Sweet History: Dorchester and the Chocolate ... - Bostonian Society

SWEET HISTORY: Dorchester and the Chocolate Factorywww.bostonhistory.org/bakerschocolate/Harper’s Bazaar, New York Weekly Tribune, and the Youth’s Companion. Between 1891and 1898, full-page ads appeared on the back covers of over six million fiction books.This high volume of print advertising brought Baker’s Chocolate into the minds ofmillions of people and ultimately into their kitchens as well. 100Posters and BillboardsBy the 1870s the company began producing and distributing lithographed cards and signsfor use in grocery stores around the country. They purchased space for larger posters thathung inside streetcars and streetcar stations in major cities around the country, includingNew York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis. As railroad travel became morepopular, they also erected billboards along main train routes near large cities. 101CostsJust as with advertising today, promoting a product in the late nineteenth century was anexpensive venture. Between 1891 and 1898 Baker’s Chocolate spent nearly $1.5 millionon advertising around the country, an average of $181,000 each year. The 2005 equivalentfor these annual advertising costs would be approximately $3.7 million. This sameaggressive advertising trend happened all across the country between the 1860s and1890s as national expenditures skyrocketed from $50 million to $500 million. 102Early CompetitionIf imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then many chocolate makers must havethought very highly of Baker’s. As Henry Pierce marketed the Baker’s brand nationally,several competitors took advantage of not only the company name but also productnames. As a deterrent, Baker’s actively educated their customers in product packaging sobuyers would not accidentally purchase a competitor’s chocolate.Some competitive brands creatively employed similar naming techniques. Winthrop M.Baker in Boston promoted his product as “Baker’s” and also used an image of a womanin his advertisements. Brooks’ Chocolate of New York used similar product namesincluding Brooks’ Premium No. 1 Chocolate, German American Sweet Chocolate, andFrench Sweet Chocolate. In 1876, Henry Pierce sued Henry Maillard for trademarkviolations because he used the name German Sweet Chocolate. Pierce won and Maillardhad to destroy all labels, wrappers, packaging and advertising associated with that product.As you can see, one competitor, Chicago’s Englehard Brothers Garden City SweetChocolate, even packaged its product almost exactly like Baker’s German’s Chocolate.Draft Report, 169.100 Memo of Advertising, Walter Baker & Company Collection, Baker Library.101 Memo of Advertising, Walter Baker & Company Collection, Baker Library.102 Memo of Advertising, Walter Baker & Company Collection, Baker Library; Matthai and Greenberg,32 of 76© 2005 The Bostonian Society. Nothing from the site can be reproduced without specific written permission issued by:The Bostonian Society • 206 Washington Street • Boston, MA 02109-1773. Any questions, call 617-720-1713.