2:13pm
Saint Paul
Heading to my parents’ for Sunday dinner last night when just ONE WORD made me pull a u-turn and whip out my wallet.
How can a single word sell, you ask?
It goes back to Buyer Awareness.
Eugene Schwartz wrote in Breakthrough Advertising that buyers have different levels of awareness.
• They may be completely unaware of a problem.
• They may be aware of a problem, but not a solution.
• They may be aware of some solutions, but not your solution.
• They may be aware of your solution.
• And they may be fully aware of your solution and maybe even your price, and just need a compelling reason to buy.
Well, I fell into this fifth category:
Completely aware.
Just a little urgency was all it took.
There, below the Golden Arches, on McDonald’s changeable letter board (I had to look that term up) was just one word:
S H A M R O C K
“The shamrock shakes are back at McDonald’s!”
If you don’t know, they’re green and only available during March, to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.
We whipped the car around, hit the drive-thru, and grabbed three shakes to split with my parents.
(Yes just three—we didn’t want to ruin our dinner!)
$16 later, we gave these rarities a try.
Meh.
My 9 year old son Sam said, “wow, I didn’t know those signs actually worked!”
Short ads do work, when the prospect is ready.
Often though, longer ads work better.
“Tell more to sell more,” as the saying goes—because buyers want believable info before shelling out cash.
Happy March!
Jeffrey
PS. The shakes seem different. I remember them being minty. But last night they tasted more like lime pudding with a hint of mint.
Have you had a shamrock shake this year?
Did it taste different from the 1980s or is it just me?