The Harvester World: Volume 1, number 1, October 1909

              Current Advertising
by M.R.D. Owings
THE  International   Harvester  Company  has adopted a new, uniforin,  standard trade mark for all its manufactures.    It is a plain, simple monogram composed of the three letters I. H. C.    It will eventually be stamped on all its implements and parts.    In the advertising and general literature of this Company the monogram will be in outline, but on the manufactured goods it will show in a transfer the various cereals which pertain to har¬ vesting.    This   distinctive  mark   was adopted for the purpose of enabling anyone to easily identify  I.  H.  C.  machines or repairs, to protect customers from buying spurious parts that may not fit I. H. C. machines, and also to protect ourselves from having agents return to us repair parts other than our own.
ffi    That this trade mark may become quickly and widely known is vitally necessary.
® The Advertising Department has already under way an aggres¬ sive campaign of publicity. A genial little Farm-Sprite was created who, through well- written verse, leads an unprogressive farmer to "Thriftland." He is Prosperity, "Prospy" for short, and the theme of his allegorical story is the necessity of looking for the I. H. C. trade mark on all machines. As a starter, 1,000,000 copies of this attractive booklet are being distributed.
® In addition, 500,000 post-cards with "Prospy's" picture and emphasizing the I. H. C. emblem are being distributed at fairs, or mailed out, and approximately a half million buttons, scarf pins and watch fobs are being sent out and distributed at State Fairs and mailed to possible customers.
® To supplement this, double-page colored advertisements are running in the trade journals, and a blanket campaign of nearly 300 agricultural papers is driving the new emblem home to all who are on the farms.
% The change in patterns, exclusive of this publicity, will require the expenditure of a large amount of money.
®    It is a big, important step, and every International Harvester man and every Inter¬ national Harvester dealer should join in and carry on this publicity campaign. ®    Keep in mind that  " Prospy"  is only a means to an end, and while he may create interest and a smile, the advertising is not for him, but for the I. H. C. trade mark.
ADVERTISING is the great, ever present, silent assistant to the salesman.    It goes ahead  of him to the farmer.    It penetrates where a salesman can never go.    It whispers into the farmer's ear when he is at leisure.    It catches him when he is reading on Sunday.    It wins over the women of his house.    It educates him to realize his needs, and it teaches him how to fill these needs.    It spends years silently, persuasively leading up to the final order.
®    Your machines are introduced, and your sale is partly made before you see your customer.
®    This written co-operation with you is varied and persistent.
®    You may not have followed it.    You may not know what we are doing, but we are sending buyers to you all the time, we are educating other buyers to welcome your visits. ®    We are teaching them that I. H, C.  machines  stand   for reliability,  and  that   our men stand for integrity. ®    How we do this will be told you in subsequent issues on this page.
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