Archive for January, 2009

Jan
31

Copywriting Notes – John Updike

Posted by: Kevin Francis | Comments (0)

American author John Updike died recently.

There’s an article about his life and work in “The Economist” (“John Updike – An American Subversive”)…

…and this caught my eye…

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Categories : Copywriting
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Couple of recent articles in the UK “Daily Telegraph” caught my eye and point to some potential bright spots amid the current economic gloom…

…and might give copywriters and marketers some ideas.

The first is…

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Categories : Marketing
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In the second of this series about the books and thinkers who have shaped copywriting and direct response marketing as we know it today…

…I am delighted to have the thoughts of David Garfinkel.

David is not only a master copywriter in his own right, but probably the #1 copywriting teacher and coach in the world today.

He also has a vast knowledge of both marketing and business history.

Here is his list of the copywriting books (and works) that have most influenced the industry…

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Categories : Copywriting, Marketing
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If you’re at all involved in the world of internet marketing, then you’re probably aware of the recent Stompernet “Formula 5″ launch.

The launch campaign was a great case study to watch and the videos made available for free were excellent with great and usable content.

Now the folks at Stompernet have re-released the program with a “Recession-Busting” payment plan.

And according to internet marketing maven Frank Kern (who is on the “inside” with the Stompernet guys) the promotion is producing a conversion rate of an incredible…

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Categories : Copywriting, Marketing
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I’ve mentioned in a number of previous posts the theory of “Socionomics” and how it relates to the prevailing social mood (which has implications for copywriters and marketers in crafting sales messages).

The folks at the “Socionomics Institute” have just made available a landmark paper from Robert Prechter.

If you want to know more about how Socionomics and financial markets interact (and why much of conventional wisdom about the markets is completely wrong) then this 26 page paper will be of interest.

Warning! It was originally published in the “Journal Of Behavioral Finance”. So some knowledge of finance and markets is required otherwise this will be a tough read.

The paper is available here.

Categories : Copywriting
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The answer is a resounding “Yes” according to copywriting giant Clayton Makepeace.

And Clayton has solid reasons to back up his case, despite (or maybe because of) the gloomy outlook.

Read Clayton’s post…

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As well as being “Australia Day”, today is also Chinese New Year, Korean New Year, Tet in Vietnam and Republic Day in India.

In the Chinese calendar, this is the Year Of The Ox.  According to Wikipedia, the Ox represents prosperity through fortitude and hard work.  Sounds like that could be very appropriate for the year ahead!

May I wish you “Kung Hei Fat Choi”  (“Best Wishes And Be Prosperous”)!

Categories : General
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…if you’re in Australia (and I guess there’s no reason why everyone else can’t join in the spirit of the day!).

The anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, this is a day of barbecues, family get-togethers, fireworks and celebrations of all things Australian.

Originally, I was not terribly impressed with the words of the Australian National Anthem.  But over the years, “Advance Australia Fair” has grown on me.

So here it is, in full…

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Categories : General
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“A Name That Helps” is the subject of chapter 20 of the copywriting classic “Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins.

In this chapter, Hopkins shares his thoughts and experience with product names, with examples of names that can help the selling process along with some potential pitfalls.

This sums up his overall philosophy about product names…

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Categories : Copywriting, Marketing
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…for smart copywriters and marketers.

Reading through the January edition of Pete Godfrey’s “Emotional Ad Writing & Marketing Letter” I was struck by this (2 part) profound insight from Pete…

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Categories : Copywriting, Marketing
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