Paramount Pep-O-Grams (1928)

Page Twelve of Pep-O-Gramx THE MISSION OF PARAMOUNT FOREIGN PUBLICITA By O. R. GEYER Manager Foreign Publicity and Advertising The policy of keeping Paramount-Pep Club meinbers informed of the various phases and the far-flung ramifications of our organization’s activities, zcill be continued in Pep-O-Grams. The motive is an excellent one. and the material is not only informative hut also highly interesting. !I'e present as our first offering in the nezo z'olume of your house organ an insight into one of the major reasons zi’hy Paramount Pictures, the Paramount Stars, and ahoz'e all else, the Paramount Trade Mark are knozvn in every corner of the civilized zvorld — zeritten by one zvho has pioneered long and mightily in the implanting of this international Paramount fame. Selling Paramount publicity and good will abroad has been the pleasing task of this department since its inception ten years ago. We have had an inspiring message to carry and one in which the world is keenly interested. The campaign has had its difficulties and problems and haste has been made slowly in view of the conflicting national characteristics and business methods in vogue throughout the world. Without excejition tlie T’aianiount trade niark is undouljtedly tlie l)est known trade insignia used in international commerce, due cliiefly to the foresight and constructive atnlity of Hr. E. E. Sliauer, tlie general manager of the Foreign Department since its inception, in huilding up a world-wide organization of true ambassador for Paramount I’ictures. This far-llung organization has grown until it emlnaces 12.5 branch ollices operating in seventy countries. Appi'oxiniatel.v 3,000 men and women are engaged in the operation of these bi-anch-ottices which, from their very inception, have labored mightily to build a solid foundation of good will for l-’aramou nt. The ambassadorshi|) of these splendid representatives of Paramount has served a mighty important purpose in the siiread of I’aramount publicity and exploitation throughout the world. Today we have hundreds of newspapers and magazines using Paramount news regularl.v as a prized feature of their news pages and still the clamor is for more and more news about I’aramount, its product and its activities in the world of art. This publicity is published in approximately 37 languages and has grown to such an extent that communities far from the beaten paths of commerce are familiar with Paramount Pictures and the players appearing in them. We maintain in the home office in New York a staff of Spanish. T’ortuguese, Dutch and German translators who prepai'e publicity material for the great number of publications appearing in countries where these languages are spoken. This is in addition to a very extensive English publicity seivice which reaches all countries whei-e English is either the common language or else is the general tongue of commerce. Spanish, for instance, is the language of twenty-one countries scattered about the globe and through the medium of this language we reach millions of motion picture lovers with the latest news and pictorial material about Paramount product. Through scores of correspondents stationed in New York and Hollywood as the representatives of the leading European and South American newspapers and magazines we reach out into publications issued in every important tongue S])oken. The interest in American motion pictures is so great that almost every worth while publication in Europe maintains a re])resentative in New York and Hollywood whose chief business is to supply the very latest information as to what I’aramount and the other leading producers are doing. The work of the. department is cari'ied on in complete cooperation with the local publicity departments maintained in the larger offices, such as London, Paris, Berlin, Rome. Stockholm, Kaicelona, Rio de .laneiro, Buenos Aires, S.vdney and Kobe. This coopei'ative effort brings about the distribution of Paramount iiublicity to thousands of publications, as evei’y Pai'amount exchange is full.v supplied with ample publicity and advertising material for use in its own individual exploitation campaigns. Publicity material, rightly prepared and carr.ving a message of wide popular appeal, has generally become recognized by newspaper and magazine editors as being an important adjunct of their work. Foreign publications have watched with great interest the great amount of space devoted to motion yiicture news in publications in this country and on duplicating this effort have found a tremendous popular interest on the part of their readers. The demand for the latest news and Information about personalities appearing uiion the screen or who are instrumental in the production of pictures is so .great that the great world news organizations now are devoting considerable time and effort to the distribution of newsy items about motion inctures. In this country we have as examiiles the Associated Press and Ttnited Press which supply motion picture material to their many foreign clients, especially in South America. The cal.iles are now used liliej-ally to speed this material to its destination and the premiere of a sensational I’ai'anumnt success, such as “Wings” and "The Patriot” is heralded throughout the entire world within twenty-four hours. Thousands of ijhotograiihs, cuts and mats are required each month to satisfy the evergrowing demand for Paramount publicity. In addition we issue from this office Mensajero T’aramount and Mensageiro Paramount, Spanish and Portuguese publications, respectively, which are circulated among exhiliitors and newspaper editors in all countries in which these two languages are used. This I'esults in the piublication of hundreds of columns of additional Pai’amount publicity as editors are advised to make free use of its contents. Then, we have Paramount Around the World, which is the alert and tremendously vital publication which keeps every one oif our 3,000 Forei.gn Legionnaires liosted on Paramount’s activities here and abroad. So vital is the interest in news about I’aramount that one correspondent in New York employs the services of an amateur ladio operator whose short wave station is in constant communication with Brazilian stations. Many messages relating to Paramount are dispatched to Rio de .Janeiro via this medium. All this is necessary liecause Paramount has become world news. Every activity of the company is constantly being reported to the farthest corners of the globe, inasmuch as the thousands of theatres screening Paramount Pictures have served to make the name Paramount a household word wherever civilized tongues are spoken. Every Paramount Pepster certainly can feel mighty proud of the fact that he or she has helped in the building of this great world-wide organization.