Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

64 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 2 3. 1931 ADS FOR THE WEEKLY PAPER! By PAUL W. KUNZE Ini-erstate Theatre, Stoughton, Mass. The "big-town" boys are apt to smile at the ad layout of Kunie's, on the opposite page, but that's because those "big-towners" have never had to struggle with weekly newspapers in small communities. And then again, they probably never had to sit down and dope out their own advertising unaided by some ad artist. True, they may create their own ads, but the maiority of them need help when it comes to working out their creations. Inasmuch as there are far more "small-town" theatres than "big-town" houses, this layout of ads will naturally appeal to the army of average theatre managers. Those men who must not only be master showmen, but ad specialists as well. And our hats are off to every one of them. They are the real backbone of this industry and the future leaders as well. Kunze has set forth his views in a clean-cut manner and we feel that what he has to say on this subject should interest many of his brother managers who are faced with similar conditions. V/e especially approve of his suggestion that other managers send In their ads so that everyone can have an opportunity of getting a new slant once in a while. Paul W. Kunze the same fix, as knowing small town weeklies, they can't help it. "Am enclosing a few samples of our own one, two, three and four column ads to illustrate what I mean and if you look through them you will realize what a proposition it is to inject a change into the layout. The last ad, marked with pencil, is the latest used, and the layout was suggested in your columns last week. You can see that something like this is a change. Furthermore, with a few published layouts, it would give an opportunity for men to exert their own ideas and originality in changing them around and adapting layouts to their own use. "I have access to about a dozen papers from other towns and some of the theatre's weekly ads are brutal. Most of them are crowded, too much type, too many mats or else not enough white space ; so I feel there is a genuine need for something that will help to pep up smaller town advertising and your columns would be an ideal medium. You can see by the enclosed samples about the limits of weeklies in regard to set-ups. It is comparatively simple to create an effective ad for a daily on a single attraction as press sheets and other aids are available to this type of house, but not quite so easy to put four programs together." Some Things to Remember About Your Advertising! 1 — Don't crowd your copy. 2 — Inject novelty and local appeal into your ads. 3 — Watch the other fellow's ads for suggestions. 4 — Don't waste space. 5 — Avoid deception or "dirt." .// A FTER sitting up plenty of nights tryZ\ ing to draw up something new and * * different in ad layouts for a small town weekly paper with three or four program changes to set in, I came to the conclusion that your columns might be a big help to many other managers who must be in the same position as I am. "This letter is intended as a constructive suggestion for the thousands of smaller theatres and towns with only a weekly paper to work with and who must advertise three or four different programs in their one weekly ad. Regardless of whether advertising in weeklies in towns is of much value or not, it actually must be done to maintain good standing. Space rate is usually very cheap with liberal reader space thrown in and the paper's good-will is really essential. This more or less justifies the use of space in the weeklies, but the big problem I find is to draw up layouts with some newness and originality in them week in and week out. Without some outside suggestions it is hard to keep out of a rut and I believe if you were to publish a few samples of small town weekly layouts that you may be able to collect from various parts of the country, it would be of genuine assistance to a lot of managers. "Most of the sample ads published in your columns and other sources are drawn for dailies and on some single program and therefore are of no assistance in laying out four changes in a given space. Furthermore, the resources of weekly papers are so limited that they are unable to set up any thing very tricky or artistic and the cheap space rate does not permit it either. As it now is, occasionally in looking through the columns I am able to pick up something and adopt it to my own use, thereby giving us a welcomed touch of newness for the week's ad. I imagine others must be in ''III these times, nothing is more unportant than the intelligent merchandising of pictures to the public by theatres. Any medium that gathers together each zveek in one place practical ticket selling thoughts from good theatre operators all over the country is a valuable asset. Such is the service rendered by the MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE CLUB. I have follozved this section of the paper zvith interest d u r i n g the three years of its existence and I congratulate you upon the fine job it has done, is doing and I hope will continue to do for many years to come. "If I zvere a theatre operator I zvould certainly make it my business to belong to the MANA GERS' RO UND TABLE CLUB." RUSSELL HOLM AN, Advertising Manager, Paramoimt-Publix Corporation. A Cold Mine For Showmen! MORRIS ROSENTHAL, Manager, Capitol Theatre. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. //THREE years is a long time in this busiI ness. And to keep a band of moving men ■ who may be here today and in another city tomorrow, together and interested in one subject is a feat to be justly proud of. That you have accomplished this remarkable feat and in addition have given the members of this Round Table Club something of value to them week in and week out, without any cost to them, is something again to feel proud of. "Where can managers sit down and gather the ideas of hundreds of co-workers? You may be able to talk intimately and personally to half a dozen managers in your particular locality, but through the medium of the Managers' Round Table Club we can exchange ideas with hundreds of our fellow managers. We find out what has been successfully tried out in some other city and the finished product is handed us on a plate. WJiat could be sweeter? "At this time of the year when you celebrate your third anniversary, the managers are starting to worry about the coming of summer. Each man asks himself what can I do to keep the house out of the red? And the answer will be found in the pages of your column. John Smith did so and so last year in Des Moines, and etc. down the line. If there is a manager in the country today who is alive and on his toes and yet hesitates to join this club, then he still has something to learn. If there was an initiation fee of $50 or $100 to join he would probably say it was worth it. One good idea alone is well worth that sum. "So. here is to many more bigger and better birthdays and may it long reign supreme. AND EARLE SAYS: kk Y candid opinion of the Managers' Round ' ' ' Table Club is that it is one of the best ; yes I will go further than that and say — it is the best thing to date as a valuable aid to showmen anywhere and everywhere, as it seems to go every place that there is a theatre. "Last summer I was visiting my brother in the north and while there I met some old friends of mine who are showmen. I was a bit surprised that they seemed to be too busy to read the M. R. T. C. One of them, the best showman of the lot, said: "Why should I read that stuff when I have used it all years ago?" Later my brother remarked : "That's the reason he will always be right where he is. He thinks he knows all and has done all. He could be one of the best if he could get away from that idea." "All due respects to my friend as a showman, I think my brother was right. This man is and has been a good showman, long before I ever got into it, but I don't care how good a man is in any line, there is always some one who can give him new ideas that will 'click.' "That applies to my opinion of the M. R. T. C. Everyone is bound to find something in its varied articles that will help him some time. If a fellow can only get three or four good ones that will "click" in a year, it has been a great help and well worth the price of the book. "I have used a number of things and have altered some to suit my town. Some have been good, and some have not been the success here that they were when first used, but the average is on the side of those that have helped. "Another thing — I have noticed that a number of managers around this section are using stuff that has been taken from the Club columns, and when I get the same pictures I am going to use them, too." EARLE F. OSCAR, Ritz Theatre, Athens, Ala.