Archive for Advertising
What Copywriters And Marketers Need To Know About New FTC Guidelines
Posted by: | CommentsUnless you’ve been completely cut off from the online world the last few months…
…you’re most likely aware that there has been a fair amount of discussion and not a little concern about new guidelines issued by the US Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) relating to online marketers.
Specifically, as how they relate to bloggers, affiliates and the use of testimonials.
Marketing maven Jim Edwards has done the internet marketing community a great service by going straight to the source and interviewing Rich Cleland of the FTC about these new guidelines.
You can watch the webinar right here…
http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/ftc-change-interview/
It’s completely free, nothing to buy and in the spirit of the FTC regs, I am NOT an affiliate (LOL!).
Seriously, all marketers and copywriters need to be on top of this and a big “Thank You” to Jim for organising this and making it freely available.
If you’re not in the US, don’t think this doesn’t apply to you. Most countries have similar laws (in Australia it’s the ACCC and the Trades Practices Act) and the FTC is often seen by other authorities as setting the standard.
Could Direct Response Marketing Save The Newspaper Business?
Posted by: | CommentsThe old-style newspaper business is struggling in many countries around the world.
Falling circulations, shrinking ad revenues because of difficult economic conditions and an ineffective response to the disruptive change of the internet mean that traditional media groups are in danger of going out of business.
So no great surprise when media baron Rupert Murdoch announced recently…
A Really Clueless Bank Ad
Posted by: | Comments
Every now and again, I come across a piece of advertising copy…
…usually a headline or tagline of some sort…
…that is absolutely breathtaking in its utter inanity and stupidity.
Bear in mind, that as a direct response copywriter I read a lot of ads and see a lot of mediocre advertising. So I’m not easily shocked.
However, when I saw this… Read More→
Russian Roulette For Business Owners…
Posted by: | Comments…who don’t use direct response marketing and copywriting.
In the UK “Daily Telegraph” is this article…
“Marketing Spend Falls At Sharpest Rate For Nine Years”.
A recent survey found that…
Sex, Controversy And Classic Direct Response Copywriting
Posted by: | CommentsHad to bring this item to your attention, partly because of the “controversy” but also because the ad is actually a good example of direct response copywriting.
In London, there has been a storm of outrage over billboards carrying the following headline…
“Scientific Advertising In The 21st Century” – Part 18 “Negative Advertising”
Posted by: | Comments“Negative Advertising” is the subject of Chapter 18 of the copywriting classic “Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins.
In this short chapter, Hopkins discusses two types of negative advertising.
The first is what is usually called “knocking copy” or directly criticising the competition.
Hopkins strongly discourages this…
Read More→
“Scientific Advertising In The 21st Century” – Part 17 “Individuality”
Posted by: | CommentsChapter 17 of the copywriting classic “Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins deals with the topic of individuality.
Why is this important?
Here’s what Hopkins had to say…
Read More→
A Single Letter Can Make A Difference In Copywriting
Posted by: | CommentsYou’re probably familiar with the idea that in copywriting every word counts.
But how about the difference a single letter can make?
There’s a fairly famous case…
“Scientific Advertising In The 21st Century” – Part 15 “Test Campaigns”
Posted by: | CommentsIf there is one idea that justifies the use of the title “Scientific Advertising” by copywriter Claude Hopkins it’s this…
“Almost any question can be answered, cheaply, quickly and finally, by a test campaign. And that’s the way to answer them – not by arguments around a table. Go to the court of last resort – the buyers of your product.”
Now, I’d suggest that the buyers should be the court of first resort (not last!), but that’s a quibble.
In chapter 15 of his classic copywriting book “Scientific Advertising”. Claude Hopkins discusses two ways to use testing…
Read More→
“Scientific Advertising In The 21st Century” – Part 14 “Getting Distribution”
Posted by: | CommentsChapter 14 of the Claude Hopkins copywriting classic “Scientific Advertising” is all about getting the product to the customer – “Getting Distribution”.
Now, for the classic direct response marketer or someone doing business on the internet, this subject may seem of little or no interest.
But there are 2 reasons why this may be useful…
Read More→
