Page 216 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

Here was a double-edged promotion. First, Westinghouse got over the
essential idea that a refrigerator was about the most important tool in a busy
woman’s activities, always on the job, always ready to serve in any
emergency food crisis, always saving time for the busy woman. Second, it
provided a new idea and a new background for a style show, gave several
departments of the store an opportunity to display many different costumes,
including negligee, sports, afternoon, dinner, evening, and bathing, besides
dozens of accessories, so important in modern fashions.

A particularly spectacular stunt in showmanship was the famous
transcontinental trainload of movie stars and electrical equipment which
General Electric hauled across the country early in 1933. A brilliantly
decorated train, with coaches equipped with demonstration kitchens, and
loaded with movie stars such as Leo Carillo, Bette Davis, Lyle Talbot, Tom
Mix and others, visited many towns and was thrown open for public
inspection. Thousands of people thronged through the train and visited the
dealers’ showroom where the stars were in the reception line.

This train pointed up the General Electric sales campaign and took the
dealers’ minds off the bank failures which became nationwide, just when the
train reached Cleveland on its eastward journey.

While the smaller business man cannot, of course, undertake promotions of
this magnitude himself, it is usually possible for him to “tie in” with national
activities and thus bring to his business whatever local sales value they might
have.

Promoting a Business with Premiums

Everybody likes to get something for nothing. Even though it is a fact that
there is no such thing in business as getting something for nothing, this time-
honored method of attracting customers is as good as ever. Among the great
American business institutions which have been built up on “gifts” are the
William Wrigley, Jr., Co., makers of Spearmint gum, the Jewel Tea Co., food
products, and the Jas. S. Kirk Co., makers of American Family Soap. Each of
these companies was started the same way—giving away something with