Marketing

When Is Being Clever Inappropriate in Advertising?

by

Is it wrong to try to be clever in your marketing?

Most direct marketing experts and teachers will tell you that attempts at humor or cleverness are a bad idea. Most of them have experienced reality firsthand: people work hard to earn their money. Deciding where they’re going to spend or invest it is something they probably take seriously, not playfully.

On the other hand, most multimillion dollar image ad agencies can’t resist conjuring up the slickest ideas possible. Some of them will quote statistics “proving” how effective those 7- and 8-figure campaigns have been. Maybe they’re right, in some cases.

While I can’t state categorically that cleverness will ruin your the effectiveness of your marketing message, know for sure that you’re taking a pretty big risk.

Bacon-What?

A few days ago I saw a TV commercial advertising what seems to be a major event at Denny’s: Baconalia.

Being the dreadful nerd that I am, I realized that this was a attempted play on the word bacchanalia. Knowing the kind of person who reads this blog, there’s a good chance you noticed it, too. Wikipedia defines bacchanalia as “wild and mystic festivals of the Greco-Roman god Bacchus (or Dionysus), the wine god. The term has since come to describe any form of drunken revelry.” Just replace the wine with bacon and you have a good time waiting for you at Denny’s.

Here’s the problem: How obvious that play on words? What percentage of Denny’s average customers get it?

You know what probably happened. Some bookworm adwriter (who never had the responsibility to actually sell something with his ads) saw a chance to flex his creative muscles and he couldn’t help himself.

Granted, this advertisement may not hurt sales, but does the name Baconalia capture the attention and crystallize the desire for salty pigmeat in the minds of the people who see the commercial? More likely, it causes a moment of confusion. And as I say so frequently, confused people don’t buy.

Maybe I’m more upset about this than I should be. Maybe I’m being overly sensitive. But it seems like this happens way too frequently. Marketers and entrepreneurs think puns fill cash registers. They put too much emphasis on being clever.

Like Barefeet Shoes. Does that even make sense as the name of a shoe store?

Kill The Cleverness

Bill Bernbach, widely regarded as one of the 20th centuries most influential advertisers, said this: “Our job is to sell our clients’ merchandise … not ourselves. Our job is to kill the cleverness that makes us shine instead of the product. Our job is to simplify, to tear away the unrelated, to pluck out the weeds that are smothering the product message.”

Another of the greats, David Ogilvy said that “A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.”

This is where so many marketers get it wrong. The advertisement isn’t about the marketer — he shouldn’t be trying to win awards or show off his brilliance. The ad isn’t about the company selling the product, or even about the product itself. In the final analysis, the ad must be about the buyer and how his life will be changed for the better by purchasing the item advertised.

Marketing should be a spotlight in a darkened theater; content to be unseen, focused solely on creating the proper perspective for the product, enabling an audience to see the benefits available to them.

The copy you write should be transparent, invisible. If a potential client reads your copy and says, “Man, that was a great advertisement!” you’ve failed. You succeed when he asks urgently, “Where can I buy this product?”

The Most Important Exception

Cleverness is a great characteristic for a copywriter or marketer to have. Coming up with unique ideas and new ways to communicate them is essential. But that quick wit must be subjected to self-control and humility. All of those clever ideas have to take a back seat to selling power.

In your ads, you may need to be clever. But your cleverness must be invisible. Kinda like Seal Team 6, doing its job without being seen and disappearing into the night.

Here’s the short version: don’t sacrifice clear, effective communication in an attempt to be witty. Unless you’re selling tickets to a comedy show.

Cialdini Agrees with My Persuasion Theory

by

Conversion is always an internal change. To borrow the words of Jeff Sexton, “all persuasion is self-persuasion.”

You use your words to paint vivid, evocative images in the minds of your prospects…their response will correspond directly with their desires, motivations and priorities…

You base your marketing messages or sales pitch on the quest they’re on, the vision they have for their lives and the way they see their place in the world…

You do your best to be convincing…but those who become your customers are those who convince themselves that you can deliver the results they want.”

Other than Jeff Sexton, I haven’t heard any other expert say that persuasion is always ultimately self-persuasion. But I tell you, it’s the truth.

And whether he knows it or not, Robert Cialdini agrees with this assertion. If you analyze the 6 principles from his book Influence, you’ll see what I mean. Check it out.

Reciprocity – When someone does something for you or gives you something, you feel indebted to them. You want to pay them back, because you don’t like to feel like you own anyone anything. Reciprocity is the desire to rid yourself of that feeling.

No one makes you feel the need to reciprocate, but when they take the first step by giving you something, they start the process.

The outcome is pretty predictable.

Consistency – We all want to stay true to the statements we make. We have an inner desire to maintain consistency to things we say or write. We convince ourselves that it’s important to do what we say we’ll do. We have an even bigger problem deviating from what we proclaim ourselves to be. If I say I’m an art collector, I better start acquiring some nice pieces!

Our desire to be consistent with the positive things other people think about us (or what we want them to think about us) can be even more compelling.

Social Proof – Everyone wants to be seen as an individual. But at the same time, we have a deep-seated desire fit in somewhere. There’s safety in numbers, right?

A lot of times, we really want to do something and all we need to gain the confidence to pull the trigger is the knowledge that other people (just like us) have done the same thing safely and with satisfactory results.

Liking – I like you. It gives me pleasure to buy from you. I enjoy the feeling of supporting you or your cause, feeling like I’m helping you succeed, etc.

So, naturally, I can persuade myself that doing business with you is a good idea. Even if I don’t really need what you’re selling. Or, if I have to choose between two vendors, I’ll often pick the person I like better instead of the cheaper choice or even the one with higher quality.

How many times have you done that?

Authority – We’re designed to trust people in positions of authority. It starts when we’re kids obeying our parents and believing everything they tell us. Even as we get older and gain autonomy, we never fully get rid of this disposition.

We protect ourselves from making bad choices by defer to people who know better than we do. Self-preservation is a powerful desire.

Scarcity – Missing out on something you could have had is a horrible feeling. We don’t want to feel that. We’ll jump through all kinds of hoops to avoid that feeling. That’s why scarcity or urgency works in marketing.

Sometimes we make a choice more to protect ourselves from this feeling of missing out on an opportunity than from the desire for the object itself.

The evidence is plain. Persuasion is always, at its root, self-persuasion. And although he’s never said it, Robert Cialdini agrees with me (and Jeff Sexton, of course).

Funny Thing About Yearbooks…

by

Funny thing about yearbooks…

No matter who you are, there are pictures from your past that you consider embarrassing, if not downright horrifying.

Maybe you had goofy glasses, or a terrible haircut.

Maybe you were wearing hideous clothes or just acting stupid, as “kids” often to do.

(For example, I’m absolutely certain people will look back and feel intense shame that they were ever involved in “planking”)

There’s no way around it. That’s how life is. That’s the nature of fast-fading fads and the process of growing up.

But that was you. Being who you were then is part what made you who you are now.

There’s a very similar similar reality in marketing. When you look back at some of your early efforts, you may laugh and shake your head. Was that really you? Were you really that clueless? 

Yep. That was you.

And that’s okay. Who you did back then has created business you have today.

Here’s the point. Everyone looks like a beginner when he’s just getting started at something. Don’t let the fact that you’re not perfect yet stop you from getting started. You don’t have to know everything about everything to do something.

There’s a good chance you’re going to look back at your old blog posts and wonder how those words ever came from your mind. I know I do. Your first efforts are probably going to look like first efforts.

And that’s okay. That’s how you build the business you want to be in the future.

So get started ASAP. Write that sales letter. Announce that seminar. Prepare to launch that product you’ve been sitting on for the past 5 years.

In 2020, you’ll either look back and see that the actions you took in 2014 (even though they may seem amateurish in hindsight) moved you toward in creating something great… or you’ll look back and regret waiting for the “perfect moment.”

What will you see when you look back?

Mousetraps and Snow Shovels

by

Falling snow can bring all kinds of thoughts to mind: Grandma’s hot apple cider, Saturday morning sledding or tackle football at recess in 4th grade.

Snow always makes me think of opportunity.

You can go to bed on a clear night and wake up with a foot of fresh snow on the ground. Suddenly everyone has an urgent need. Cities and towns that aren’t prepared for it shut down altogether. (No chance of that happening here in Chitown!)

But those who are ready with shovels, plows and rock salt can become neighborhood heroes. Some build businesses specifically for times like these.

My shovel saw action for only the second time this winter on Friday. In honor of my poor, neglected tool, I’m going to contort Quote of the Week 65 as follows:

“If a man can make a better snow shovel, the world will make a beaten path to his door.” (On his freshly shoveled sidewalk, no less.)

As you probably noticed, this statement is no truer than Emerson’s quote about mousetraps.

Here are a few things to think about. No matter how good your shovel is

  • People who live on tropical islands aren’t going to buy from you. Inhabitants of desert-like climates will never be your customers
  • Many people will purchase a snow blower instead of your shovel
  • Those who don’t have sidewalks or driveways won’t be very interested in buying from you

… regardless of how strong your marketing is.

Are you concentrating on creating shovel innovations? Or are you focused on helping people handle their snow problems?

Which do you think is the better path to take?

The only thing that compels people to buy snow shovels is snow. The only people that buy snow shovels are people who know they have or will have snow piling up in their yards.

Strategic Subtlety: A Quick Copywriting Tip

by

Blatancy does not command respect.

Over-statement, in reaction, creates commensurate resistance.

   – Lord & Thomas Creed #1

While I’m a big fan of big claims and bold promises, strategic subtlety can be very persuasive, in a stealthy kind of way.

Take a look at an recent example I got in the mail. Here’s an excerpt from Imagine, a quarterly “magazine” from the University of Chicago Medicine.

U of Chicago

Notice how the writer implies that the University has a noteworthy history of “contributions to science and healing” without coming out and saying it. The sentence gently forces you to draw assumptions, subtly prompting your imagination to fill in the blanks.

This is more effective, not to mention easier to consume, than sharing a list of achievements that most readers will probably find boring.

One of the great secrets to persuasion is that people almost never doubt their own conclusions. A simple statement like the example above convinces us that the University of Chicago Medicine has a remarkable past of medical advancements, which makes a promising future seem almost inevitable.

All of that with no apparent effort to “sell” the idea to the reader.

Consider this: if the writer had tried to convince you of all the wonderful things that have been accomplished in the past, how would you have reacted. The mere attempt to convince is a turn-off. As Lord & Thomas Creed #1 says, “Too much effort makes men think that your selling task is hard.”

Strategic subtlety makes the quality of your product, service or brand seem to stand on its own. It’s so good that you don’t even need to explain it.

Where can you use subtlety in your sales copy to improve its persuasive power?

GoDaddy’s Super Bowl Ads Poured at Least $4 Million Down the Toilet

by

Advertising during the Super Bowl, GoDaddy “spent at least $660 on each new customer… to get what they hope to add up to $54.30 each by 2015.“

In his Copywriter’s Roundtable today, John Forde wrote:

You remember, I’m sure, that I joined the legions that trashed one of the “GoDaddy” Super Bowl ads.

You know the one, where a computer nerd sucks face with supermodel Bar Refaeli to prove something or other. I hated it. And so did a lot of people.

I praised GoDaddy’s other ad, where an international cabal of disenchanted wives and girlfriends chided their men for not acting on the online ideas that might have made them rich.

This, I thought, communicated the promise.

But ultimately, of course, you’ll also remember that the big question about ALL the ads was whether it was “worth it.”

Well, at least with GoDaddy, now we have some data.

As many wrote in to tell me, it turns out that the day after the Super Bowl, GoDaddy’s new customer sign ups went through the roof.

In a single day, they added approximately 10,000 new customers. That certainly sounds like a coup, yes?

But is it time for me to grab the ketchup and my crow-eating utensils? Maybe not yet.

The folks over at Yahoo Finance did some math. Considering typical domain renewals and other factors, the estimated lifetime value per customer works out to about $54.30.

That means those new Monday sign ups are worth about $540,000 over the next couple years. (Again, an estimate, but a fair one.)

Thing is, each 30-second commercial — not counting any production costs or post-commercial mouthwash for Ms. Refaeli — cost them $3.75 million.

So, to get $540,000 in lifetime value out of those first 10,000 customers… they spent $7.5 million.

Looking at it another way, GoDaddy spent has already spent at least $660 on each new customer… to get what they hope to add up to $54.30 each by 2015.

So, asks Yahoo Finance, what if the smooch-heard-round-the-world lingers a bit longer, with the media coverage and all?

Even if the net result is another 50,000 new customers from the two ads, the same lifetime value puts the cost per new customer at $150.

$150 to get $54.30 in return still isn’t a great deal, any way you slice it. For GoDaddy, that would still add up to a $4.7 million loss.

But hey, at least the actor got to make out with what might be considered a super-babe on national TV, right?

—–

I highly recommend that you visit John’s website at http://copywritersroundtable.com.

If you sign up for his brilliant weekly newsletter, Copywriter’s Roundtable, you’ll get $78 worth (retail; the actual value is much much higher) of free gifts.

Self-Defense Against Business Hijackers

by

Do you own the patent on your product, service or process? If not, you are in danger of being “knocked off” by a competitor at some point. Chances are that they’ll charge less than you for what appears to be a similar offering.

In my January newsletter, I said

“…there’s really no way for products to be truly unique anymore — at least not for more than a few months. Companies that create technological advancements that customers will pay for usually see copycats coming up right behind them.

“So what do you do in an environment where your advantages can be ripped off so quickly?”

Have you seen those SodaStream commercials on the air recently? Seems like a cool product, right? As someone who knows very little about such things, I also thought it was pretty much a one-of-a-kind product.

Well, earlier this month, I saw knock-off Cuisinart version merchandised right next to the “name brand”…on the SodaStream-branded shelf display (complete with SodaStream video playing on a loop) — for $30 less. In a national retail chain.

I wish I could find the picture I snapped.

SodaStream spends $18 million/year in advertising (according to the most recent figure I could find), including buying for premium shelf space and an in-store video player, only to have Cuisinart undercut them on price and hijack customers at the moment of decision.

How do you think customers will react when they see a competitive product, which could be just as good, for nearly a quarter cheaper?

More importantly, can you see how this applies to your own business? Are you facing competitors who charge less than you? Does their mere existence cost you sales?

How can you protect yourself? Here are a few thoughts.

1) Have better, more resonant marketing. When potential customers form an emotional or mental bond with your product, service or more often your brand, they often look for you — not the other guy– when they’re ready to buy.

2) Offer an insane guarantee and/or service after the sale. Think LifeLock. They offer a $1 million guarantee if identity thieves get their hands on your information. (They’re a good example of strong marketing, too. Remember the commercial where the CEO broadcast his social security number?)

Service after the sale can set you apart from all of your peers. It’s a terrific way neutralize the fear that kills so many sales. When customers buy from anyone else, they’ll be all alone, trying to figure out how to set up, maintain and get the most from their purchase. You can make life easy for them by being there for them.

3) Does your product carry prestige, recognition or affiliation with some desirable group? Compare diamonds and moissanite. They look alike; some will even say that moissanite looks better than diamonds. But everyone knows which is a more desirable symbol.

4) Offer a bundle or bonus. The added value can make all the difference when it’s time to buy. Another idea would be to link your offering with a related product that would complement the purchase. Again, you’re making the consumers life better and easier than it would be if they dealt with the competition.

5) Create implicit doubt in the quality of the competitive service. Be sure to do this carefully and with class.

You could say something like this: “Plumbers at Acme are the only ones certified by the Illinois Board of Health for contamination-free work in residential and commercial buildings.” That means anyone else could be leaving dangerous germs all around your house. How much more would homeowners be willing to pay to protect their family’s safety?

Don’t attack anyone when you’re using a tactic like this, and always be 100% honest.

If you need some help crafting and implementing your own uniqueness, USP Made Easy may be exactly what you’re looking for.

 

Inception in Real Life

by

As a marketer or copywriter, can you imagine anything more powerful than the ability to plant an idea directly into the minds of your prospects? An idea they think is their own? One that makes selling your product or service effortless?

I remember when I first heard about the movie Inception, this thought came to mind. Inception, if it were possible, would be the ultimate tool for marketers (not to mention politicians, teachers, lawyers, etc.). But I couldn’t see any real, practical way for it to work in real life. After seeing the film and reading some of the commentary, I see that I was dead wrong. Not only is inception possible, but it’s happening every day.

Continue reading “The Art of Planting Ideas” on the Kauai Design Graphics blog.

Joe Sugarman, Drayton Bird and Me

by

A couple weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of speaking at length with Joey Bushnell about copywriting, marketing and finding ways to get your business through tough economies like the one we’re facing right now.

There are two reasons this interview was special:

1) You know it’s hard for me to stop talking once I get started. Joey gave me a full hour to speak my mind.

2) This chat follows interviews with some of the greats in our industry: Joe Sugarman, Bob Bly, Drayton Bird, Ted Nicholas, Chris Marlow and others. I was humbled to be named among these legends.

During the call, we cover

  • why unique selling propositions (USP) can be bad for your brand – and what you should replace them with
  • 4 ways many businesses are sabotaging their own marketing
  • the reason most people struggle to persuade others and plenty more.

Check out the interview, Compelling Marketing Messages, over on Joey’s Web Marketing Inner Circle site.

It’s free to listen to. You don’t have to give your email address or anything, and there’s nothing for sale. Just sit back and see how much you can learn.

Enjoy!

Pork Chops and Big Promises

by
Planet Porkchop Sign - Calumet City

There is a restaurant a few blocks from my house in south suburban Chicago (Calumet City, to be precise) that makes a pretty bold statement. Their sign claims that they are THE “Home of the Giant Pork Chop.”

Right up front, I’ll admit that I’ve never eaten in this establishment. I’ve never seen their pork chops. But my lack of formal knowledge won’t stop me from making a few observations.

1.) When I read the tagline about the gigantic slabs of pig flesh you can buy at Planet Porkchop, I laughed to myself. How can this little restaurant have bigger chops than anyone else? Have they been around long enough to be the home of anything as readily available as pieces of pork?

The point is this: the marketing/branding statements you make have to be believable. Remember Al Gore’s claim to have invented the internet? Didn’t turn out so well for him.

Even if you’re telling the truth, you may never get the opportunity to prove it .

2.) On the other hand, bold claims are great. If you can make big promises, do it. If there’s something truly special, truly outstanding about you, your product or service, don’t be shy about it.

In fact, make the biggest, boldest claim that you can honestly make.

So many people wonder about how they can differentiate themselves and stand out from their competition. Find something amazing about what who you are (individually or as a business) and what you have to offer, and shout it from the rooftops. Figuratively speaking.

3.) Question: If you drove by this sign, would it move you to stop and eat?

Answer: Maybe.

For some people, this advertisement would never work. Some people don’t eat pork for religious or health reasons.

Other people like pork chops, but they’re not hungry when they drive past. Maybe they’ll consider trying their food another time.

Still others like pork chops, and seeing the piggy sign puts them in the mood to eat.

The lesson, of course, is that advertising and marketing cannot work for every single person. And it will not work every time. To get the most bang for your marketing buck, you have to put the right message in front of the right audience at the right time. Even then, don’t count on getting 100% to buy.

4.) You instantly know exactly what this business is about. They take pride in their pork chops. That’s what they do best. They’re specialists in that area.

Do you know your area of unique expertise? How well are you sharing that message?

Related Post

Small Restaurant, Big Lesson