(Chapter 14) Getting Distribution
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Most advertisers are confronted with the problem of getting
distribution. National advertising is unthinkable without that. A
venture cannot be profitable if nine in ten of the converts fail to find
the goods. To force dealers to stock by bringing repeated demands may be enormously expensive. To cover the country with a selling force is usually impossible. To get dealers to stock an unknown line on promise of advertising is not easy. They have seen to many efforts fail, too many promises rescinded.
We cannot discuss all plans for getting distribution. There are
scores of ways employed, according to the enterprise. Some start by soliciting direct sales – mail orders – until the volume of demand
forces dealers to supply. Some get into touch with prospects by a
sample or other offer, then refer them to certain dealers who are
stocked.
Some well-known lines can get a large percentage of dealers to
stock in advance under guarantee of sale. Some consign goods to
jobbers so dealers can easily order. Some name certain dealers in their ads until dealers in general stock. The problems in this line are numberless. The successful methods are many. But most of them apply to lines too few to be worthy of discussion in a book like this.
We shall deal here with articles of wide appeal and repeated sales, like foods or proprietary articles. We usually start with local
advertising, even though magazine advertising is best adapted to the article
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