Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1927)

December 24, 1927 43 T/L?/‘Half-Sold” ^Shoe Fits Producer more than Exhibitor Says Sidney B. Lust SHOWS can be sold or they can be only half sold. That was how Mr. Lou B. Metzger came at us in his first article in which he argued for the fuller use of accessories. While I answered in my Erst reply, I see that Better Business Builders urges us to say our say for a better understanding of the accessories situation — and so come in again. It is perfectly true that a wide use of accessories, granted they are selling matter for the picture, can help draw people. It is equally certain that at present the producer in so many I cases makes his accessories price so high that the smaller theatre is denied the full benefit of this business building help. But I covered that before. Now what I want to put before producers is the fact that this is the only large industry in 1 which the manufacturer depends almost wholly on the retailer to move the goods once they are, so to speak, on his shelves. A movie patron has recently written a feature in this section in which he argues that the public is laughing at the exhibitor for not using modern business tactics, such as radio and automobile people use. The patron is right as far as the actual theatre is concerned, but not knowing the inside of the business of selling pictures to the public, he is wrong in laying all the blame on the exhibitor. It is squarely up to the producer to help the exhibitor to “move” the product after he has placed it with the exhibitor. So, in advocating the fully sold picture, when Mr. Metzger says so often the picture is only “half sold” — that half-sold shoe is on the producer’s foot, not that of the exhibitor. In the first place, the producer should realize that every time we put a poster, window card or herald out, Mr. Producer 1 and the stars have their names all over these and get as much advertising out of it as we do, if not more! Why doesn’t that producer work along the lines that have enabled other prosperous business men to extend their sales all over the country? Big manufacturers in other lines spend a lot of money helping the retailer to move the product he has bought. They placard the towns with twenty four sheets. They send out booklets and pamphlets. Not only that. They distribute free samples, or furnish them to the retailer to distribute, every time he places orders. I know because I have been through it. Motion picture producers do none of this. With the exception of a trailer which, in a way, is a free sample, and I which is in some cases furnished without an extra charge almost always hard to get for the small exhibitor, to the exhibitor, the motion picture producer not only asks the exhibitor to bear the whole expense of selling trade mark and product, but he adds to this a demand that the exhibitor spend j more money to do this advertising which in all other lines is i done by the manufacturer. Pick up any other line besides motion pictures. If you are 1 in any other business, and many exhibitors are, you know how the salesman for these lines approaches you. 1 If it’s flashlights, there are booklets extolling the virtues of the product and its various models; there is probably display matter, counter cards to say the least, and all often tied up with national advertising. Does the salesman ask you to pay for the accessories that help you sell more of his line? No, he proffers them to you as part of the sales service to the retailer, which is one of the things he uses as an inducement for you to carry his lines. The motion picture salesman argues you into accepting his line of pictures. Then he flashes the accessories on you. So much for window cards. So much for heralds. So much for paper, and other accessories. What would you say to a salesman for face powder, let me say for example, if he came in and after convincing you that he had an article which, put up attractively, ladies could use without danger, he then turned and showed you several attractive sample boxes, and quoted you a pretty steep price on a thousand? Or if he suggested that you devote a whole window to his goods, and then asked you to fork over a lot of money for the materials, the empty boxes, the advertising matter, show cards and so on. And yet, according to the article which started this open discussion, Mr. Metzger, at least by inference, stands for a policy that not only charges the exhibitor with the materials to help get more people in, so the next season’s product can come higher on the contract, but would compel the exhibitor to take a certain minimum amount of this accessory material. It is my contention that the exhibitor ought to be given cooperative sales service by the producers, that the exhibitor who books in a picture is entitled to the same sort of service with it that the druggist gets when he places an order for a line of toilet goods. In actual fact he should be more entitled to this sort of sales help, because the article he is selling, really the entertainment afforded by that picture, makes an immediate turnover for the producer who gets his money, often in advance of actual running of the picture, whereas the druggist puts in his toilet articles and gets a good extension of credit, while the goods may take weeks to move before the turnover is complete. The producers ought to work along modern merchandising lines in backing up their product. When the salesman comes in to you and convinces you that his line has merit, that his picture will give the entertainment for which it is designed, he ought to be able to add, “And now, Mr. Exhibitor, we are willing to back up our picture. “Here is what we can do for you. We will post as many twenty-fours, threes, ones, as you will furnish space for. We will provide, two weeks ahead of play date, one, two or three or five thousand heralds (according to your theatre and the size of your pulling radius) and as many windows cards as you will guarantee to give good display for. And here is a little novelty button (or goggles) we can let you have if you will furnish actually useful distribution.” (Please turn to page 48) Sidney B. Lust, who is already well know to you, puts over a brand new angle on Accessories. What do you think about this stunt? -------- Dave Bader continues this time the feature for which space was lacking last week and somewhat parallels Mr. Lust but with another slant. ( See page 48)