Building theatre patronage : management and merchandising (1927)

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20 Building Theatre Patronage country to give a practical demonstration of how exceptional photoplays could be advertised intensively to increase receipts. These exploiteers might be called the missionaries of intensive advertising. Hie average exhibitor could not then execute an intensive campaign without such assistance. He lacked experience. He lacked confidence. He was too busy with other details of management to devote sufficient time to advertising intensively. In some cases he had persuaded himself that receipts could not be increased beyond a certain figure no matter what might be done. The exploiteers obtained results for "The Miracle Man" that exceeded every expectation. Then they devoted themselves to other Paramount releases. They had a three-fold duty — to win the exhibitor's confidence, to persuade him that intensive advertising was justified, to develop confidence in merchants and newspapermen so that they would take up different forms of co-operative advertising with the motion picture theatre. Due to the efforts of the exploiteers, window displays wTere secured from merchants where hitherto such displays were unknown. Merchants arranged special sales for articles that tied-in with the photoplay advertised at the theatre. They also distributed novelties and souvenirs. The many forms of co-operative advertising with merchants, which are now so familiar to the trade, were first introduced through the efforts of the exploiteers. Results for the merchant from co-operative advertising were so gratifying that they not only welcomed possibilities for further co-operation but suggested new practices. For instance, heralds were distributed in packages, milk bottle hangers were used, printed laundry shirt boards were adopted, and many other ingenious methods of carrying the theatre's advertising message to the public were either suggested by merchants or approved by them when suggested by managers. The newspaper executives, due to the persuasiveness and the experienced approach of the exploiteers, accepted the suggested circulation building contests in conjunction with the motion picture theatres. There were children and newsboy matinees sponsored by the newspapers, essay contests with theatre tickets as prizes, co-operative newspaper advertising pages, safe-driving contests,