Who Was John Wanamaker?

At first glance, the connection between a 19th century postmaster general and our digital marketing agency may not be clear. But John Wanamaker— the face of our 2018 marketing campaign—was also an advertising pioneer and a paragon of business savvy.

Before he was appointed United States Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, the son of a rural Pennsylvania brickmaker, opened Wanamaker’s—Philadelphia’s first department store, and one of the earliest in America. His business was founded on innovation and integrity. He insisted that the store’s advertisements were factual and made no false promises. He guaranteed in writing the quality of his merchandise, and his was one of the first retail establishments in the country to offer a return policy.

Is the connection starting to become clearer?

John Wanamaker was a visionary in business and in advertising. His famous quote about marketing inspired us to use him as our ad hoc (pardon the pun) mascot:

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”

Mr. Wanamaker’s frustration has been echoed by many of our prospective clients, and we get it. With a medical practice to run, you don’t have time to become a marketing expert. You may feel like your marketing budget is being recklessly spent with uncertain return. Like Mr. Wanamaker, we think you deserve a partner who stands behind the services they provide.

At Etna, our team gets to know you, your business, and your unique goals, then develops a strategy for achieving them. We analyze your metrics and quantify what’s working—providing you the data you need to feel confident in our efforts. This facilitates a true partnership and empowers you to lead your practice to success.

You may not know which half of your marketing budget is wasted, but we do. And when you partner with us, we make your success our whole focus.


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