campaign executive, the chief of copy staff, and the production manager. The selling policy of the campaign is dischssed, the style of illustrations and copy, the matter of blocks and stereos, and the main lines of the whole scheme. Now, com e with me to the'end of the passage.”

A door is opened revealing an office remote from noise and disturbance, and - —by unwritten law —allowed to escape from th e general rule of strict tidiness. “Chief copywriter and his assistant,” announces the executive. “This department is responsible' for interpreting, jn advertising ideas, words and 'pictures, the' sales policy decided’ upon in confer, ence. Their job is ideas. They write the copy and decide how that copy should be illustrated and presented.”

' ILLUSTRATIONS. “I)o they actually draw the illustrations ? ’ ’ “Oh, no. If you will com e upstairs a moment I will show you the Ilott studio. Wo go up to the third storey and discovei —in an airy, well-lighted studio—a large.group of white-overallod artists, producing the illustrations which will help to sell goods through the medium of the printed page. “Here at Tlott’s,” we are told, “we insist on an exceptionally high standard of art work. In order to do this, we retain only artists of more than usual ability. Versatility is a. sine qua, non, and Cur artists here regard it as a matter of personal pride to produce the best stuff in New Zealand.” “What happens to an advertisement, when the copy has been written and the drawings completed?” “The copy and the drawing go to the production manager, whose section is on the floor lie low—a nd a very important section it is. In the production department are experts in problems reflating to blocks and the setting in type of the letterpress. The production manager is intimately acquainted with the work of printing and engraving. He knows how long it should take to perform certain work, and so he is able to keep a check on work carried out for the organisation by various printers and process workers. It is his duty to see that proofs are passed correctly, that .all the type matter is properly displayed, and that all details of size and reproduction are faithfully carried out. As soon as the engraver has transformed the artist’s drawing into metal, and as soon as the printer has set the copy-writer’s letterpress into type, the production department corrects the proofs and makes a layout showing the printer how type and block are to be

combined. When this has keen done.: the forme containing both type and blocks is sent to the engraver who makes a metal cast of the whole thing. This metal cast is called a stereo. “And so a. complete stereo of the advertisement is sent to every newspaper?” “Yes. That method ensures that it is almost impossible for a typographical error to appear in the advertisement, it ensures that the advertisement will l>e absolutely correct and uniform in every newspaper which displays it. Ft obviates error and dissatisfaction. Of course, this plan is not followed in tlic case of a single insertion. In these instances the paper itself usually sets the announce merit.” FILING EFFICIENCY. Adjoining the production department is another very important feature of the modern advertising agency—a feature which J. Ilott, Ltd., veloped to a very high degree of efficiency —the filing department. It will pc easily understood that in the advertising business the amount of correspondence; inter-departmental memoranda, data, etc., is extremely voluminous. Only tlie most- modern filing systems are employed. Records are kept with the utmost accuracy, and it is not surprising that a specially trained clerk must be detained to deal exclusively with this section of the business. Our representative was specially interested in a large section of filing cabinets containing nothing except information and data dealing with hundreds of lines of advertised goods. This is added to daily; the leading American. English, Canadian, and Australian newspapers and magazines are carefully watched for further information on ‘each subject. Members of the creative staff are kept constantly sup. plied with the latest overseas periodicals, in order that they may keep pace with the latest and most effective trend of advertising treatment.

CHECKING DEPARTMENT. It will be apparent that the iivtricate- accounting called for by the very nature of the advertising business makes an intricate system, of internal checking @f J- Ilott, Ltd., which is under the control of an Associate of the Now Zealand Institute of Accountants, has laid down systems which are °f great interest to business men generally, and it is no wonder that this department plays a big .part ill the affairs .of the organisation. Indeed, the staff includes two■ qualified F.F.A.N.Z. It should bg remembered that in no ease is an advertiser charged for his advertising untn the advertisements have been actually checked. A special department, ! called the Checking ( Department, and carrying quite a 'hvrge staff, is engaged in checking up clients’ announcements in all newspapers. The department ! is responsib«e for seeing that instructions regarding position, frequency of insertions, etc., are observed to the letter. Any mistakes are immediately recorded and dealt- with. Incidentally, the possibility” - of error is reduced to a minimum; RETAIL ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT. Occupying a considerable portion, of the top floor" is the Retail Advertising ■Department. This section is in charge of nil expert in retail advertising. The writers in this section, are engaged in the preparation of advertisements tor retailers up and down the country who place advertising in their local papers. For a monthly fee these advertisements are written find illustrated with blocks from what i* admitted to be one of the most comprehensive series available in New-Zealand. Quite apart from dictaphone operators, eight stenographers are constantly employed dealing with the large correspondence called for by the business of this house. And as we left the building we were followed by the sound of the typewrite re industriously clicking out that message of progress wliich is the motif of Ilott’s every-day work.