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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1912)
,'lf s - ; li f ' V i i.LiiUi iii Lu tJLOl ADVERTISING ll, ; . DECLARES EXPERT One Director Who Has f Made ' Great Success Out of Auto Business "Gives .Few Hints on the "Game." .... E. Lercjr Pellatier, advertising direc tor of ,the JE' M. F.t company, manufac turers of automobiles of , Detroit, -Mich., Is acktiowleUgred to he the greatest au-" tomofctle actvertislngr man In-the United States' todijv His wonderful success In marketing and selling the B. M. F. and Handera cars In the great umbers in which they hae been put on-feeJrkt within the last two years Justly entitles Mm to-the reputation he has made. Mr. l'elletier gives the entire credit for his success to the automobile section of the Sunday - newspapers throughout the United States in an article written by him and printed in an advertising man's magazine. Printer's Ink, under .date of January j, isiz. Article of ; Great Interests , ...... 4 This article Is -of suclr great Interest to tne local automobile dealers of Port- land that TM . Journal' Jsk. reprinting :he article in full,' feels that It is doing the automobile Industry; of Portland and 'Oregon a benefit, and would suggest that eneh dealer In this territory clip tbe ftnici an read tt thoroughly, he , artliU- tilows: "one .of the most striking examples of the power of advertising . to create not merely a few dealers, but an entire sales organization over night came out of the legalrfight between the E. M. F. company and the Studebaker Automobile company less than two years ago, and It Is a monument to the efficiency of the daily newspaper. ( "The situation was this; the B. M. F. , company, manufacturers, had contracted to fell their, entire output through the ' Studebaker company. Came September, with the usual falling off of demand at tbe season. -,'; ' -:i v- ', :. Many Autos on Band. .4.',' i "The Btudebaker company refused to take the car, and we awoke to find ourselves with $1,000,000 worth of auto mobiles on hand and another IfcOOfr.OOO worth of parts In .the process of manu facture, and obligations aggregating nearly 11,000,000 a month which could not be stopped. When It. is considered that only 20 months previous the E. M. F. company had started with a total capital Of . but 9r,0007ll wnrb readily " understood that we could not carry this tremendous load very long . "As soon as the Stadebaker company refused to. take the cars, Mr. Flanders, president of the E. M. F. company, with his usual promptness, cancelled the con tract ever night. -,'.t- . "Now, that a big legal battle must ensue, we all knew. The usual way would have beenvto fight the matter out In the courts. This we did perforce- hut we first fought out the real battle n the court of .public opinion. S?1" Open. lttK About six years ego, when I was aJ ver' : .;r r ' Rer of the Ford Motor corrpany, ocr Chicago branch was run ning far behind. It was losing money heavily, despite the fact that we were spending a-ilberal...ajnoutit of money ia media of general circulation. , "The general manager asked me what ought to be done in the matter, and after thinking it' over I told him the only way I could see would ba to con centrate on Chicago, and the only way to concentrate on Chicago was to do It through newspapers. Ve were cover ing tbe whole country in a scattering sort of. way developing- inquiries in many places where ,we could not take care of , them. What we wanted was business for. the Chicago branch, and We wanted It quickly. He was a man quick to' decide, and, despite the. oppo sition of the advertising agency, sent me to Chicago with 15000 to be expend ed n a week or less If it could be done. - . '"V'W - ; , " Mali. - " ";" Arrived there,' I stated my mission to the branch manager, much to his con sternation, v j . . " . I am running this branch n the basis of a small salary and percentage," he protested, "and I am already 13000 behind; now, you come here and propose to put' 18000 in the hole. I won't stand for itr " 'I am here under instructions tol try and pull you out of the hole,' I an swered, and I am going to spend this money, to do It, whether you like it or not,';: 5 ' " ; ' I Went hack to the hotel laid out a schedule and started the campaign. That night I, left the , newspaper offices, where I had seen the last form on the press, and . arrived at my hotel lo find a. telephone call from -the pa pery JThe Ford branch is on fire!' was the pleas ant, news. .The store and stock were ruined. . , ' ." .. "We made the best of the situation and -rented- a temporary, place, for th j show opened on the' following day, got on more cars from the factory and, with the advertising we had done and the extra publicity due to the fire, we did the record business of the show. J 'That branch manager, who up to that time strongly opposed expenditure Of money through papers, is now the most successful branch manager in Chicago still selling the Ford- line, X am sorry to say, because we, are now competitors. . ; . ; . , "The point I wish to make Is this: In trying to meet the' local conditions which existed in Chicago I found I had solved the entire advertising proposi tion which confronted the automobile manufacturer."' In concentrating on Chicago we had nbt only developed a profitable business there, but -had also created business and established deal ers in every city,- town and hamlet In Illinois, northern Indiana, southern Michigan, eastern Missouri and all the other territory covered 4)y the big Chi cago Sundajr newspapers. 'ZMmJhilLtlmeto-thls, my plan of campaign hat ...been to concentrate through the newspapers in the various centers, and by combined local cam paigns I make my national campaign. "In the early days we used only the big Sunday papers of 10 citifs New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, San Francisco, Kansas City, Atlanta, Los .Angeles. : ; General Demand. '"As the ; industry; grew we Increased the schedule to cover 26 cities. And in one of our recent campaigns we used t "Mr. Flanders' first move; was to ar.Drlse the entire country, through, an i-ppen letter to the Studebaker company, tfeat he had cancelled the contract. He fid hardlV donr idi wbeft mtnotlty stock- i, itoldem asked for an lnjunstion on the cound that their Interests were jeop rdlzed because the E. M.-F-. company had no sales Organization and could not market its product except through the Studebaker company. - ... -: '"ye knew the court might grant it n the following morning at9 o'clock. It was necessary, therefore, , to sell Jhe pToluct 4.before 9 o'clock thatJs,' to notify every dealer in the United States that we were ready t? sell him automo : biles direct'! Jan. Flanders' ,told meto tin It. I canned at the proposition. bald: ""Wc can reach a frw, cities, but w cannot 'reach the Pacific coast in less than four days and that is the one big market t this season of the year." Telefraph'Xs Tted. .. t "What about the telegraph 7" he asked. -' "We epent $3600 in telegraph tolls and before 9 o'clock-the ; next morning every dealer in Los Angeles, Portland,J Seattle and Boston, in St. "aui ana xsew - Orleans,, knew that he,; could buy our . iars direct. , ' , " "Six dealers took the same train from San Francisco. J Fully 50 others wired - or wrote for the agency. But these six realized that time was the essence, and they all arrived on the same train and ach waited his turn not aa a favor to take our l!ne, but begging for it and putting forth the best 'arguments he could to show us why he should have It "We built a sales organization over night And- within ten days, .when the suit finally came to trial e placed in the judge's hands a pfle- of orders aggregatipg nineteen million dollars, on every one of which there was a substan tial deposit from the dealer. 4 "I do not know of any other media through which 'such positive and in stantaneous' results could be obtained as we obtained in that instance. , , :y Praises : the " Newspaper. ; "The newspaper, in fact is really '-godfather to the automobile Industry. The newspaper, adopted; the automobile Industry even before the newspaper ' Itself, or we who are vitally concerned, knew that it was an Industry, , To the '.liberal amount of . publicity that has been given the automobile by the news paper columns we owe most of the great auccess of that-lndustry,-"Today the automobile industry is the largest ' buyer of newspaper space in the - world. - The show - business comes next And ninety per cent of all the automobile advertising. ees into . , the newspapers, the other, ten, per cent be ing divided among . other media. It is impossible to obtain ? all the figures hovering all 16cal campaigns as welt as the national, but the figures will be found to be substantially correct :! , V.; Sunday . , Papers ' Belled , On,., ;;. : "I recall very vividly that some' six years ago when I had the temerity to put the flrst'automoblle campaign into the papers, the head of the agency who was handling our account went to the general manager of the company and raid; - "If you want proof that . this man known nothing about automobile advertising. . I can give to . you; he l.r going " to Use newspapers, and even the Hearst, papers!' ..-v.; ; ; -. "I i cannot say ,.lhat. automobiles .can not be sold . through, magazines $ or through other media, for I do not know. It JUBt happens that my own methods are, or seem-to me. to be, better-adapted to the newspaper than, to other me dia, .'y.-' "vi-;.' ;-'. - t ' "During my entire experience in ad vertising automobiles I have never used magazines" or tnyiBthef '"media than daily and Sunday papertr. L .made B slight exception for one excursion, into the 'bill-posting fieldVwhen we spent some 16000 with results so .email as .to be unnoticeable. - Also a few little jexcufslana-lntfl tha, thatra.jM:ograaf and other similar media. Always we have come back to the- dally. ' . . i Solution is Pound, : , "The Use of the newspaper for selling covering almost as many cities and town 8 all ver the united States. ; I "We assume as the basis of opera tion that the problem is not merely to preate inquiries, buj to create a general demand, and at the same time establish dealers to take care of the demand in the various towns. . "For example, what would it avail us ti !nsres an intitviaaul In Waco, Texas, or Siockton, C&., or Fay. '.'..: p. Wash., with the nerrts of our car if. after receiving his inquiry we could not sell him, and even though he sent vis the order by mall it would cost us $300 to ship one car to Puyallup? "After he got it he probably would not get much satisfaction out of it be cause there would be no garage Inter ested In the car to an extent sufficient to take care for it An automobile Is a complicated piece of machinery. To Establish DeaUra. "Our aim then is first to establish a dealer in Puyallup and then send him 20 or 80 or SO customers to" whom he can sell cars thereby making it profit able to him and worth his while to give those customers first class attention. "We have in tM-utflmoblle industry a condition that is peculiar. The auto mobile dealer is not a salesman not as you understand the term. He is pri marily a mechanic and he is unable to meet with plausible arguments thogei conditions which arise in the sale of any article of large value.:. We must therefore not only sell the cars but sell the dealer himself. Automobile dealers can sell peaches, but lemons will remain on their shelves until they dry up. We must make our product peaches; must create & demands for them . else the dealer will stop with the first purchase of his demonstrating car. To Create Bemaad, "Our method for doing this is to ad dress the advertisement to the public and create such a demand, that the dealer in his mind's eye sees a proces sion of buyers going past his place of business to another one to buy this product The answer.is instantaneous he wires us to hold the agency and that' he will arrive on the next train The conclusions I have reached in regard to circulation are different from those of some of my friends in the field. For instance, tbe Flanders Manufactur ing company had designed an electric automatic automobile. Up to that time electrics had been sold in a few cities We were not interested in a few. oltles and a. limited demand for the cars. What we wanted was quantity demand. . "Experts, or those who consider them selves advertising experts, told me my methods would not serve for the elec trics; that I must use pretty pictures, printed on double coated paper, and conventional language to express the Idea back of the product At first I be lieved it myself. . ' "j "Af.ter thinking the matter over care fully, however, I decided to try the old. media. And I had been forced to defend my policies so vehemently that I decided to go the limit and lot only use the newspapers 'but to use tbe same schedule for the electrlo that I had used for gasoline cars. "The result of, that campaign Is well known in the automobile field. It was tremendous and to us the most strik ing thing about it was that of all the papers we used, the- big popular Sunday papers in New York, Chicago and San Francisco pulled heavier than-any oth ers , "If I were asked to explain this or to analyze it I confess I could not do so, My only explanation to myself Is that a- man's literary taste -is no indication of his purchasing power his ability to buy an automobile. Many of our most astute business men, many of our most prominent financiers have never read Shakespeare- and do not . know, who Browning was. t About Xoose English. 'In this regard, I have frequently been accused of using loose Ensrlish In IglQ S my ' 'y I'v ' a-sr-T-nrynfflt-TT that I do not know how to use any other, I state In defense that colloquial English Is more easily read by the aver age person and that I am able to force ray arguments home better- by simply conversing with the public through my copy than by delivering a stilted ora tlon to them. i "Now an electrlo pleasure vehicle is .No-Rim-Cut Tires (10 Per Cent Oversize) - Upkeep Reduced $20 Per Tire Statistics show that "23 per cent of all ruined clincher tires are rim-cut. , - , Experience proves, that 10 per cent oversize, "under average-conditions, adds 25 per cent to the tire mileage. Goodyear No-Rim-Cut tires end rim-cutting entirely. They average moi'e than 10 per cent oversize, measured by air capacity. ';C.'V,'.'1:v. 7 . This double saving, after years of experience, is'estimated by us at $20 per tire. , . , That means average saving. It is affected, of course, by misuse and abuse. It varies with different sizes. JiWhether more or .less, it means millions of dollars to motorists each year, M 900,000 Tested Out what might be tV.ri a. c'.ass rr-rnsi-tion, it is .in auxiliary car. Few people byy eiectrios who do r.ct already own gasoline cars. Mast cf our electrics we sell to people who already own Plerce- Arrow, Peerless or otheu h'.sh priced foreign or American machines. In dls cusslng:th!s matter recently with a representative who was trying to sell me space in a so-called class Journp.l with a limited circulation, he asked me: Don't you believe in class circulation? "Certainly I do, I saio. -y me way, what papers in your cities do the pawnbrokers- read?" . "He asked me why I wanted the In formation. .-.-' Because" I said. " I have a ' friend who advertises a $5000 automobile and a great many of them are purchased by pawnbrokers they feel that it gives them social prestige and helps to put up a front" ' Probleni of Class Circulation. ' "Now. I don't claim that statement is 100 per cent true, but It Is true in the main. . When you begin to talk about class circulation you get into vary deep water. And when you begin to place limits to the demand for auto mobiles whether at popular prices or at higher price, you get into still deep er water. t - - ' ' ' Sometime ago I tried to make a list of the -dlfferent lines of business which could 'use commercial power ve hicles advantageously. I managed to figure out some 11 or It. Then I picked up an advertisement and saw 132 -different lines 1t business were already using one make of trucks. "Haw through what . medium would you reach themt The only one I can think of- is the one that circulates the most generally in its own field the one that is read by prince and pauper alike; by merchant and professional man; by the. cholar -and by- the man -whose- na tive talent has enabled him to make a fortune even though with difficulty be signs his own name, the newspaper. White Company Contemplat "dig Entering Local Field Direct. , E. W. Hill, factory representative of the White company of San Francisco western representatives of the White company of Cleveland, Ohio, makers of the White gas and steam automobiles, has been in Portland for the past 10 days looking after the interests of his eompany-ln the matter of the Involun tary petition in bankruptcy filed against the local White Motor Car company in the, Oregon court the first of last week. Mr. Hill's -first act was to notify the purchasers of White cars that he wasJ in Portland for the purpose of .making good to them the guarantee made by the factory to the purchaser of automobiles and to assure them that necessary steps would be taken immediately to establish in Portland a depot from which all White owners could secure whatever extra parts they might need. Just what disposition will be made of 4hePerthmir ttgencyrMrrf-wTsnott in a position to say in an interview wlth r representative f The Journal yesterday; But unofficially he stated that it might be necessary for his factory to open a direct factory branch in this territory which Includes Oregon; Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. In the case a factory branch Is estab lished. Mr. Hill felt positive that Tort land would be chosen as the logical dis tributing point for the northwest Thursday .evening everything was moved out of the White Motor Car show room at 19th and Washington streets, and temporarily all business In connec tion with the concern will be eonductel from the old location of the White Mo tor Car company at -th and Madison C. E. Kunyon, president of the White Motor Car Company, built on his prop erty at 6th and Madison streets one of the fineet garages on the Pacific coast which was used by the White Motor Car company until recently, when thry leased the corner at 19th and Washing ton streets and fitted up - a beautiful salesroom at that point. And t this time' it has not been definitely ' decided what will be done with the salesroom just vacated by the White .people, but it is understood that several of Portland's most prominent automobile, dealers are endeavoring to lease the property. , The location is con ceded to be one of the most desirable in the city for automobile purposes. and it is expected soon to see another sign over the door. . . . More Than Wild. Tour brother Joe's hoy is inclined to be a little wild, ain't her "Wild ain't no name fer 1m. Some times that boy don't seem to have no more sense than .a college student"' v " y ' .' The Best Oil for All Makes of Motors Free from Carbon Are You Using POLARINE on Your Car? " v -.. '. ". ' Our booklet "Polarlne Pointers,? tells all about the-Polarlne Brand of automobile lubricants and . con- tainai mnnv iix.fnl hfnta ah th. frireaT-ee, any agency. - Standard Oil Company , . (Iaeorpereied) . . ' .: Business men are solving the problem of dsliverir.2 tl kinds of merchandise with the Ford Model T Delivery Car it Is proving the quickest and most eccncini:dl t for all general purposes. Fully equipped "with Automatic Brass Wind Shield, v v Speedometer, . Generator ; ', ' ; Ford Magneto built into motor, two 6-inch Gas Lamps, three Oil Lamps, Horn and Tools $815.00 Portland To meet a demand from all business interests "the" Ford Motor company has produced i most practical, light weight delivery car by building a handsome, roomy, steel canopy body on the FORD Model T chassis. The carrying capacity of merchandise is 750 pounds. ' Being' made throughout of Vanadium steel guarantees that this car is the lightest and yet the strongest 4 cylinder car made in the world size, power and capacity considered, ; : By virtue of its light weight, it is most economical iri tires and fuel averaging 20 to 28 miles on a gallon of gasoline; while one set of tires is good for 5000 to 8000 miles. v :'yy-'':::- : Simplest to drive because of the Ford Planetary Transmission and Ford; Control. So easy to operate that is can be entrusted to any driver. This car will turn around in a 28 foot circle. : v , Free from ignition troubles, because the Ford Magneto is built in as a part of the ily;wheel' and gives off sparks every time the whtel . revolves. ' . v,, . , : - '':'!.:'..::' ::" v ' ' Has inclosed valves, carburetor adjustment on dasK and dust proof chambers for all running parts, which are bathed continuously in oil. IMMEDIATE DELIVERY CAN BE MADE OF THESE CARS n it - A iviotor fcar-Age ncy v . - ; . A. J. EDWARDS, Manager. East 8th and Hawthorne Ave. Phone, East 648 I? Over 900,000 of these tires.have f . been told. Their enormous advantage is settled nov -beyond any possible . question. . ' In two years the demand has multiplied- six times ' over. Last. year's sales exceeded the previous .12 years put together, t For this yearj 127 leading motor car makers have . contracted for Goodyear tires. , When a tire thus tutsells every tire in existence it must be the tire 7 for you. . " " " Same Price The curious fact is that No-Rim-Cut tires now cost the same as other, standwd tires. They used, to cost one-fifth more. The enormous demand has cut the ' .cost of production. Now, these tires which can't rim cut cost the same as tires that do. These oversize tires cost the same as smaller tires.V'-jL.-. The saving is clear. . Our Patent Tire We control by patents the only . t : ...... ' way to make a practical tire of this type. That's why the demand for tires which can't rim-cut centers on Good- year' tires.;;,.:.:. '.'' : -J--.'--1' . :.' . Then back of these, tires are 13 years spen Jn tire making. ! . Every formula and fabric, method , and process has . been tested out by , us on tire testing machines. After 13 years of this constant comparison we have brought these tires -close- to perfection. In all probability, tires can never be made any better. , -'4t.Add.to such tires the. No-Rim-Cut featuredadd the oversize fea ture then think what tires you get. And you get them, remember, at the price of the ordinary when ydu insist oa Goodyear No-Rim-Cut tires. How can any man question which tires he should buy ? t ' Our new Tiro Bookbse! on 13 years of experionca is filled ; with facts you should know. Ask1 us to mall It to you. ?V :j:C4 1 iMW -M No-Rim-Cut Tires T .j' .... ) VB It IMIVIII i it. i '.v'.. s1 : - - ift V, l DouUe-TLickNonkidTretdi HEXOODYUtTIRE.&-RlJBEER.AkTo Portland Branch 62 Seventh Street.. "THia COUCPAKT HAS l'o OOmTSCTIOir WSATSVEB WTTH AST OTEEK STTBBEB COHCXBU WEICK USES THB OOODTEAB JTAini." Ooii'tt Faull tto See tine ILattestt AinplvaE A. 5 . , For-DooiP ToiiiirnEf -.Can?- All Bright Parts IMicRcl Finished t-t m n .sS ill - :M ITTO.OO Oeiavepedl So; Ppipttland ?;:' -1 ".:"': '' .:-' ' ':'". -, .' , ,''.... ":.', 'k ".71 " y :;:; " :"7 "";...'"::' .. ,:y7rr---4---. :- -' Equipped-as . Follows: Self Starter, Gas Tank, - Glass Front, Speedometer, Mohair Top, Dust m : Hood, Full Lamp Equipment, Tools, Etc. . Phone Marshall 2779, ;A 2444 for Demonstration--7Cars Now Being Displayed in Our Salesroom iff.:;:-