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No advertiser could afford to educate people on vitamins or
germicides. Such things are done by authorities, through countless
columns of unpaid-for space. But great successes have been made by going to people already educated and satisfying their created wants.
It is a very shrewd thing to watch the development of a popular
trend, the creation of new desires. Then at the right time offer to
satisfy those desires. That was done on yeast's, for instance, and on numerous antiseptics. It can every year be done on new things which some popular fashion or widespread influence is brought into vogue.
But it is a very different thing to create that fashion, taste or influence for all in your field to share.
There are some things we know of which might possibly be sold
to half the homes in the country. A Dakin-fluid germicide, for
instance. But the consumption would be very small. A small bottle
might last for years. Customers might cost $1.50 each. And the
revenue per customer might not in ten years repay the cost of getting.
Mail order sales on single articles, however popular, rarely cost less that $42.50 each. It is reasonable to suppose that sales made through dealers on like articles will cost approximately as much. Those facts must be considered on any one-sale article. Possibly one user will win others. But traced returns as in mail order advertising would prohibit much advertising which is now being done.
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