Tag: curiosity

7 things you’ll learn in Dan Kennedy’s “The Ultimate Sales Letter”

10:20pm

Saint Paul

I was browsing my bookshelf the other night, looking for something to start.

(I have more unfinished books than I have fully-read books. Not every book is worth finishing, I’ve learned… though many I plan to return to… I think…)

Now, I noticed my slightly neglected Dan Kennedy section. Dan is a prolific and accomplished copywriter and businessman who has recently fallen ill.

I pulled down my worn copy of The Ultimate Sales Letter and Continue reading “7 things you’ll learn in Dan Kennedy’s “The Ultimate Sales Letter”“

Persuasive Elements in Bernie’s Fundraising

I received a fundraising email last week from Bernie Sanders campaign. (Screenshot below.)

The email itself asked Bernie supporters to follow a link a form, where you could mark which campaign issues mattered to you, the voter.

Everyone likes to be consulted and have their opinion heard—especially if you’ve self-selected as a supporter to get on this list. I would bet the survey link was pretty busy! Continue reading “Persuasive Elements in Bernie’s Fundraising”

How to Please Your Customers:
Hopkins’ My Life in Advertising Wrap-up

My new boots came in the mail. They were far too small. I felt like a kid again and my feet had grown over the summer.

These boots had everything I wanted. Leather, waterproof, and insulated, I expected to keep them for years. But of course, they had to fit right.

Winter Boots are a necessity around these parts. Image "What's Down There?"by James, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Winter Boots are a necessity around these parts. Image “What’s Down There?”by James, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

Luckily, the online retailer made the exchange simple and free. I mailed the boots in to try a second pair, and I waited.

It was going to be a cold, snowy Thanksgiving in Wisconsin.

Continue reading “How to Please Your Customers: Hopkins’ My Life in Advertising Wrap-up”

Food… Shot from Guns? (My Life in Advertising: Chapters 12 and 13)

YOU can be 10% more knowledgeable about advertising giant Claude C Hopkins’ Secrets to Success with this one PRL post!

This is the 11th post in a series covering the current PRL book selection, My Life in Advertising.

Chapter twelve of My Life in Advertising, Hopkins works on the Palmolive soap account.

Following Hopkins’ playbook, the ad agency offers to buy the beauty soap for whomever brings in a coupon. Palmolive uses this offer to force quick distribution in retail stores, because no business wants the customer going elsewhere. The customers become hooked because the rule of reciprocity says that something done for them, the free bar of soap, will increase their desire to give back.

You must have an extraordinary claim to make a dent in a crowded market. Image by Nesster, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
You must have an extraordinary claim to make a dent in a crowded market. Image by Nesster, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

Continue reading “Food… Shot from Guns? (My Life in Advertising: Chapters 12 and 13)”

Baked Beans Bring Hopkins Back (My Life in Advertising: Chapter 9)

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.

Summer barbecue in 1913. Looks refreshing, doesn't it? Photo courtesy Orange County Archives
Summer barbecue in 1913. I don’t know if they served baked beans. Looks refreshing, doesn’t it? Photo courtesy Orange County Archives

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)”