THE USE OF SIGNS 1. Window trims.—Experienced advertisers in planning their seldom overlook anything that can help them to sell their goods. One of the "little things" of a campaign, but also one of the things that can do much to make the rest of the cam paign effective, is the furnishing of various kinds of store signs to dealers. It is not enough to get the dealer to handle the goods and then to use periodicals to induce consumers to go to the dealer and ask for the things advertised. If this is all that is done, there is still a gap between the goods on the dealer's shelf and the impression made on the consumer by the pe riodical advertising. To bridge this gap the careful advertiser sees to it that there is something in the dealer's store to remind the visitor of things he has seen advertised in newspapers and magazines, and to stimulate his desire for them.
One of the important ways of aiding the dealer to move the advertiser's goods from his shelves is to furnish him with display material for his windows. The dealer's window is a valuable advertising me dium. Live dealers realize the value of their win dows; they will permit nothing to go into them that does not possess distinct sales value; and usually they are willing to cooperate with the manufacturer who tries to aid them in selling the things they have in stock. Material that is to be used for display pur poses in a dealer's window is called a window trim. Some national advertisers have made the window trim the principal feature of their advertising campaigns. Yale & Towne in introducing the Yale door check made effective use of a modification of the window trim. A Yale door check was placed on the front door of every retail store that had the article for sale. A cut-out paper arrow was pasted on the glass of the door, pointing to the door check, and bearing the words, "This is a complete door. It has a Yale door check affixed." Then black footsteps were sten ciled on the sidewalk leading to the door. The door check, the door and the footsteps were reproduced in the national magazine advertising.
2. The window trim and national sales week.—
Some advertisers plan their campaigns to reach a cli max in a certain specified week, and prepare elab orate window trims for dealers during that week. The "Hotpoint drive" illustrates this practice. Dur ing Hotpoint Week many thousands of dealers dis played in their windows Hotpoint electrical house hold appliances, and double-page advertisements ap peared at the same time in the magazines. Sunkist Week of the California Fruit Growers' Association called for liberal use of window trims. Large ad vertisements in color were run in the leading maga tines, full-page advertisements were placed in the newspapers, and dealers were furnished with window trim and other kinds of displays. The California Fruit Growers' Association paid for a half-page in each newspaper, with the understanding that the newspaper would obtain advertising of local dealers who handled Sunkist oranges and lemons, to fill the remaining half-page.
Most manufacturers of package goods find it ad visable to prepare large dummies of their packages for window trimming purposes. These dummies are usually carried flat and are easily erected.
3. The use of counter popular form of dealer signs is the counter display. Some advertisers design their packages so that the boxes Nv ill make a natural counter display. Robert H. In gersoll & Brother furnish an attractive counter rack from which Ingersoll watches may be suspended, thus assuring the advertiser that his product is conspic uously brought to the attention of every store visi tor.
Dealers prefer counter displays showing the goods themselves rather than signs that merely tell about the goods. One useful type of counter sign is sent out by a manufacturer of underwear. It is obviously impossible to display the underwear itself on a coun ter sign. The sign is about ten inches long by five inches high and triangular in shape. On the face in metal is the trade-mark name of the article, and on the reverse side, on a metal plate facing the clerk, are printed instructions regarding sizes and the best method of making a satisfactory fit.