Welcome back to this series of articles discussing the copywriting classic “Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins.
Chapter 12 deals with the topic of “Strategy”.
Hopkins clearly saw business and marketing as a highly competitive endeavour…
“Advertising is much like war…We are usually out to capture others’ citadels or garner others’ trade.”
Reading the opening sections of this chapter, I’m reminded of the opening part of “Sun Tzu’s Art Of War” that covers “The Calculations” and analysing the conflict.
Hopkins describes the various elements that need to be in place even before a marketing campaign is undertaken (for example, skill, knowledge, experience, information about the competition).
He goes on to list the different factors that need to be considered in formulating a strategy.
1. The name of the product. Sometimes this is a given but with new products especially, the marketer has a choice.
2. Price. Often a key factor. For most products volume is important and that means a competitive price. But for some products (many prestige brands, for example) a high price may prove optimal.
3. Competition. Is there existing strong, entrenched competition or is the market relatively open? These conditions will have a big impact on the approach required to be successful.
4. Risk of product substitution. If the product represents a major innovation or new category, what steps are needed to protect against imitators? Hopkins mentioned several cases where the initial success was diluted because rivals quickly introduced similar products.
5. Distribution. How to get your product to customers. If you rely on dealers or other intermediaries, then it’s vital to ensure they will stock the product.
Hopkins concluded the chapter with a recap of the importance of proper preparation and a reminder of what’s at stake with any advertising or marketing campaign.
And these words are as true today as they were in Hopkins’ time…
“Advertising often looks very simple. Thousands of men claim ability to do it. And there is still a wide impression that many men can. As a result much advertising goes by favour. But the men who know realize that the problems are as many and as important as the problems in building a skyscraper. And many of them lie in the foundations.”
Substitute “copywriting” for “advertising and the same applies, I would suggest!
If I have a criticism of this chapter, it’s that Hopkins didn’t mention potential customers and how they are likely to perceive a new product. This is a topic that Eugene Schwartz discussed at length in “Breakthrough Advertising” when he talks about the prospect’s “state of awareness”.
To be fair, this is covered to some extent under competition and in Hopkins’ time the market was much less saturated with products than it is today.