The Marketing Test That Saved the World
In 1977 in the Horn of Africa… a marketing test saved the world. But let’s back up just a second… Continue Reading
Confidence
Failure, success, and how to gap the difference.
What Marketers Do When Recession Looms
I’ve written before about what marketers and business owners can do in rough markets. Looking at what’s going on right now, maybe I should trot out that piece and run it again. Meanwhile, I came across someone else’s ideas on the same. I liked it so much, I just want to share a little of it here… Continue Reading
Secrets of a Direct-Mail Legend: Rodale
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
How to Tell if You’re a “Natural Born” Copywriter
A personal confession: I don’t just like being a copywriter. I also happen to like copywriters in general. As people, I mean. Why? Before you accuse me of being too kind to my own, consider. How many copywriters do you… Continue Reading
The World’s Most Famous Copywriter?
Claude Hopkins looks like a crotchety chemist. Or a vacuum cleaner salesman. At least, he does in most of the pictures you’ll find of him online. Which is appropriate considering that he sold both, as a house copywriter, until at… Continue Reading
Ego-Butter: How to Give a Copy Critique
I’ve gotten a few copy critiques in my day. I crave them, no matter how harsh, because that’s what makes the writing better. I’ve also given a few copy critiques, too. And I’ve discovered that when I’m on the handler… Continue Reading
Seven Toxic Habits That Could Wreck Your Writing Career
“It is a great thing,” said Cicero, “to know our vices.” With that in mind, let’s dig in and take a look at some positively poison habits that could dash any aspiring copywriters career… Continue Reading
What You Don’t Need to Get Ahead
Turns out that a survey of marketing execs from 32 different consumer-product companies showed a distinct disadvantage for companies that carried a Masters of Business Administration grad at or close to the helm… Continue Reading
Better Than Money
“We must not be free because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” – William Faulkner My friend Paul Hollingshead is pretty smart fella. He recently wrote a piece that shared the math on this career path we’ve chosen,… Continue Reading
Is Your Product Trapped in “Commodity Hell?”
I shaved this morning thinking about “commodity hell.” That’s when a market for a product is so crowded, every product is virtually the same. Interchangeable with the competition. And the only way to get ahead is to slash prices until the pain of profit loss squeezes either you or those competitors out of the business. This is not a position, generally, you want to fall into. But it happens… Continue Reading