User:Jazzdelf/Leif Juhl

Leif Juhl ...

Leif Juhl (born September 1, 1910 in Clinton, Iowa) is an American advertisement executive who founded the Juhl Advertisement Agency in Elkhart, Indiana in 1945.  He pioneered marketing within the musical instrument industry working with such companies as Selmer, CG Conn, Le Blanc (in Kanosha, WI) as well as Everett Piano Company.

Leif graduated from the University of Illinois College of Commerce in 1932.  He played trumpet for a number of dance bands during the Swing Era before moving to Elkhart.  Among the bands he played trumpet for were Sanky And His Blue Ridge Melodians, the Iowa Blue Devils and Coxie and His Cardnals.  In 1938 he was hired by Joe Grolimund, the sales manager for Selmer.  Leif's first position was serving as Merchandising Manager for Selmer for which he produced the Showbook Catalog as well as innovations such as the case-in-a-case for trumpets, valve oil with an applicator and a modernistic mouthpiece designed first made of clay.  Leif also designed an S, which stood for Selmer  and had it welded under the mouthpiece for a series of trumpet. He felt the special S would help to identify the instrument as well as promote it.  Before being names the Vice President of Sales for the company, he also was responsible for dealer sales, a task he took very seriously, especially when it came to helping the dealer design the instruments within their stores.

After World War II, Leif established the Juhl Agency and the first employee he hired was the artist Hal Bessmel.  The agency became a leader within the music products industry severing several musical instrument manufacturers in and around Elkhart, Indiana.  By the 1960s he had befriended Danny Henkin, the advertising manager for Le Blanc, who would later own several companies and hire Leif to help market such companies as CG Conn, Armstrong Flutes and King Musical Instruments..

Leif wanted to give full service to his customers by providing more than just ads.  Such a thing was fine for products that are bought, but not necessarily for products that need to be sold, those need a sales person and the help of the informed customer.  This was the concept behind his booklet Advertise If You Must.  On the back cover Leif wrote to better explain this concept by saying "For products that have a thin market, that are sold, not bought, the advertising formula is entirely different.". For his efforts, Leif was presented several awards during his long career including the Certificate Of Appreciation from the Samaritan Institute in 1984 and the Humanitarian of The Year Award from Fred Kreider, the director of Family Counseling Services in Elkhart.

After Leif retired, Howard J. Blackwood took over as president of the agency.  Leif moved to Arizona and became very active in the NAMM Oral History program.  He was interviewed for the program in 2003 and provided assistance to ensure several other key members of he music products industry were interviewed so that their stories could be preserved for future generations to learn from and to remember the pioneers of the industry. Such as Leif Juhl.

Leif celebrated his 100th birthday on September 1, 2010.

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