In general, mail-order houses and the methods they use, may be divided into two classes: (a) the catalog type and (b) adaptations of the catalog type.
4. Catalog type.—The catalog page has in a sense acted as a mold in which the style of copy, illus tration and make-up has "catalog type." When pos sible—and as a rule it is possible—the article is pic tured. The description follows a set style, tho the present tendency is to make it replete with selling quality, if not with human interest.
5. Adaptations of the catalog the leading houses focus their attention upon the catalog type of advertising, there are signs,that some of the smaller houses are breaking away from this style of copy. They are breaking the catalog up into sea sonal booklets, divisional books and "flyers," and are injecting a greater degree of individuality into their literature.
In the so-called "personality" style of advertising, a strong attempt is made to associate the product or lines sold with the personality of the founder of the business. The advertising of the Galloway Com pany, see page 132, in which selling to farmers is based in part upon the personality of "fellow-farmer Galloway," is an example of this.
These smaller houses show a strong tendency to drop the blanket method of offering many lines in one advertisement. Small individual advertisements, scattered thruout the same periodical, are now used. This method is particularly applicable to lines made up of large items. The Galloway Company special izes on cream separators, gasoline engines and farm machinery in its advertising, tho it sells a fairly com plete line of standard mail-order products.
nie advertisement of the Ohio Carriage Company presents an example of personality mail-order adver tising, restrained in tone, advertising the product rather than the man. More personality is put into the catalog and correspondence than into the adver tisement.
6. Booklets and catalogs.—Complementary to the individual advertisement are the seasonal and divi sional books which are sent out to prospects in place of the big catalogs. In the spring, catalogs contain ing descriptions of seeds, plants and other things as sociated with this time of the year are sent out. These
are known as seasonal books. A somewhat similar principle underlies the catalogs called divisional books. These books are prepared on the basis of certain natural divisions in the organization rather than on the seasons. Thus the hardware division may have a special catalog separate from the cloth ing division. Frequently, too, it may be necessary to inform customers of a special stock which the concern has on hand. A small catalog called a "flyer" is prepared and distributed.
7. Appeals in mail-order copy.—There are two dis tinct appeals in mail-order copy. The first is the price appeal; the second the style appeal. There is still another appeal made, which in reality includes either the price or the style appeal or both and which is known •as the free or trial off ex appeal.
8. Price appeal.— The price appeal has been and is used with great success because it touches a fundamental chord in human nature and in a great majority of cases brings a re sponse. The method of appeal is always in the form of a bargain offer. This may take one of several forms. It may be a special sale of goods marked down tempora rily from standard price. Another form shows a low price with a state ment that the price will be advanced within a short time. The time when the advance will become effective may be stated definitely or not.
The Bellas-Hess advertisement is a typical illus tration of copy used by mail-order houses selling wear ing apparel. This makes a direct bid for the order by a detailed description with prices and accurate re production of the garments featured. The adver tisement offers an absolute guarantee of satisfaction or a refund of money. It also offers to pay all mail or express charges as an added inducement to get the order immediately. This appeal has proved to be a forceful one.
9. Style center of this coun try, particularly for women's wear, is New York. This accounts, in part, for the fact that there are so many women's wear houses that sell by mail from Nevy York. One or two of the large mail-order houses have their main plantS in the Middle West but operate a special branch for women's wear- in New York.