In the 1870s, John Wanamaker built a world-famous department store designed to embrace his Christian values. Although there are dozens of creative ideas that Wanamaker initiated, one radical idea at that time was truth in advertising.
Retail, prior to the 1870s, was primarily built on location and word of mouth. Wanamaker, however, was a marketing genius, willing to take bold steps.
In 1874, Mr. Wanamaker ran the first ever newspaper advertisement for a department store. When people discovered that he honored everything in the ad, his store became known for its truth in advertising and his business boomed.
Proverbs 12:19 teaches, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
Innovative ideas can help grow a business, but they also require truthfulness in the promises you make.
