The Boomers, they predicted, would sideline their ambition for a life of luxury and convenience… and start yearning for something a little beyond the material. When they said that, I sniffed the wine. I figured they’d just gone a little loopy. But now I’m wondering… could they be right? Continue Reading
I know this isn’t exactly an issue with a clear correlation to the world of copywriting. The bottom line is, however, we’re better thinkers when we’re less active watchers. Do yourself and the world a favor. Kill your television. Here’s why… Continue Reading
A few years back, Apple had a long-running ad campain, “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC.” It worked, but why? Perhaps because it was textbook psychographic targeting, associating the product with a personality type. Maybe this will help explain: In… Continue Reading
Every great direct response copywriter can tell you what a valuable thing it is to have a “swipe file,” that burgeoning bin or desktop folder of winning promos crafted by other copywriters. The idea, of course, isn’t to rip off the best of your colleagues… but rather to read, see what’s working, and use that to get your own creative juices flowing. Not everybody gets that. Some people understand the concept, but go ahead and plagiarize anyway… Continue Reading
There is no “Creativity Quotient” (C.Q.) test that measures how creative you are. But the same Scientific American research found that creative people often have similar character traits. Do any of these apply to you? Continue Reading
When writing a Promise-Driven Lead, where should you start? The default for most marketers is to study the product and just figure out what it can do best. We’ve all heard, after all, the lesson about “features” versus “benefits.” First… Continue Reading
What’s the single toughest secret you’ll ever learn, if you hope to blow the doors off the world of writing sales copy? For all the clever metaphors you’ll ever come up with, for all the phrases and images, the formatting… Continue Reading
Any good copywriter also knows that when you really… really… want to make for a powerful sales pitch, digging into the small details can be your most powerful technique… Continue Reading
In 1977 in the Horn of Africa… a marketing test saved the world. But let’s back up just a second… Continue Reading
Once in awhile, you can’t beat a good case study. And what better case study for a copywriter or direct marketer to learn from than the profile of a legendary direct-mail publisher: Rodale. Continue Reading