Make Riding a Pleasure Samples of good-will posters, size 14 in. by 18 in., for car windows and interior of buildings, distributed to the number of 50,000 throughout the industry. Manufacturers used many of them to induce co-operation among employes with local railways. ing public relations and illustrating the articles with advertising material gleaned from the field. Preparing all Association advertising copy for membership drives, Mid-Year Dinner, Annual Convention and other activities. Also assists in the preparation of various Association statements; works with a Working Publicity Men's Committee consisting of nine members, and carries out suggestions offered by it. Co-operating with Safety and Merchandising Transportation Committees particularly in the preparation of advertising material for furthering their work. Suggesting and arranging special advertising features for regular occasions such as National Electric Railway Day, Annual Convention, etc. The Director also attends state and local Conventions and meetings, and talks on public relations and advertising problems. Service Last Year Included in the material prepared and distributed by the Advertising Section under your Committee's direction during the last year were these things: BOOKLETS, POSTERS, ETC. Copy of "Getting the Public Eye and Ear," a text book on advertising, publicity and public relations of 100 pages, prepared by the Director. Summary of the Des Moines, Iowa, franchise following the return of cars to service. Various releases in news and advertising copy on the Des Moines situation up to final return of cars. Booklet, "Herbert Hoover Goes Fishin'," giving the Secretary's views on the transportation situation. 50,000 copies distributed. Series of suggested advertisements designed to induce automobile owners to store cars for winter and use street cars. Advertising material on the vote of Battle Creek and Muskegon, Michigan to return street cars to service. Advertisements containing suggestions on how to store an automobile for the winter. Broadside on Merchandising Transportation. Facts in connection with McFadden Resolution to tax state and municipal tax exempt securities. Facts regarding municipal operations in San Francisco, on Staten Island and other places. Report on agitation in Saginaw, Michigan, for return of cars. Ad copy on motor vehicle laws and highway and maintenance costs. Safety Broadside containing suggestions for safety advertising, posters, etc. Booklet, "The Truth About Electric Railways," summing up the situation to date and discussing in concise, non-technical language such problems as buses, municipal ownership, watered stock, etc. Distributed August, 1922 AERA 71 Keep Everlastingly At It Persistent Advertising Brings Results; If You State a Fact Often Enough BY LABERT ST. CLAIR HE value of persistent advertising available to electric railways, including car space, newspapers, company publications, should not be under-estimated. It is just as important to put on a new advertising front and to appear as regularly in advertising as it is for an electric railway manager to change his shirt frequently. A great many companies do not advertise regularly because they think they cannot afford it. This undoubtedly is true when space to the extent of a quarter of a page in a daily newspaper or a change of car signs once a week is considered, but it is possible to run small advertisements every day in one of the local papers and to change car signs frequently at no great expense. Persistent Advertising Pays An instance of what can be done with the small advertisement was noted in a news story in the Associated Press from Howard, South Dakota recently and later commented upon by John Allen Murphy in Printers' Ink. This advertisement, which is technically known as a reader, meaning that it was carried in the body of the newspaper in ordinary type the size of that in the news columns, said simply this: "Dave Theophilus Sells Salt." This advertisement has been run every day in all of Theophilus' home town papers for twenty-four years. The total cost of this publicity to the salt dealer has been only $60.00. He estimates that the reader has sold 13,000 barrels of salt for him in addition to causing indirectly the sale of much more merchandise. Think how easy it would be for any local street railway company to emulate the salt salesman by simply running a reader every day substantially as follows: "The Jimtown Electric Railway sells Good Rides." Street Car Service Improved We have added four new safety cars. They are equipped with the latest improved efficient motors, air brakes, storm windows, temperature control on electric heaters, and safety devices, all of which contribute to COMFORTABLE AND RELIABLE SERVICE such as we desire to give at all times. Success to You - 1922. WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY. SAMPLE PAGE OF REGULAR MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION TO AERA ON ADVERTISING PROBLEMS BY DIRECTOR. Think of the increase in values of property near an ELECTRIC LINE and what the Electric Car means to you EVERY DAY!! SAMPLES OF A SAFETY AND A PROPERTY VALUES POSTER FOR USE IN CAR WINDOWS, CAR BARNS AND INDUSTRIAL PLANTS DISTRIBUTED BY THE SECTION. to the extent of more than 200,000 copies and voluntarily reprinted by many newspapers although not sent out as a news release. Series of suggested advertisements for interurban railways. Series of good will posters dealing with courtesy, safety, track obstructions, paving, property values, regular service. These signs are for windows and have been distributed to the extent of more than 50,000 copies. Special Advertising Service During the year scores of companies have taken advantage of the standing invitation to submit their special advertising and public relations problems to the Advertising Section for suggestion. Suggestions have been given on almost every phase of public relations work including jitney competition, paving, the weekly pass, etc. Many companies' representatives have called personally on the Director and discussed their problems and had him review their copy. Others have taken advantage of this service by mail. Your Committee believes that this service is of the highest value and particularly urges companies to take still greater advantage of it. It is free. Manufacturers' Co-operation While the co-operative efforts of your Committee on Publicity, the Advertising Section and the Committee on Co-operation of Manufacturers are being handled in a separate report, your Committee on Publicity desires to take this occasion to express its appreciation of the valuable work being done by manufacturers. This program is new, having been put into effect since the last meeting, but it is growing constantly. It is work of the greatest importance and is sure to bring good results. Co-operation with Press Newspapers generally and many national magazines have carried articles during the year of a beneficial nature to electric railways. They carried them because the facts warranted their publication and they were made available and put in the proper shape to expedite their publication. The amount of material printed regarding the Mid-Year Meeting at Indianapolis was greater than any ever printed before about an electric railway meeting. An added reason for this situation is that the closest co-operation has existed between your Committee on Meetings and Subjects and your Committee on Publicity, subjects being chosen for their news value as well as for other reasons. Special releases to the press, such as the President's annual statement regarding the condition of the industry, National Electric Railway Day story and Convention news, have been given the most cordial reception being printed liberally in news columns and commented upon editorially. The fact that conditions have been such this year as to warrant optimistic news releases has caused many editorials expressing grati |