INGENUITY AND COURAGE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3439, 5 March 1932, Page 6

INGENUITY AND COURAGE

VALUE IN SELLING. Mr. Gilbert T. Hodges, of the New York Sun, in an article concerning the depression, contends that "it is futile to expect the consuming public, under present conditions, to walk up and cut itself a generous slice of 'Merchandising Cake.' If business hopes to tap the available purchasing power lying in reserve to-day, it must not only cut the 'Merchandising Cake' for the public, but it "must place the slices on a silver platter and serve them so temptingly that they become irresistible."

Mr. Hodges describes the experiences of a number of prominent companies which have benefited by their courageous merchandising during the past two lean years. Such was the experience of at least live units in the automotive industry, despite the fact that the first eight months of this year showed total automobile sales nearly 28 per cent, behind the sales for the same period last year. These five companies had the courage to bring out new models and to increase their promotion activities in the face of generally unsatisfactory business conditions. As a result, Auburn showed a 17.5 per cent, increase in sales for the first eight months of 1931 over the corresponding months of 1930; Cadillac, 14.5 per cent.; Willys, 14.4 per cent.; Plymouth 10 per cent.; and Pontiac, 8 per cent. The facts concerning these companies are illustrative of many cases which were brought to light in a recent national survey by the research bureau of the Advertising Federation to determine the profitableness of fearless merchandising during a depressed period. Summed up briefly, this analysis shows that when business organisations use imagination, ingenuity and courage in offering their products to the consumer, they at the same time carve themselves a healthy share of profit.