VALUE OF NEWSPAPERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19807, 30 November 1927, Page 14

VALUE OF NEWSPAPERS.

"FOUNDATION OF PUBLICITY." ADVICE TO BUSINESS MEN. GREAT FIRM'S EXPERIENCE, "Newspapers aro the foundation of the publicity department of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company; it is the considered opinion of the board of directors and their special staff that the most economical advertising medium in the world is the newspaper." So stated Mr. A. J. Hutchinson, general manager for New Zealand for the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, at an address given yesterday to the Auckland Advertising Club. The occasion was the club's fortnightly luncheon, presided over by the president, Mr. Alfred Eady. Mr. Hutchinson stated a little reflection, even in this city, should convince any man that the newspaper was the most economical medium. Let them take, for example, the enormous circulation of the Herald and compare it with what could be done through the medium of a circular or by any other method. Spasmodic advertising was a wasto of money and had proved a failure. One of the outstanding features of Burroughs publicity was that they advertised their advertisements, and ho was glad to notice that one of the members present, Mr. R. A. Laidlaw, was adopting this policy in advertising his big catalogue. Preparation of Advertisements. A largo number of people gave neither the thought nor the time necessary to the production of their advertising material. To tho firms whjch were not sufficiently large to employ a special man of their own. he strongly advocated that they should co-operate with the newspapers or with some well-known agency in connection with the production of their advertising material. The basis of all Burroughs advertising through the newspapers was truthfulness. They made a feature of never exaggerating, and the sales managers, manufacturing departments and agencies were consulted months ahead of the advertising being issued to the public. The sales managers and salesmen were provided with forward copies of the advertising material, which they must read and about which they must fill 111 a report form. The company adopted a policy of frequently making mistakes in these forward copies, so that it was not safe just to sign the report-card and send it 111. Co-operation with users was another feature of the company's publicity department, and this he strongly advocated to local manufacturers. His company approached a user who was satisfied with the equipment supplied and wrote a life story of his business featuring in it just where their equipment assisted him. At first sight of many of these pieces of advertising material it would be difficult to know whether it was advertising for say, the 'Pine Timber Company" or for the Burroughs Company, but his company had no doubt about the results as far as it was concerned. Basis of Publicity. Mr. Hutchinson reviewed several publications produced by his organisation, but repeated that the basis of the company's publicity department was newspaper ad vertising. Without that they could no) exist. They knew positively and definitely that it enabled two salesmen to do the work of at least three, and throughout the world it hac' curtailed the sales resistance and mado it much easier and more pleasant for their staff of salesmen. Some 18 years ago, when he was assisting in organising their Svrtney office and took his place on the road as a salesman, he was looked at with astonishment by many a manager who said, "We know Burroughs, but we do not want any pills." That was eloquent testimony to fho pubheitv camnaipn carried out by the Burroughs Welcome Drug Coirmanv, but 10-dav it was verv different. He had no hesitation in savins that a man could walk into any office in Australia or New /en'and. or, rsractieallv sneaking, in tb" civilised world and mention the name o f Burrouphs. and it would at once be recognised. Op the other hand in any chemist's short the name would be associated with niils.