Mabch 18, 1920 



The Florists' Review 



45 



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ADVANCE IN ADVERTISINO. 



Florists Make Marked Progress. 



Should you ask any thoughtful man, 

 not a florist, what to him has been the 

 jirincipal manifestation of progress in 

 the florists' trade in the last few years, 

 lo would probably tell you that it has 

 been in florists' use of printers' ink. 

 While there has been consistent im- 

 y>rovement in the varieties grown, in 

 tlie quality of stock produced and in 

 tlie methods of marketing plants and 

 cut flowers, still the improvement has 

 been so gradual that it has escaped the 

 attention of most of those outside the 

 business, but the man in the street can 

 soe the improvement in florists' adver- 

 tising. 



The advertising of flowers has im- 

 proved in two particulars: First, there 

 is more of it than there used to be; it 

 is a truism that "any advertising is 

 better than no advertising." In the 

 second place, there has been marked 

 improvement in the character of copy 

 used. 



The day may not have passed, but it 

 is passing, when a florist will feel that 

 he has advertised merely because he 

 gave a solicitor an order for space. It 

 gradually is coming to be understood 

 that a page of one publication may be 

 like a page of another, so far as dimen- 

 sions are concerned, but that there is 

 a vast difference when it comes to cir- 

 culation and a still greater difference of 

 influence with and upon the readers. 



Florists are buying space more in- 

 telligently every year, with less re- 

 gard for the fact that the publisher 

 may need the business and more regard 

 for the pulling powers of the publica- 

 tion itself. And, having bought space 

 in a live publication, they are filling it 

 with better copy. 



During the last few years the more 

 extensive and more intelligent use of 



the * * dynamo of business, ' ' advertising, 

 by florists has been everywhere appar- 

 ent. No longer may it be said with im- 

 punity that retail florists as a rule are, 

 from long habit, nonadvertisers. A re- 

 view of the business done on any of the 

 notable flower days seldom fails to bring 

 out the encouraging fact that more flo- 

 rists have been convinced of the effl- 

 cacy of printers' ink as a stimulant of 

 flower sales. 



Apparent at Holidays. 



It is principally in connection with 

 the red-letter days-^Christmas, Easter, 

 Mothers' day. Memorial day and St. 

 Valentijie's day — when sentiment plays 

 an important part in the sale of flowers, 

 that retailers have employed advertis- 

 ing extensively, and in many cases with 

 highly profitable results. The increase 

 in the quantity of publicity has been 

 attended by an improvement in adver- 

 tising copy, indicating that many a re- 

 tailer through experience has learned 

 to distinguish strong copy from weak 

 copy. 



As the advertising done for the big 

 flower days must necessarily be of short 

 duration, appearing a few days only, 

 advertisers long ago found it expedi- 

 ent to put a more concentrated punch 

 into their periodic publicity. It was 

 agreed that for short-time advertising 

 newspaper advertisements of large di- 

 mensions had a more telling effect and 

 gave the flower message for the day a 

 more conspicuous showing than did 

 small advertisements. 



The sentimental appeal on flower days 

 is a powerful factor in promoting sales, 

 but it is a difficult matter to mix senti- 

 ment and the merchandising of flowers 

 in the right proportion. The thing can 

 be overdone as easily as it can be un- 

 derdone. One should not forget the 

 goods advertised, nor that prices are 

 more important than some would have 



us believe. As florists continue to de- 

 vote more study to their advertising 

 copy, the old adage that * ' any advertis- 

 ing is better than no advertising" will 

 go by the board. Perhaps some day 

 the slogan will be: "All advertising 

 can be good advertising — make the copy 

 sell!" 



Does It Sell? 



It never should be forgotten that the 

 reason for advertising is to sell the 

 florists' merchandise. To inspire a de- 

 sire for the things we have for sale we 

 would better restrict the space given 

 to pictures and gain opportunity to 

 picture our plants, to describe them at- 

 tractively but accurately, and to state 

 the prices. 



The preparation of copy is one of 

 the most important details of advertis- 

 ing. It should be thought out with care, 

 if the maximum result is to be obtained. 

 First of all, the layout or display should 

 be such as to catch the eyes of the 

 greatest possible number of readers. 

 Second, the opening sentences at the top 

 of the advertisement should be such as 

 to inspire a desire for the things ad- 

 vertised. Third, and perhaps most im- 

 portant of all, the plants and cut flowers 

 offered should be described in terms 

 that will be intelligible to the public. 

 Where immediate, direct sales are aimed 

 at, prices should be quoted. You will 

 know this to be the case if you stop to 

 consider the number of customers who 

 ask the price before buying the article 

 you show them and compare their num- 

 ber with the number of those who buy 

 v/ithout asking the price. 



When you have finished writing your 

 advertisement, read it over and ask 

 yourself the question, "Will it sell?" 

 If the answer is "No," don't print it; 

 write another. 



Many people think that plants and 

 cut flowers are like Topsy, who "just 

 growed," but in the trade we know 

 that success in growing is in propor- 



(C 



We Are Moving To Our New Store" 



With the magnificent New Building and Store Completed. St. Louis 

 has now the ultimate in Floral Establishments — Thanks to our 

 many Friends and Patrons who have made this expansion possible. 



Announcement of our ''Grand Opening" will be made later. 



GRIMM & GORLY 



Oar New Store, 712 WaahlnSton Ave. 



Cartooaist's RepresentatioQ of Florist's Moving Caught St. Louis Newspaper Readers' Eyes. 



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