Advertising on the Pacific Coast: Puget Sound Cities and Others in the Northwest Territory Develop Successful Community Advertising Programmes

IN the Northwest Pacific Coast territory, Seattle was the first major city to start an advertising campaign, starting out with an initial budget of $80,000 in 1921. Seattle has continued to be one of the West’s consistent advertisers.

In 1923 there was organized the Puget Sounders and British Columbians, Associated. This organization, comprising the cities of Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Longview, Vancouver, and Victoria, has thus far considered its market the Pacific Coast states. During the past five years a total of $180,000 has been expended. Out of the 1928 appropriation of $41,000, 86 per cent was spent for space.

The central idea behind the organization, as recognized by these seven Pacific Northwest cities, is to sell the tourist on the entire region, not merely on one of its units. The slogan that runs throughout the advertising copy expresses this idea. ‘The Evergreen Playground’ does not exploit vacation virtues of any one city, but of the entire region.

The board of directors is composed of two representatives from each city. There is no administrative expense, as the executive direction is supplied through the chambers of commerce of these cities. With the elimination of unnecessary expense, the large percentage of each dollar is used to buy advertising space. Each city contributes in proportion to its population, and all the cities share equally in the advertising. For example: six large advertisements of a general nature are devoted to the entire district, and the remainder of the advertising copy is divided equally among the cities.

The international relationships have proven of direct aid in furthering the campaign. ‘Vacation under Two Flags,’ ‘No Red Tape at the International Border,’ are phrases that have been used repeatedly. Much of the advertising has been directed toward the Southwest. The value of the campaign of the Puget Sounders has been indicated by results obtained. More cities have joined the group. Since the start of the campaign in 1924, tourist travel to the Pacific Northwest has increased 100 percent.

This coöperative campaign has built good will among these seven cities, which are all within a two-hundred-mile radius.

Seattle, West Seattle, Puget Sounders, Spokane, Olympia, Portland, Vancouver, Tacoma, and Victoria have spent nearly a million and a half dollars in all forms of community advertising during the past five years, to advertise and promote the Northwest Pacific Coast territory.

Spokane spends approximately $25,000 each year in inserting advertisements in general mediums of national circulation, literature, and follow-up on inquiries. About half of the replies are the result of utilizing the coupons which fell of the special booklet, ‘The Scenic Lure of Spokane.’

During the past five years, Seattle has been spending $80,000 a year. Its advertisements have been read by approximately 20,000,000 people each year. Paid advertising in magazines and papers consumes a very large portion of the budget. The only other item of considerable importance is for literature, letters, and printed matter. Such items as publicity, postage, extra help, and a tourist information bureau make up the difference.

Some evidences of growth are indicated in the comparison of gains shown in 1921 and 1925. Building permits showed a gain of 138 per cent, telephone stations 28 per cent, bank deposits 36 per cent, home construction 172 per cent, water-borne cargo over piers (in tons) 47 per cent. These figures are given as an indication of how Seattle met the post-war situation, with loss of populalion due to the shutting down of war-time industries.

Seattle has been such a consistent community advertiser since 1921 that it is important to record wind the city believes its advertising has done for it. It reports that during the first four years $78,700,0110 was spent in hotel, flat, lodging, and apartment-house const met ion in Seattle. The city was formerly regarded as a point of departure for those about to sail lor Alaska; now it is known for itself, a world port, an industrial city. It gained in conventions, property, and real-estate values. A substantial number of new farmers were located. Industrial possibilities were stressed. The railroads advertised Seattle. It joined with Vancouver, Victoria, Everett, Longview, Tacoma, and bellingham tinder the name, of Puget Sounders and British Columbians, Associated, and obtained good results. It met the strong competition of Europe and other advertising communities.

The national advertising campaign of one of those Northwest Pacific Coast communities was classified for the first nine months of the past year. Nearly five thousand coupons were received from advertisements placed in national magazines. A total of more than 14,000 were received through no key letter, special inquiries, cards, and other devices, including the nearly live thousand above referred to,

Portland has expended $156,000 during the past five years with tourist business as the chief objective. ‘We believe,’ says Herbert Cuthhert. manager of the advertising and promotion department of the Portland Chamber of Commerce. ‘that our tourist business continues to grow as the direct result of our advertising, notwithstanding the smallness of our appropriation. But we are sensible enough not to attribute all its growth to our own efforts; much of it is due to similar efforts on the part of those who are also engaged in advertising in this section, to the improvement of transportation, to the prosperity of the territory around us.’

About $26,000 of the Portland fund is devoted to advertising space and $7500 to literature and booklets. As far as funds permit, considerable advertising is done in the East, using media that carry a message to those sections which have sent Portland the most visitors and the most inquiries.

Starting in 1923, during six years Vancouver has expended more than $225,000 for advertising and community promotion.

National campaigns have been conducted in Canada and the Pacific Coast states.

Tacoma for two years has been using magazines and newspapers to invite population, capital, and industry. In 1927 it conducted a national campaign, but confined itself to a regional campaign in 1928. During this period $40,000 has been spent.

Olympia. West Seattle, and the Ballard Commercial Club, Inc., have done regional advertising which has helped the general movement in the Pacific Northwest and these communities individually. Over $60,000 has been spent by them.

The Pacific Coast communities recognized at the outset of their community advertising the importance of the followup. inquiries wore given careful attention. Contacts were established wherever possible. In every instance where national advertising was determined upon, the proper maohinery was set up in the chamber of commerce or elsewhere to answer specific inquiries developed by the advertising. It has been an established policy to follow through with salesmanship until interested inquirers have come to sojourn or remain.

When we add up the total sum expended in California by its communities, by the Pacific Northwest, and its communities, we arrive at an outlay of more than six million dollars during the past five or six years. While a considerable portion of this advertising money has been expended in local and regional efforts, the Pacific Coast communities have sold themselves to themselves and to all who visit there. By the forces of optimism and effective community advertising the Far West has touched the imagination of America, has become an idea, and has attained a personality that is much desired by other sections of the country.

In seeking development many a community has impaired its opportunities by failure to consider its sister communities. Lack of complete harmony retards the development of a given section or geographic territory. Communities on the Pacific Coast have recognized that where they are in groups important benefits result it there is an understanding of their common problems. As many neighboring cities and towns grow, as a result of advertising, the fact becomes more apparent. The best results have been obtained through mutual understanding. Coöperative advertising for tourists, residents, and settlers has proven of great value.