Several years ago the Northern Pine,Manufactur ers' Association tried to overcome the shrinking de mand for pine by advertising to the trade only. The results of the campaign were not satisfactory, and the world of housebuilders was left to persist in its be lief that all the white pine was used up, or, if some was left, that it was too expensive for ordinary use. The Southern Cypress Manufacturers' Association, realizing that "the consumer is king," began to ad vertise to win the patronage of consumers in 1910. National magazines and farm journals were used ex tensively. In all, an aggregate of 5,500,000 circula tion was employed in consumer publicity. The re sult has been a large increase in the use of cypress. The association purchased space in the trade publica tions, not so much for the purpose of urging the trade to use more cypress, as to explain to the trade the consumer advertising it was conducting.
This successful experience of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers' Association led to the organization among the Northern Pine Manufacturers' Associa tion of a white pine bureau, which in May, 1915, be gan to advertise the advantages of white pine to con sumers. The effort was successful from the start. Dealers, realizing that the manufacturers were ad vertising to increase their sales, put forth additional effort, began to use the dealer helps furnished them, and even inaugurated campaigns of their own in local territories to counteract the impression that the supply of white pine is exhausted, and to show the ad vantages of white pine over other woods.
Dealers' cooperation can be obtained by hard work, fair treatment and a real willingness to serve. But
the dealer does not ordinarily give full cooperation unless the manufacturer does his part by advertising to the consumer.
17. Dealers meet advertisers half-way.—The de gree of cooperation that may be expected from intelli gent effort on the part of manufacturers is indicated by the success of "national advertising weeks," fos tered by some of the magazines in cooperation with manufacturers. The plan is for the dealers in a town during a "national advertising week" to feature na tionally advertised goods in their stores, their win dows and their newspaper advertising. During such a week one dealer turned a whole floor of his store into a special exhibit of 115 booths showing nation ally advertised goods. Each booth was in charge of a demonstrator. The manufacturers bore the ex pense of decorating and equipping the booths. In return, the dealer spent $10,000 of his own money in newspaper advertising and in furnishing heat, light and special sales people. Every visitor to a booth signed a register. The names were later furnished to the manufacturers, who agreed to send direct ad vertising to these persons. The results were satis factory both to the manufacturers and to the dealer.
All retailers cannot cooperate in this extensive way, but most of them, to the extent that their resources permit, are willing to cooperate with manufacturers who give them quality and profit, and who offer in telligent help in solving the great problem of attract ing and holding trade.