"DIRECTING THE READER" COPY 1.* Purpose and scope.—Copy intended to guide or direct the consumer in his purchasing is known as "directing the reader" copy. Many goods from their very nature are not adapted to mail order sell ing. It is necessary to market these thru the various distributing agencies and to direct the public to the nearest dealer. Thus the two styles of copy known as "getting the inquiry" copy and "directing the reader" copy have developed.
Copy which directs the reader must be forcible enough first to overcome the reader's inertia toward change from one product to another, or his indisposi tion to spend money for some new product. Either of these obstacles may be met successfully by stimu lating the enthusiasm of a prospect. But with this accomplished there remains the second barrier in the person of the dealer. He may be pushing a competi tive product or he may desire to avoid trade-marked goods. The gratification of the wants of the cus tomer may not always mean immediate profits for the dealer. The copy-writer who would overcome this difficulty must be capable of iniecting the right degree of insistence into his prospects before they come under the influence of the retailer.
2. Methods of directing the are seven kinds of copy designed to direct the reader. Most of these are characterized by some familiar trade slogan, as follows: (1) "Ask your dealer" copy; (2) "Ask your dealer or write us" copy; (3) "At all good stores"; (4) "For sale at Wanamaker's"; (5) "Sold nowhere else"; (6) Directing reader thru display; (7) "Take no other make." 3. "Ask your dealer" cannot be made enthusiastic about anything in this world if they dis trust it, if they are ignorant of its effect upon them selves, or if they are not interested in it. This means that enthusiasm is a compound of confidence, knowl edge, interest and emotion. The emphasis which is put upon each of these points will depend upon the 'conditions. A well-known company may possibly need nothing more than its name or trade-mark to inspire confidence. With an asset of this kind, the company can devote ifs advertising effort to stimulat ing interest and desire.
One of the best advertisements which was ever put out by the B. J. Johnson Soap Company, as tested by the comments of distributors, well illustrates the balancing of these motives.
Everyone knows the Palmolive brand; therefore, the word alone prominently displayed establishes con fidence. However, the picture at once piques the
curiosity and serves as a strong attention factor; but the name, Palmolive, and the picture of two attrac tive young people sitting at dinner with the dimly out lined figures of a reclining Cleopatra and a kneeling Antony as a "memory picture" in the background would not be sufficient to win the complete enthusiasm of the reader. The final touch is added by the copy. How naturally the words "3,000 years ago—and to night" lead the attention which has been casually ar rested by the picture into a closer observation and a growing interest. "The moon that shone on Cleo patra," stimulates the interest of the reader, and be fore he is aware of it he has slipped over the prosaic statement—"palm and olive oils are the great toilet requisites" only to be caught up again with the prom ise of more romance. The indirect suggestion in the words "a queen, with all her power" leads naturally to the information, "science has combined these fa Mous oils for three thousand years as Nature's great est cleansing agents." The stimulating suggestion of "a firm fragrant cake of mild creamy lather known the world over as Palmolive Soap" interests the reader. The writer has played upon the historical reference that he might get his own story read.
4. "Ask your dealer or write us" will be noticed that the direction of the reader to a dealer is not so important here as in the case of a new product, since the public expects a wide distribution of so well known a soap. If the manufacturer is not cer tain of the distribution of his goods, he fortifies him self by putting in the statement "if your dealer can not supply you, write, enclosing price of article de sired." 5. "At all good stores."—When an article has be come so well known as to be on general sale it may be enough to say "At the best stores." Altho this style may be flattering to the stores that have the goods, it would not be well for a new concern putting out a breakfast food to advertise "Ask your grocer," when only a few hundred' handle it. There are many ex amples of business failure due to using this form of directing the reader without first getting the dealer's cooperation in a general distribution. Except, therefore, in general advertising of goods which al ready have their required distribution, this type of "directing the reader" copy is being dropped.