ADVERTISING WAS AS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF A COMPANY IN THE LATE 1800'S AND EARLY 1900'S AS IT IS TODAY. SHUTE & MERCHANT USED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ADVERTISING ITEMS TO HELP MARKET THEIR FISH PRODUCTS, AS DID THE OTHER COMPANIES LOCATED IN GLOUCESTER.

THE COOKBOOKS ABOVE WERE A COMPLIMENTARY ITEM, HOWEVER WITH AN ADDRESS AND FOR A TWO-CENT STAMP, A COPY WOULD BE MAILED TO THEIR FRIENDS. A COPY OF THE 5TH EDITION IS IN THE COOKERY COLLECTION OF THE PEABODY-ESSEX MUSEUM IN SALEM, MASS. THAT EDITION, DATED 1894, IS THE ONLY ONE WITH A COPYRIGHT DATE. ITEMS SUCH AS THIS WERE PROBABLY PRODUCE IN A LARGE QUANTITY AND A NEW EDITION WOULD BE PUBLISHED WHENEVER THE SUPPLY RAN LOW.

OTHER TYPES OF ADVERTISING ITEMS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MAILED OR PASSED OUT TO CUSTOMERS, INCLUDED SMALL INK BLOTTERS, TRADE CARDS, ADS IN BOOKS PUBLISHED IN GLOUCESTER, OR THE GOLD WEDGE POEM. SHUTE & MERCHANT BRAND NAMES INCLUDE: GOLD WEDGE, DIAMOND WEDGE, SILVER WEDGE, SWAN'S DOWN, EIDER DOWN, S & M, NOT-A-CHOKE, RED CROSS, BARBERRY, KINNAIRD HEAD, BONNIE SCOTCH, PURE GOLD, GOLDEN COD, OCEAN PEARL, ROYAL AND HELIOTROPE.

TO HELP ADVERTISE A NEW LINE OF PRODUCTS IN GLASS TUMBLERS, A SERIES OF POST CARDS DEPICTING GLOUCESTER AND CAPE ANN AREA SCENES WERE SENT TO CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT NEWENGLAND DURING 1906. (A Gorton-Pew ad booklet refers to the same type of container.)

A VERY POPULAR MAGAZINE OF THE TIME WAS THE YOUTH COMPANION, WHICH PUBLISHED AN EDITION SPECIFICALLY FOR THE NEW ENGLAND AREA. THE SHUTE & MERCHANT ADS APPEARED IN THE MAGAZINE FROM AT LEAST 1903 TO 1907. SIMILAR ADS WERE ALSO PLACED IN GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. -- THE COMPANY WAS SERIOUSLY PROMOTING THEIR PRODUCTS RIGHT UP TO THE POINT IN MAY OF 1907 THAT THE COMPANY AGREED TO BECOME PART OF THE GORTON-PEW FISHERIES COMPANY.