MAIL-ORDER CAMPAIGNS 1. Kinds of mail-order campaigns.—There are three general kinds of mail-order campaigns: (1) The campaign of a mail-order specialty house, which sells one line of goods or service, or several closely allied lines, and which uses the mails to make sales as part of the established house policy. In this class are mail-order distributers of jewelry, furs, clothing, food products and thousands of other things sold to consumers by mail. (2) Similar to the campaign of the mail-order specialty house is that of a manu facturer who introduces his goods to consumers by mail, but who later expects to distribute them thru dealers. (3) The third kind of mail-order campaigns is conducted by the establishment that tries to sell a great variety of different kinds of things by mail. In this class are such mail-order distributers as Sears, Roebuck & Company, Montgomery Ward & Company, and the many city department stores that sell by mail as well as over the counter.
As far as purpose and method are concerned, the first two classes may be grouped together. The pur pose of both is to make sales as the direct result of the advertisements. Frequently the reader is urged to send his money or to order at once, usually with the promise that the money will be refunded if the pur chase proves unsatisfactory. At other times, peri odical advertising is intended only to arouse interest, and the reader is urged to ask for further informa tion; the sale is then made with the aid of follow-up letters and booklets. Sometimes both appeals are combined in one advertisement: "Send only $2. Or ask for booklet." The appeal of the third kind of mail-order cam paign is different from that of the other two. The house that sells many different kinds of things by mail usually advertises in periodicals chiefly for the purpose of getting a list of names of people to whom a catalog may be sent. The catalog of such houses is relied on to make the sales. A few direct orders may come as a result of periodical advertisements that feature particular things, but, in general, the periodical advertising is intended to distribute cata logs rather than to make immediate sales.
We have divided mail-order campaigns into three groups on the basis of the differences of appeal and method. Still another classification might be made. Some mail-order campaigns are directed to consum ers; others are directed to dealers. Butler Brothers and the Baltimore Bargain House are examples of large concerns dealing by mail with dealers. We are to consider chiefly mail-order campaigns of those who sell to consumers; the methods of such campaigns differ but slightly from the methods of selling by mail to dealers.
2. The mail-order specialty advertiser.—One has only to open any magazine of general circulation to find offers by mail-order specialty houses represent ing nearly every class of human wants, including cigars, lessons in nursing, apples, furnaces, books and even automobiles.
Twenty years ago Alois P. Swoboda developed a plan of physical culture, and traveled from place to place organizing classes and selling his instruction for from ten to fifty dollars for the course. He found that his principal difficulty lay not in selling the course but in getting business men to find time to attend the lectures. He decided that this difficulty could be ob viated if the lessons were given by mail, and the pupils were instructed to take the lessons in their own homes at whatever time might be most convenient for them. He told his plan to an advertising agency, but the agency was very skeptical of its possibilities. That he would be able to collect twenty dollars thru the mails for lessons in physical exercise seemed too much to expect. Swoboda was not disheartened, however, and decided to insert a one-page advertisement in illunsey's. The cost was $600. Within a month that first advertisement had brought in orders for the course totaling over $6,000.