Old Timers & Answers
Have business people stopped looking for answers, falling content to grouse about how bad things are in the economy and expecting somebody else to “fix” it for them?
There is a sense that they have. And what a desperate sentiment that is. I can’t imagine the state, either of believing that no answers even exist, or worse, that the answers do exist but nobody actually knows what they are. What a hopeless place to be, mentally, spiritually, emotionally.
Yet it seems for many businesses, that is exactly where they are. They have, indeed, surrendered to this notion that we’ve never been here before, so nobody has a clue about what can, should, or must be done. They seem to believe that the solutions are beyond their reach and they’re standing on the sidelines, waiting for somebody else – the government, the banks, some other industry – to figure the whole thing out, right the ship and put us all back on the path to prosperity, where they can get back aboard the gravy train to easy riches. But they sure as heck think it’s all out of their hands.
Granted, the economy is in pathetic shape. Unemployment is higher than at any time since the Carter administration, and that was long enough ago that a vast majority of business people who lived through those dark days are gone from the market now. And those times were worse than we’ve got it today, with inflation and interest rates both in double digits. (Incidentally, I still don’t believe we’ve seen the worst for this economy and I would not be surprised to see us return to Carteresque economic challenges… or worse. I’m predicting worsening economic conditions in 2010 and perhaps beyond. Sorry.)
Still, even the Carter years were not as bad as the great depression. It took a world war to pull us out of that one, and with nuclear weapons all over the planet, we can’t afford one of those again.
So when it comes to prosperity; to business growth; to maintaining and even improving sales, revenues and profits, does anybody have the answers? Are they up ahead, just around the corner?
The good news is, the answers do exist.
But you won’t find them looking up ahead. You won’t find them from government, banking or other industries. And you certainly won’t find them if you stop looking. But you haven’t been looking in the right places.
You’ll find them rooted in the pre-depression, depression and immediate post-depression past. You’ll find them among the old-timers of business, and particularly the old timers of marketing and advertising.
- If you want to make your marketing and advertising more effective, less expensive, and more accountable, look to the past.
- If you want to feel like you have control over your own sales, marketing and business destiny, look to the past.
- If you want to clobber the competition and protect yourself from being forced to compete on price because everybody else is in this economy, look to the past.
Allow me to make a few recommendations…
Read the combined volume book, Scientific Advertising/My Life in Advertising, by Claude C. Hopkins. Hopkins wrote this tome in 1923. It’s obviously so old that the copyright has expired and the book is now in the public domain. So there are many versions of it available. And there is a reason why. This book remains one of the staple classics of the advertising and marketing world, because its principles remain timeless.
Hopkins’ answers are based on research and measured results. His scientific approach to advertising – in his day exclusively print – was tested, tracked, measured, adjusted, redeployed, and tested, tracked and measured again.
You would also be wise to read Tested Advertsing Methods by John Caples. In the heyday of Caples storied career, which began in the roaring 20s and spanned 58 years, Caples was dedicated to testing and tracking, then extracting what works and why in advertising. I have seen nothing to make me believe the principles he laid out are no longer true. Among them…
- The best headlines are those that appeal to a reader’s self-interest.
- The next best headlines are those that give news.
- Long copy pulls better than short copy.
So profound are these truths that no less than the great David Ogilvy extolled them again and again in his classic work, Ogilvy On Advertising, another book you cannot afford to overlook. David Ogilvy and this book had more influence on the development of my approach to advertising and marketing, early in my career, than anything else. It led me to the others.
All three of these books can readily be found. One slightly more difficult to locate, perhaps, is Which Ad Pulled Best? This book, written by Carroll J. Swan and originally published by Printers’ Ink, shows side-by-side comparisons of tested print ads. It was copyrighted in 1951 but the lessons it demonstrates are still valid today.
Finally, lest you remain skeptical about the application of these principles of selling through the media, being applicable in print alone, I recommend Eicoff on Broadcast Direct Marketing, by Alvin Eicoff, arguably the father of the infomercial and direct response radio and television advertising.
Yes, the answers are there, my friends. But if you want to move ahead in your business, you must look to the past. It is true that the marketing of the immediate past has become ineffective. But the principles that carried many companies through the depressions can carry you through today’s recession and far, far beyond. Look to these authors. And for a modern spin on these principles, may I humbly recommend my own book, How To Market Your Crap When The Economy Is In The Toilet.
THE END
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Ackerman is a Salt Lake City-based Marketing Coach, Writer and Speaker. His new book, How To Market Your Crap When the Economy is in the Toilet, contains 12 vital strategies for unclogging the American economy, one business at a time, and is now available at a discount directly from www.marketyourcrap.com. Or contact he author directly at 800.584.7585.
Get Exclusive Marketing Tips FREE
To receive exclusive updates and information available ONLYto our subscribers, fill out the fields below...
Leave a Comment