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EVENING JjEP&EB-PHIEAPEKrarS!, MONDAY, 5MA.RCH 20, 29X5:
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On February 6, 1915, there was born a new
member of the large and lusty family of advertis
ing personalities. This person was Mr. Punch,
who made his appearance in The Saturday Evening
Post on the date named.
Mr. Punch takes his name from a handy house
hold tool. He is official representative of a line of
more than 1500 wood-working tools, metal-working
tools and tools of-precision made by the Goodell
Pratt Company.
He also represents far more than that.
He stands for the final solution of a difficult
advertising problem which was several times given
up as hopeless by advertising men but never by
the head of the Goodell-Pratt Company, whose
faith and energy finally prevailed.
That faith is already being justified.
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The story is of peculiar interest to Philadel
phians because the products and problems are
similar to those that exist here because they are
set in the New England environment which closely
resembles that of Philadelphia and because many
Philadelphia manufacturers may have to travel the
same course before they can finally become national
advertisers..
The Goodell-Pratt Company is a Yankee con
cern at Greenfield, Massachusetts, long established,
with a tremendous business anof with the highest
trade reputation. Some years ago, the president,
Mr. W. M. Pratt, began to wonder whether he
could not make use of the power of national adver
tising. He got into touch with representatives oFThe
Curtis Publishing Company. They told him that,
according to all previous experience, it would be
very difficult to advertise a tool line with 1500
different numbers. There did not seem to be a
single and popular appeal on which to base sales
manship direct to the consumer.
But Mr. Pratt said: "At least it will do no
harm for you to go through our plant. I believe
that whether we advertise or not you can give us
valuable ideas about our selling."
Curtis representatives visited the factory about
a year ago and had many interviews, both with the
firm and with the trade. They found a very unusual
condition.
The company was all ready to embark upon
national advertising.
It had a complete line, which it sold direct to
the trade through its own salesmen.
It was putting its own name on its entire line,
with one very minor exception.
It was selling to 9600 hardware stores and
other dealers.
It was averaging to ship 90 per cent, of its
orders the same day they were received.
Product, costs, manufacturing efficiency, ship
ping facilities, ability to expand, sales policies
every condition which would influence the possible
success of an advertising campaign was right. In
practically every business it is found that one or the
other of these things has to be adjusted before
advertising can be begun. But it was as if this
business had for years been preparing for adver
tising. Our representatives submitted an extensive
brief, in which this recommendation was made:
Be careful to shape your plan so that in
the end it is sure to mean four important
things to your business:
FIRST The plan must prove itself to
be economically sound and consistent with
the company's policy.
SECOND It must decrease your sell
ing cost.
THIRD It must actually sell goods.
FOURTH It must build a consumer
good will.
In order to obtain a plan to accomplish these
purposes, an advertising agency was called in. The
agency checked back all the work done and the sug
gestions made by the Curtis representatives, and
approved them.
It was then determined that in order to interest
the consumer in this vast line of 1500 tools there
must be a "leader," an article for which a very large
number of consumers would have frequent use,
which could be advertised strikingly and which
would serve to introduce the Goodell-Pratt line as a
whole.
An ingenious and convenient hand drill, selling
at $1?50, was finally decided upon, and given the
name of Mr. Punch. His picture, as he is person
ified, appears at the head of this page.
At this point it developed that the manufac
turers were banking too heavily on the results of
the very first year's advertising; They were plan
ning a heavy increase in output to take care of
immediate demand. They were looking at adver
tising solely as an immediate sales force rather
than as a business builder. For this reason we
advised that the whole idea of advertising be
dropped, because an expectation of immediate
success was the wrong way to begin. Advertising
started on such a basis usually doesn't last.
We made the following statement: "We earn
estly recommend that you never turn on the power
of publicity unless you do it with a determination
never to turn it off again."
The manufacturers themselves soon saw the
wisdom of this, and the advertising was finally
launched as a permanent feature of the business.
The results of the first few weeks are perhaps
best summed up in the following statement made"
to us on March 19th by the president of the
Goodell-Pratt Company:
"This campaign was planned with a view of
creating a consumer demand, and we were
particularly desirous that this should come to us
through regular hardware trade channels. We
made no attempt to create incentives for direct
communications between the consumer and our
factory; we only casually alluded to the fact that
we should be glad to furnish interesting matter
in case they were unable to obtain it from their
regular hardware merchant, preferring to have
the interest manifest itself wholly through the
merchant.
"Have we succeeded?
"Well, we can only say to you that if you had
stated to us before this campaign was started that
we should be able to see the volume of interest
manifested that has shown itself in these first six
weeks, we should have questioned your under
standing of our problems.
"We have accomplished more in six weeks
than we expected to be able io accomplish within
six months."
We believe that there are several Philadelphia
manufacturers, in various lines, whose problems are
no more difficult than this looked to be two years
ago.
Have they the faith, the energy, the "com
mercial, desire"?
'THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE, PHILADELPHIA
jji ' INTRODUCING MR. PUNCH , I
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The Ladies' Home Journal
' The Saturday Evening Post
The Country Gentleman
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