WE'VE received letters that

have sold us goods. We have received communications that didn't create an impression one way or another.

And we have opened letters that have actually UNSOLD us!

There's one argument oft repeated in the letters we receive which is beginning to get on our nerves and that is the "Hook up with our advertising-big crowd next day" story.

Not that we don't believe in "hooking up" with manufacturers' advertising. Far from that-we are strong believers in it, and do co-operate with the maker who really advertises in a way big enough to deserve it.

We believe it pays us to do it -but it doesn't work the way the maker who sent us the following letter says it works.

Gentlemen:

A big advertisement to express a big idea. The enclosed proof tells the story. This advertisement will appear in the Saturday Evening Post on March 22.

This is an unusual opportunity to cooperate with us to your great advantage. Write us to-day and we will send you a full-size electro. If you will insert it in your local paper on the day this advertisement appears in the Saturday Evening Post you'll feel the effect at your store in increased sales. It may bring you some new customers.

First of all, the "big" advertisement referred to was a proof of a 200-line, single-column advertisement. Note the line "This is an unusual opportunity to co-operate with us to your great advantage." What is unusual about it?

After telling us to send for the full-size (how liberal) electro, the letter continues: "If you will insert it in your local paper on the day this advertisement appears, you'll feel the effect at your store in increased sales. It may bring you some new customers.'

At this late day there is no excuse for telling a storekeeper that he will feel the effect of a onetime insertion of a single-column

Most letters and literature telling of the number of "readers" that the advertisement reaches counts every subscriber as a reader of the particular advertisement that is featured.

Only the other day I noticed a trade-paper advertisement of a big underwear manufacturer with the statement "Approximately 15,000,000 have read these advertisements." The figures probably represent the circulation of the magazines, possibly figuring the usual five readers to a copy. But even if they only mean the actual circulation of the magazine, it is silly to claim that every reader read that particular advertisement of underwear. That sort of stuff won't prove anything to a storekeeper.

On general principles, it isn't wise to estimate exactly how much good your advertising is doing. It is reaching a lot of people-and the dealer knows it. But keep away from that many-million story-it has been worked to death.

Note that this Hart Schaffner & Marx letter doesn't brag about how many readers are reachedand doesn't claim they will set the world on fire. They simply say the advertisement "will help to sell more overcoats." Dear Sir:

Varsity Six Hundred magazine campaign Enclosed is the Varsity Six Hundred advertisement that you'll see in colors in the following magazines for November:

HART SCHAFFNER & MARX,
By C. W. C.

Another prominent advertiser ran two quarter-page advertisements in a local paper; this article has quite a few agents in the town. Here's the letter we received after they appeared:

"Our two advertisements have appeared and we are wondering what benefits you derived from same. Our advertising department believes in this method of advertising, but what we desire is proofs that our customers also believe in it. To enable our advertising department to continue on these lines, in the future, we would request that you write us as to whether your underwear sales were increased, due to our advertising campaign.

"Thanking you in advance for your reply to this request, believe me to be,

"Yours very truly,"

What could we tell them? Do they expect us to know whether two advertisements in a big town like this in one newspaper, for a lot of dealers, created any immediate demand? Would we be fair to advertising if we answered "no"?

This was our reply to their let

ter:

"Gentlemen:

"We have noticed your advertising in and believe it to be very good.

"You have made good use of your space and, considering that these were small advertisements, they certainly dominated the pages on which they appeared.

"However, it really is pretty

hard to answer your question as to how much benefit we derived from them. Surely you know enough about advertising to know that two advertisements do not create any particular dent in a community. They undoubtedly did some good, but we have not heard directly from them."

Few of the letters we get have any selling force. For instance, along about the time for thinking of placing our orders for style books, we get a letter from one of our clothing makers something like this:

"Gentlemen:

"We are now entering advertising orders for spring and are very anxious to have you send us at your earliest convenience, your requisition for such matter as you intend to use, as it is always well to anticipate your advertising plans far enough in advance to insure their proper execution. We enclose herewith a requisition blank for the purpose.

"If you contemplate sending us a mailing list for Style Books we would suggest that you get your list in such shape that we can start the addressing early. Our Style Book for Spring will be exceptionally attractive and effective clothing advertising."

You know style books have to be sold to some dealers same as merchandise-especially when the dealer carries more than one line. Which letter do you think stands a better chance of selling-the one above or the following from Hart Schaffner & Marx?

Gentlemen:

How many "personalized" Style Books are you going to use for Spring? One customer answered that question this way: "We are so pleased with the personalized Style Books we're going to use three times as many more for Spring."

Another customer says: "We think they're almost indispensable."

Still another customer writes this: "It isn't often we can trace direct results from advertising, but this season we sold several suits to customers who mentioned that they received the personalized Style Book and appreciated it very much."

Any number of other good letters have come in; we can't begin to quote from all of them, but the point is this: the merchants who used personalized Style Books last season are almost unanimous in saying it's one of the