No sooner does one Red Cross Christmas Seal Campaign end than preparations for the next begins. While the public sees and hears of the seal only during the months of November and December, when the seals are on sale, a very large amount of preparatory work is necessary in order that the sale may reach every section of the country and may be carried on with the publicity and system which are necessary to success.
Although the returns from the season of 1912 are not yet all received, the first important step toward the Christmas Seal Campaign of 1913 has already been taken. This was a conference held in the offices of the American Red Cross in Washington on February 28th and attended by many of the principal State and city agents, who have demonstrated their ability in past years and will be leaders in the campaign of this year. It is gratifying to note that with each succeeding year the system and methods of selling Christmas Seals are improving. In the first year or two after the introduction of the Seals as a means of obtaining support for anti-tuberculosis work, the venture was generally regarded as one of those novelties which, after a transient popularity, drop quickly out of use. Agents thought it scarcely worth while to undertake the trouble and expense of systematizing their methods of selling and accounting. Gradually the permanent value of the Seal as a method of interesting a very large number of people in anti-tuberculosis work and in raising large sums of money without unjustly burdening any givers began to be apparent. From that time the methods of distributing, selling and accounting for the Seals have been made the subject of careful study. System and business methods have been gradually introduced, with the result that instead of falling away, the sales of Seals have increased with each year, while economies which have been introduced in administration have increased the percentage of net profit.
In the winter of 1912 the first conference was held of agents for the Seals for the discussion and interchange of experiences and for the purpose of reaching an agreement upon questions of interest to all. That conference was so prolific of good results in the Seal campaign of 1912 that a second similar conference was held on February 28th, as above mentioned.
An idea of the thoroughness with which the agents are considering the business of distributing the Seals may be gained from a mention of a few topics considered at this conference. The first subject of discussion was the design for the Christmas Seal of 1913 and the form which the Seal should take. It was the unanimous opinion of those present that the Seal should contain some pictorial design suitable to the Christmas season, rather than a purely ornamental design of artistic merit, but without any particular human appeal. Without exception the agents reported that the design for 1912, containing a head of Santa Claus, had proved the most popular yet adopted.
Another subject discussed was the character, variety and quantity of advertising matter to be prepared. It was reported that an experiment in selling Seals through penny-in-the-slot machines had proved unsuccessful, and this method of distribution was disapproved. From many agents it was learned that the sale of Seals through a simple mail order system had proved successful and inexpensive. In many busy offices agents for the Seals find it difficult to obtain a hearing by personal calls, when a brief, well-expressed letter will receive a prompt and favorable response. In certain cities fully half the Seals sold in 1912 were disposed of in this manner.
It was found to be the consensus of opinion among agents that the offering of prizes for the sale of Seals, especially individual prizes to school children, is inadvisable. A few agents reported the successful use of prizes for schools, but not to individual pupils, without apparent disadvantages. All agreed that great care must be exercised in offering prizes in order to avoid stimulating children to improper methods. Several agents reported that citizens of their communities had complained of annoyance because of the numerous calls at their doors by children desirous of selling Seals. One agent described a method of avoiding this nuisance which has proved completely successful in his community. This method is for a citizen who has purchased Christmas Seals to paste one of the seals on his door knob or front door. Any child approaching a door and seeing a seal thus posted, understands that he is not to disturb that household, as its supply of Seals is already purchased. By announcing this system of protection through the press and in the schools it is said to have fully accomplished its purpose.
Tn Ohio the State agent for the Seals adopted a method of awarding prizes which is reported to have been extremely successful, not only as a stimulus to the selling of Seals, but as an educational factor. The agent offered to supply a visiting nurse for one month to each of the twelve cities in the State of Ohio which sold the largest percentage of Seals in proportion to its population. A trained visiting nurse was employed by the State agent for one year and was sent in turn from city to city among the prize winners, serving one month in each locality. Not only did this prove an extremely popular arrangement, but in six of the cities benefited by the plan in 1912, the public became so impressed by the value of the visiting nurse that they arranged to employ nurses permanently upon the withdrawal of the prize nurse.
It has been found by experience that the distribution and sale of Seals can best be carried on through the appointment of State agents, who in turn appoint, and are responsible for, the local agents. The State agents return to the American Red Cross 10 per cent of the gross proceeds of sales in their respective States. This 10 per cent is to cover the expense to the Red Cross, which manufactures and distributes the Seals and the large quantity and variety of advertising matter used by the agents. The conference discussed at length the question of the percentage which the local agents should pay to the State agents. This discussion resulted in the conclusion that it is impracticable to fix upon a percentage applicable to all States alike. Local conditions vary so widely in different States that a percentage which would be fair in one State might be unsatisfactory in another. The reports indicated that the percentages charged by State agents to their local agencies vary from 2½ to 20 per cent on gross sales, although in one or two instances the percentage required to be returned to the State agents has exceeded 20 per cent.
Many other subjects of material interest were discussed, and no doubt exists that the conference will prove to have been of material value to all who participated in it. The agents who were present were the following:
Besides the agents above mentioned, there were also present Dr. Livingston Farrand and Mr. Philip P. Jacobs, of the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, and Miss Mabel T. Boardman, Mr. Ernest P. Bicknell and Mr. Charles L. Magee, of the American Red Cross.
The National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, as in 1911 and 1912, has been appointed by the Red Cross as national sales agent for the Christmas Seals. The appointment of State agents, as in the past, will be in the hands of the national sales agent.
While it is not possible at this time to publish a complete statement of returns from the Christmas Seal campaign of 1912, the following figures will show the results reached by some of the leading agents:
The important position which the Red Cross Christmas Seal now occupies as a means of support for anti-tuberculosis work in the United States is indicated by the fact that the sales of the Seal, since its introduction five years ago, have amounted to a total of more than $1,000,000. Every year the sale has exceeded that of the year preceding. In 1911 the total sale amounted to $339,656.08, and it is believed that the complete reports of the sale in 1912 will show a considerable increase over that amount.