THOMPSON@USC-ECLC.ARPA (02/15/84)
From: mark thompson <THOMPSON@USC-ECLC.ARPA>
ALL advertisers in a magazine with a Reader-Service card provded should
be COMPELLED to use the Reader-Service numbers. This must be a condition
of the acceptance of the advertising by the magazine.
Good heavens, how socialist! Why should advertisers be COMPELLED to use what
usually turns out to be an expensive (PREMIUM) service? What greater good
requires such a thing?
Without Reader-Service, the only way for the consumer/reader to
contact the advertiser is to pay postage or telephone charges,
invest time in composing cards or letters or making calls, and generally
expend much effort.
And if it is too much effort, the consumer will not bother unless he is
REALLY interested, and maybe you will lose a sale. That's the way business
goes, but don't you think the advertiser should make that choice himself?
The statement that "many people would send in the card every
month, circling any numbers for any ads that looked even halfway
interesting" is correct, but that is what SHOULD happen! The whole
idea of the process is to snag the attention of POSSIBLE prospects...
Speaking just for myself, i have NEVER bought anything advertised by
bingo cards. I use them only for things that i want to know more about
but dont want to purchase. If i really want information about something
i am going to buy, i look for an (800) number, or go to a store. The service
is much quicker that way. I bet a lot of the advertisers that refuse to
use bingo cards expect exactly that behaviour.
If a new, small firm cannot afford the costs of handling large
Reader-Service responses, they should not be advertising at all,
or they should be placing classified ads.
And how will they grow to be a large company if they are not allowed to
use display advertising?
And as for the people that manage the bingo business, in Clinton, Ohio
and elsewhere, they are the only ones that are guaranteed to get more
business when you put a response number on your ads.
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