Direct Response Marketing Copy & Strategy
Over the last few years, I’ve had the feeling that the Universe is Talking To Me.
Not with words. The Universe is bigger than my language skills. And not in a tinfoil-hat kinda way.
These Messages From The Universe appear as coincidences in my life. We all have them.
Some people would miss these. Some may see the coincidences but ignore them.
I’ve started paying attention. Continue reading “Universal Mind Control?”
I’ve written other posts about the messages I’ve received from the Universe. Yeah I know it sounds crazy. Maybe they’re coincidences. Maybe it’s cognitive bias, lending make-believe support to my theory.
But if the Universe’s Messages are helpful, why would I ignore them?
Here’s a message that I am listening to. I think you are, too. Continue reading “And Now, A Message from the Universe”
Kanye West is persuasive. As Scott Adams has noted, he’s rocketed to success in industries where he wasn’t expected to succeed. Kanye may be running for President in 2020.
Hear Kanye talk about Emotional Intelligence here.
Do you like to barbecue? How about baked beans, do you like them?
I like baked beans especially at a barbecue. They’re sweet, with a touch of tomato, brown sugar, and pork. They remind me of summer days and paper plates.
But I don’t eat baked beans weekly.
Apparently in the early 1900s, baked beans were all the rage. People couldn’t get enough. Baked beans were frequently homemade. They would sometimes ferment while cooking. Other times they would explode in the 16 hour cooking process. That didn’t stop anyone.
Continue reading “Baked Beans Bring Hopkins Back (My Life in Advertising: Chapter 9)”
Kayne West, fashion designer and hiphop mover, recently interrupted his San Jose, California show to tell his audience that Trump is a Genius.
Amid boos from his fans, Kanye spent about 20 minutes discussing the election and current events. Kanye said he supports Trump’s non-political history and his communication style. He also suggested people need to focus less on racism.
If you read the headlines and Twitter reactions, you’d think Kanye had joined the KKK. People think that Kanye no longer believes racism is a problem. Their cognitive dissonance is showing:
Kanye 10 years ago: GEORGE BUSH IS RACIST! #Kanye 2 years ago: THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS RACIST! #Kanye now: STOP TALKING ABOUT RACISM!
— Illest (@trillest_snake) November 18, 2016
Of course, the headline is never the true story. It’s an emotional hook — you click because you can’t believe that’s really what happened. And it’s not. Continue reading “Kanye West Reminds Us He’s Running for POTUS 2020”
I am blown away at the number of medical commercials on TV these days (in the US). They’re a huge portion of the evening broadcast. You can’t watch network television without being warned of ED.
Did you know that advertising pharmaceuticals directly to consumers is the most common way people receive health communications? It’s true. No one is suggesting the viewers get off their asses to exercise. There’s no money in advertising the health benefits of zucchini — unless you’re the Food Network!
No one wants to hear the bad news of health issues. Instead, we’re fed commercials of attractive actors frolicking in a meadow. The visual message is Happiness, even as the voice-over suggests the medicine might cause exactly what it’s trying to prevent. Everyone is interested in a sunnier life.
Apparently, these ads are an improvement from what was published 100 years ago. Continue reading “Medical Claims My Eye (My Life in Advertising: Chapter 7)”
Social Media, such as Facebook and Twitter, are great tools for reaching a lot of people… right? Yes, but often new information only reaches those already in agreement.
Social Media sites like Facebook use complex computer software to filter and sort headlines and posts. Do you like the White Sox? You’ll get stories about the White Sox. This software ensures that most people get news that interests them — including headlines and ‘evidence’ that match their current preferences and worldviews. Facebook’s role is to engage you (and show you ads), not to challenge your belief structure.
When every headline you see supports your existing belief structure, of course the other side of a political argument is going to be ‘wrong’ — everyone is working from a different set of ‘facts!’
If you tried converting anyone to your preferred presidential candidate using Facebook, you probably made more enemies than converts.
There are two likely scenarios here.
If you tried to introduce new information to your discussion, it was probably overwhelmed by the existing information on the other side, and lead to cognitive dissonance. When someone confronts an uncomfortable idea, they’ll rationalize it away, ignore it, or refuse it. They want to remain internally consistent with their belief structure. People don’t like to disagree with their former selves.
If that new information did make it into your conversation, it possibly made things worse. Rather than an objective look at a situation when new information comes to light, people will often dig in deeper to their currently-held positions. They want to be seen as socially consistent. Being labeled a “flip-flopper” in light of new evidence is portrayed as a bad quality in presidential politics. People are publicly tied to their identity. They won’t easily give that up.
Social Media filters prevent people from seeing the same information you see. This has been the case for years now. Our nation is growing apart because of it.
Any attempt to sway others by highlighting news stories probably never made in front of their eyes. If it did, they dismissed it outright.
Anything that contradicted someone’s existing beliefs probably caused them to dig in deeper.
People don’t want to think.