Exhibitors Herald (1927)

14 EXHIBITORS HERALD September 17, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD Qhe independent Srade ^aper Martin J. Quigley, Publisher Editor Published Erery Wednesday by Quigley Publishing Company Publicafion Office: 407 So. Dearborn St., CHICAGO, U. S. A. Marti* J. Quigley, President Eowiw S. Clifford, Secretary George Clifford, Asst. Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Copyright, 1927, by Quigley Publishing Company All editorial and business correspondence should be addressed to the Chicago office Other Publications: The Chicagoan and Polo, class journals; and the following motion picture trade publications published as supplements to Exhibitors Herald: Better Theatres, every fourth week, The Studio, every fourth week, and The Box Office Record & Equipment Index, semiannual. Vol. XXXI September 17. 1927 No. 1 Advertising Pictures THE motion picture industry has been pleased to regard itself as a well-advertised business. In a strict sense this is far from the truth. The industry is the beneficiary of a great deal of indirect publicity because of the public’s interest in screen personalities and because of the allure which surrounds the business. But the industry and what the industry has to offer have never been either adequately or intelligently advertised. There seems to be an impression in certain quarters that the use of a few national magazines by a few companies means advertising the industry. This effort, effective and important as far as it goes, hardly scratches the problem. In a few of the large centers a modicum of advertising is obtained in connection with newspaper announcements of theatre attractions. But even with this added it may be said that the industry is practically without advertising. It is only the nature of the business and not any positive action on the part of the industry which has kept it in the public eye. But the attention which is thus gained for the business is of an irresponsible character and does not in any way accomplish the job of selling pictures to the public and keeping that public sold on pictures. However, the notion — which is entertained in various quarters — that producers and distributors will some day be able to go into extensive advertising campaigns which will result in the direct selling of the public is distinctly and completely visionary. It is the product of little knowledge of advertising and little knowledge of how the various branches of the industry should function. The only broad and sweeping advertising effort to the general public which the industry can now — or ever will be able — to make is through the theatre. Although theatre advertising on the whole now reaches an astonishing total, the industry is not being adequately advertised because this advertising is not properly linked up with the main interests of the industry and because it is not expertly and wisely directed. * * * THE advertising problem of the producer and distributor has been repeatedly studied by the best advertising brains in the country and the unanimous conclusion is that national advertising, as such, cannot be economically maintained in the necessary volume. In other words, the nature of the business is such that the advertising problem cannot now or later be solved either by indi vidual or collective effort on the part of producers and distributors. The cost of national advertising as compared with the possibilities of income by the producer is such that he simply cannot even nearly afford national advertising. Therefore the producer cannot solve the problem through direct expenditure on his own account. A solution of the industry’s advertising problem may, however, be brought about through the theatre — and only through the theatre. It need hardly be recorded that the attitude and disposition of the newspapers of the country are of paramount importance to the business. The producer is in no position whatsoever to influence and guide the newspapers. But the reverse is true with respect to the exhibitor. He is a client of the newspaper and a factor in the community the newspaper serves. Newspapers will listen to the exhibitor while they will only laugh at the pleas or at the criticism of the producer. As news personalities producers count with the newspapers but their standing ends there. The industry is un-advertised now and will continue to be un-advertised as far as the efforts of producers go. Despite the huge volume of theatre advertising that is placed in the newspapers of the country the business is not properly advertised because exhibitors are not united in their aims and objectives; because they are not supplied with proper and adequate material with which to assist in the job of advertising the business and because they have been relying upon the producer to do something which he has attempted, perhaps, to do but something which he is incapable of doing successfully. An intelligent awakening is very much in order. It may not be the industry’s greatest problem but it would be difficult to conceive of one of greater consequences. * * -X ADVERSE publicity has already been very costly to the l business. Under the present disorganized arrangement another avalanche of adverse publicity may strike the business at any moment. In every instance of this in the past the producer has been incapable of influencing the newspapers one iota. Whatever relief has been gained has been gained through the efforts of the exhibitors. But even these efforts have only been partially effective because at the moment any crisis strikes no organized and united effort is put forth; the business has just simply been sailing along on a calm sea without any thought of a possible storm. The thing that is badly needed is a realization on the part of producers that they and the industry as a whole must depend upon the theatres for advertising, for maintaining a front for the business before the general public and for systematically seeking to prevail upon the newspapers to mirror correctly the industry in their columns. The producers’ proper and most effective means of communication with the exhibitor is through the trade press. Instead of using such space as may be available to him merely to make announcements of his pictures or to boast tediously of his successes, personal and cinematographic, he should remember that each exhibitor addressed is potentially able to influence thousands of the public if he is supplied with the right material with which to do it. The idea of going around the exhibitor and reaching the public direct is an idle dream. It is absurd practically and unsound economically. The exhibitor’s proper place in this business is that of the contact man between the producer and the public. Up to the present time the trade press — without any pertinent help from the producer — has carried on the job of rendering essential service to the exhibitor. If due progress is to he made in strengthening the advertising front of the industry, producers must accept the responsibility and opportunity of their position in the matter.