HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1978-03-02, Page 16Page 4
Citizens News, March 9, 1978
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A sick economy
As if Canadians needed any more
information to determine that our
economy was in a sad state, the an-
nouncement by finance minister John
Chretien that the country will be
borrowing $200 million U.S: from a
special $1.5 billion standby credit fund
set up with chartered banks to defend
the dollar's value is a sad day for this
country.
While the continual devaluation of
the dollar is partially due to the
devaluation of the U.S. dollar on the in-
ternational money market, it is also in-
dicative of a lack of faith in the Cana-
dian economy.
Who could blame the investors? An
8.3 percent unemployment rate, a nine
percent inflation rate an estimated
deficit on international transactions in
1977 of about $5 million, and a govern-
ment who takes a "let's bury our head
in the sand and maybe it will go away"
approach to the current economic
mess.
This paper stated in an editorial
back in November that something must
be done to restore the international in-
vestors faith in this country; that
"something" has not taken place.
The recent federal government's
spending estimates are a case in point;
the estimates were still outside of what
the government recommends for the
public sector but the amount budgeted
won't do anything to stimulate the
economy.
- Both opposition parties were highly
critical of the spending estimates with
the Tories calling for more fiscal con-
straint. Our friends in the N.D.P. on
the other hand, called for more govern-
ment expenditures in order to get the
economy rolling.
Unless Prime Minister Trudeau
calls a spring election the budget that
Chretien is scheduled to bring down
some time later this month should not
be anything too exciting as the spen-'
ding estimates are usually an indica-
'ion of the budget's direction.
If there are a few carrots in the
budget we can almost count on seeing
the Pierre, Joe and Ed roadshows
sometime in May or June.
eNA
. \ FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS
Published Each Wednesday 13y J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd.
Member: •
Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association
Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association
News Editor - Tom Creech
Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385
Subscription Rates: $7.00 per year in advance in Canada
$1$.00 per year outside Canada Single copies 20d
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Miscellaneous
Rau inbl ngs
By
TOM CREECH
If it wasn't
for
advertising'.
Advertising supports newspapers, that is fact. If it
wasn't for your friends at the T.G.A., the Tenderspot
or Laportes or many other advertisers you wouldn't
have a paper to read.
Much of the time people don't like to talk about
money especially when it's costing them something
but in the newspaper business it's that fine line
(hopefully not too fine) that enable the people of
Zurich to have their own paper. The term "60/40 split"
is a determining factor in the survival of a newspaper.
This means that 60 percent of the paper should be
devoted to advertising with the remainder left for
news copy. You need the revenue from advertising to
offset the multitude of costs that are involved in the
production of a newspaper; everything from this
writer's salary to the cost of mailing the newspaper.
The price which you pay at the newsstand is farfrom
representative of the costs involved of putting that
newspaper out,
The world of advertising is something which hun-
dreds of books have been written upon. The general
consensus of the few books which I looked through,
state one premise from the outset: advertising is not a
bad thing. To be sure, there are exceptions but the
benefits outweigh the liabilities.
Philip Ward Burton and J. Robert Miller state in
"Advertising Fundamentals", "All life is made up of
persuasion, and persuasion is selling whether of
goods. services or beliefs and advertising is a con-
spicious form of selling persuasion."
In other words, advertising is an accepted prac-
tice.
Who benefits from advertising? A simplistic
answer is everybody.
Advertising gives the shopper facts helpful in
making a buying decision. Burton et al state
"Probably the most helpful aspect of advertising is
the opportunity it give's the careful shopper to make a
comparison of different products in the unhurried
calm of his home with no salesman about to pressure
him into a quick purchase."
The replacement of goods is another purpose that
advertising serves. A purchase of a new set of tires
could be in the back of your mind but an ad promoting
spring tires specials could spur you to purchase new
tires, be it at the firm placing the ad or at another
company.
For the local retailer, advertising should not be
considered as an expense but as an investment. It's
been proven time and time again that done properly,
advertising will increase sales. Advertising gives a
store character and a "difference." Burton et al say
that in today's world when stores carry essentially the
same line of nationally advertised brands, it is
necessary for retailers to create a distinctive image
for their store.
Advertising since it is such a part of the way we
live has been accused of causing unrest, unhappiness
and frustration due to desires that cannot be fulfilled.
The authors of "Advertising Fundamentals" say that
discontent is part of man's heritage and that out of dis-
content comes progress. While a person may initially
be frustrated to see things which he can not afford, he
will either accept his present position or will attempt
to improve his status.
One of the things advertising has helped to create
,,has been that of a consumer oriented society. This has
had both good and bad affects.
The most prominent bad effect is that it has
helped foster the notion of disposability.
On the other hand, advertising has helped to
create a greater public awareness about the products
that are available to the consumer. Advertising helps
to increase the volume of products sold which means
that products can be offered at a lower price. Fierce
competition and improvements in technology have
caused the prices of electronic calculators to spiral
downwards from over $100 to less than $5.
Advertising has helped to create jobs as the in-
creased sales of a product requires more people to
make that product.
Advertising is necessary for the survival of the
print -media and for the continuation of our present
way of life. When you purchase that can of salmon or
pair of jeans remember that advertising had a lot to
do with the buying of those items,