The lmportance of the Trade Journal

The unsophisticated businessman is apt to overlook the value of the trade press to his public relations program. The sophisticated businessman is likely to underestimate it.

How important is publicity in trade and professional journals? What achieve? What are some of the ir can take?

First, some general observations:

. Most of these magazines have rather flat-sounding names, which may make the unsophisticated businessman think their contents are equally unexciting. But a title such as "American Bee Journal" certainly tells more about what's inside than "Saturday Evening Post." And men whose business is bees or honey or hives will expect to learn more about their special interests from ABJ than from SATEVEPOST.

. Getting into a trade magazine isn't nearly as exciting as being in READER'S 'DIGEST, with its 13.5 million circulation, but how many of those 13.5 million are important to you? How do you know that your important people read the DIGEST?

This ercellent edinrial appeared' in the PRB Newsletter, which is pub' lishcd mor*hly by the Public Rela' tions Board, Inc., a Chicago-based' comryny specializing in Public ReIatians, publicity and, sales promotion. Our thanhs to luan Fuld,auer lor per' rnission to reprint it.-Edilor.

On the other hand, look at what can happen from magazines that land on the office desk instead of the family coffee table. Several automotive trade magazines carried a photo, with brief caption, of a brake installation manual offered by Maremont Corporation for $7.50. Result: 2,000 orders, happily forcing the manual into a wholly unexpected second printing. A onethird-page picture spread of illustrations from a new lighting fixture catalog appeared in HOUSE & HOME. Result: 1,500 reguests for the catalog from home builders. Mass circulation publicity, while it builds corporate prestige and usually is beneficial to consumer items, occasionally can backfire. A product sold through ex' clusive one-to-a-city dealerships appeared in a Sunday newspaper supplement in 70 cities. Result: the company was bombarded with mail orders which were costly to fill and it incurred the wrath of people who gave up trying to find the product in their local stores.

. If trade and professional journals did not perform a service {or their readers, there wouldn't be so many of them. Standard Rate & Data Service, Inc. lists more than 3.000 in 159 classifications from "advertising" to "wood-working." Not every publication in every category is equally useful to its industry, but there's at least one 'omust" book in every field. Usudlly there are several important ones, each taking a slightly difierent approach to its in. dustry's problems and activities.

Sophisticated businessmen know it's comparatively easy to place routine announcementa in trade publications, becaus€ the magazines want to cover industry developments as thoroughly as possible. But obtaining real public relations value from trade publicity means going beyond the obvious new product - personnel changesconstruction plans type o{ news.

It means working with editors to develop special features tied to readers' interests. It means looking {or the "angle" that will make the news signficant to publir:ations in other. related fields. It means creating opportunities to build corporate prestige with suppliers, customers. even competitors, by them with information the1. can

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. Businessmen take it for granted that getting into the big consumer publications requires time and hard work. The same effort must be used in exactly the same wav to develop trade publicity ihat makes the greatest possible contribution to the public relations program.

Now for some specifics taken from work done for clients o{ The Puhlic Relations Board, Inc.

Monogram N{odels" Inc.. makers of hobbv model kits. built a new plant. Details of size. purpose. etc.. were fully reported by the trade press. Then }lonogram went br.y,.rnd the ohvious I'y usinc rhe planr open- ing as an opportunity to perform a wellpublicized serr,ice for the entire hobbv ind ust ry.

The companv sponsored a day-long round table discussion of industry problems. with the proceedings recorded on tape. The edited tapes then became a 4-part series of articles in CRAFT, MODEL & HOBBY I\DUSTRY.

The first article carried this introduction: "Jack M. Besser. president of Monogram Models" Inc., believes that the new plant in \'Iorton Grove, Ill., is not only a symbol of his firm's success. but a symbol of the growth of the entire industry. He also believes that i[ this growth is to continue. the industrl. must know where it's going -and how it's getting there. Therefore. he invited leading spokesmen o{ the industry to spend a dav in \{onogram's con{erencc room to discuss the future of the industt'v anrl the major prol,lems that corrfront it.;'

Nearlr. a ,vear after the first article was printed. hobbl people are still talking about this proof of Monogram's interest in indu-.trv problems.

Atlas Van-Line-., Inc.. n'orld-rvide organization of household goods movers, ran a series o[ ads in TRANSPORT TOPICS to recruit new agents. The ads were followed by a publicity story announcing the results of the campaign and introducing the new agents. Finally. the magazine asked permission to use the Atlas story in its orvn "hou-.e" ads. Result: three exposures for the "agent-wanted" campaign and more agents signed up from among the publication's readers. o Prompt delivery by our trucks o Immediate service on'will calls" o Complete milling facilities

A manufacturer of power supply cables for mobile homes devoted most o{ a limited PR budget to the preparation of a series of li3 monthll. articles {or MOBILE HOME PARK MANAGEMENT on subjects related to mobile home electrical systems.

The series. under the company president's by-line, attracted so much attention that other publications in the field asked for special articles on similar subjects. In addition, the company rer:eived hundreds of requests for reprints from mobile home park operators and dealers. The series also won a Publicity Cluh of Chir:ago "bestwriting" award.

Creating trade publicity is, in some ways, even more demanding o{ time and talent than is writin€{ for newspapers and wire sen'it'es. The audience is specialized and requires information-in-depti presented in terminology peculiar to its industry. The "hig" {eature has to be good to be accorded space in publications obliged to print a marimum o{ news from every industry member.

But in return the trades offer an invaluable opportunity to reach a pin-pointed audience oI people who either buy specific products or who use them and influence their purchase.

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Associotion Show for 1963 Feolures Demonslrotions

The Components Arena at the 1963 National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association's "Sell-Power" Exposition promises to be one of the busiest spots in the action-filled show.

Live demonstrations will include a complete components shop set up with equipment to turn out products for erecting a com' ponent structure from the floor to the roof.

A total of eight demonstrations are scheduled, three a day, November 2 and 3, and two on Monday, November 4. The "Components in Action" program will be on the main exhi'bit floor of McCormick Place. Raymon Harrell, executive vice president of the Lumber Dealers Research Council, will be in charge.

As each demonstration begins, participating manufacturers will be spotlighted in turn as their products are used to build the structure. A machine operator will demonstrate the equipment. At the same time, another company expert will describe the intricacies of the equipment to the audience.

Harrell explains that among the major things which dealers will learn will be the following: o The special advantages in buying for re-sale certain compon. ents which originate at the manufacturer level. o When it is more profitable to build certain structural components in the shop rather than in the field.

How to analyze local markets to decide whether it is better to manufacture or buy components.

. How to determine in-place unit costs.

. Production costs on all equipment-such as the break'even point in hours of daily use to amortize equipment costs.

When possible, each demonstration will conclude with a personal case history in which a dealer will tell the audience what he has accomplished with components in his own operation.

Between scheduled demonstrations, manufacturers in the ooComponents in Action" program will have their company people on hand for independent consultation and demonstrations, says llarrell.

Corpenler ond Solinsky Elected Direclors of Pocific Lumber Co.

Edward M. Carpenter and Frank J' Solinsky III have been elected to the Board of Directors of The Pacific Lumber Company, it was announced by Stanwood A. Murphy, President of the 94" year-old California redwood manufacturing firm.

Carpenter, as Vice President of Operations at Scotia, California, heads up manufacturing and timber operations for the company in Humboldt County. Solinsky is President of Frank and Dean Solinsky, Inc., San Francisco timber consultants, and has been active in forest management studies throughout the West.

Carpenter started work for Pacific in 1933 at the mills in Scotia. Following extensive experience in various phases of lum' ber production, he was named Resident Manager in 1957, and Vice President in 1961. He also serves as Vice President oI the Northern California Timber Association, and on the Advisory Board of Humboldt State College.

Solinsky's family, starting with his grandfather, have been in the timber business for three generations. Solinsky himself started working in the woods in 1925, and has been a forester and timber cruiser. He became a tim'ber consultant about 30 years ago, and has had wide experience in timber appraisals, taxation, and management of forest properties.