10 Basic Truths of Advertising, Part Deux
The things we are hardwired to find unignorable and “fascinating” involve the (mostly social) triggers first discussed and popularized by Sally Hogshead.
10 Basic Truths of Advertising, Part 1
America has always sorted its mail over a trashcan, and now just as ruthlessly sorts, filters, and dismisses every other incoming stimuli. Modern life demands it.
Learning from the Legends — MacManus and The Penalty of Leadership
Too often inexperienced copywriters and advertising clients want to persuade with copy points — with information being pushed at the reader.
What Advertising Can’t Do
Creativity worshippers tend to feel that while nothing works for sure, anything might work, so long as it’s rilly, rilly creative and the lightning strikes in their favor.
How to Get (and keep) Attention | Wizard’s Roundtable
I’m joined by Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer at System 1 Group in London. His book Lemon and subsequent short film Achtung! outline how we’ve lost customer’s attention over the years, and how to get it back.
How to get everyone in the world to buy what you are selling.
You want all of ‘em. Every single customer in the world. It’s natural. You did not open your doors and take all that risk for nothing. OK, let’s do it.
Transactional vs. Relational Customers: Are You Attracting the Wrong People?
Given the disproportionate amounts of revenue and profit generated by Relational buyers, you might even expect an over-abundance of messaging aimed at Relationals. But that’s not what you find.
Bonding vs. Branding: What’s the Difference?
All bonding is branding. But most branding isn’t bonding. Bonding requires commitment and proper execution. But it's worth it. Bonding blows the doors off of regular branding.
It’s Mostly Invisible
Customers need to like you before they need you. And “like” is mostly invisible. The reasons we do the things we do sit deep in the limbic part of our brains. It’s waaayyy down there. One of the first parts of the brain to form.
Advanced Branding for Ugly Duckling Businesses: Self-Disclosure & Human Connection
Think about the amount of times you chose a service provider — insurance salesman, realtor, lawyer, massage therapist, auto mechanic, plumber — based on the merest puff of a connection.
5 Lessons for Business and Life
For the last 16 years, I have been the business partner of Roy H. Williams, aka The Wizard of Ads. Roy is like the wise big brother I never had. Today I am going to share some unsaid lessons. Some observations.
Your Coupons Are Lying To You
4 families in 5 use coupons, but not because the coupon instigated the purchase. Rather, they use the coupon because there was a coupon to be used.
Modernizing The Buying Funnel
In our combined 50-plus years of doing this, we’ve learned sales resistance and loss of repeat and referral customers comes from one of two places.
Tony’s Best Business Tips, On the Occasion of His Passing
Right from Tony’s first entrepreneurial venture, he understood that long-term thinking was a strategic advantage.
Why Character-Driven Ads are the Key to Higher Margins
Facts presented as facts — as standard “reason why” advertising — cause people to buy from a Consumer Reports mindset. They want bang for the buck.