ADVERTISING N.Z. BUTTER.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 144, 3 June 1911, Page 11

ADVERTISING N.Z. BUTTER.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —When an American millionaire was asked for the secret of getting rich he replied, “Advertise,” and when Mr. Mills (Mills, and Sparrow) was in New Zealand the dairymen asked him how to popularise New Zealand butter at Home, he gave the some answer,. “Advertise.”

In the past JTew Zealand butter has been unknown to the British consumer because it has been always sold by the grocer as “finest butter” along with other finest butter. The shrewdest business men have pointed out that if the British public ask the shopman, for New Zealand butter he will have to supply it or lose his trade. If the public use our butter the? will take it and insist on gettingit regularly, for we are told it has no superior in quality at Home. Experience has taught that the benefits derived from advertising are gradual—the harvest is notreaped all at once —the public in timid; it takes time to gain confidence, but once gained, it holds on. 1911 is the first year on record when New Zealand butter has been prominently brought under th® notice of the British public, and if the good work done is continued m - the future the benefits to New' Zealand will assuredly be worth the effort and cost. The credit for this first advertising campaign is due to the National Dairy Association of New Zealand and Messrs. Mills and Sparrow, ona of their agents in London, who spent a sum approaching £3OOO in advertising this season. The principal work of the campaign was to arrange with about 900 retailersthroughout Britain to have on February 16th a large attractive window display of New Zealand butter in their shops. Mills and Sparrow supplied striking bills and cards to assist in this. Then in anticipation of this large advertisements were inserted in all of the leading daily papers and trade journals calling attention to the excellence, etc., of New Zealand butter, and on the display day the advertisements called attention to the display, and the “Daily Mail” devoted the whole of its first page to a most remarkable advertisement, ’ naming shops in almost every town

where New Zealand butter could be bought. Most of the papers also printed a short article referring to New Zealand butter. Some evidence of the effect the advertising has had may be learnt from one of Mills and Sparrow’s letters, it reads :— “This morning we have letters to hand with reference to this display, and we cannot do better than give you one from a retailer in Canterbury, this reads:— “‘ I must thank you for the parcel of cards, tin. tickets, copies of the Daily Mail, etc., which came safely to hand yesterday. You will be glad to hear I have had splendid results from, the advertisement. Unfortunately to-day has been a short day* as we close at one o’clock on Thursdays; still, I had a very

busy morning, with strangers coming in for New Zealand butter, saying they had seen my name in the Daily Mail as keeping it. I had a box turned out on the chunter and made as good’ a show as possible, and am delighted with the result, for which again many thanks.’ “The final result, however, of. this display with this man yesterday is more satisfactory, because* while he had one box down at the start the result of the day’s trading was so good that he ordered six more boxes, so there is not merely the empty form of thank* but practical proof of the benefit arriving, not only to him, but to ourselves and to the factory, from this advertisement.”

On display day New Zealand butter was quoted at 106/-, and Danish at 124/-, a difference of 18/per cwt., from that day forward New Zealand has improved its price and Danish declined, until to-day the difference is only 3/- per cwt. Did the display and continued advertisement help? If the standard price of New Zealand butter i» raised only If- per cwt., it means an increase to the New Zealand dairy farmers of £20,000 per annum. Surely it will pay the farmers to support the National Dairy Association of New Zealand in its desire to complete the most effective selling and advertising organisation possible pt Home.— I am, etc.,

E. GRIFFITHS & CO. New Plymouth, May, 1911.