Chapter 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…
Firstly, it’s worth knowing about it simply because it’s an important part of the broader field of marketing and what Hopkins has to say is relevant to anyone in business.
Secondly, the lessons are relevant to using affiliates in your marketing. When you think about it, affiliates are like an online version of a dealer network.
Hopkins mentioned a number of ways that companies tackled the problem of achieving distribution.
One approach was to start with direct sales to build up volume that would encourage dealers to stock the product.
Another was to offer samples and refer prospects to selected dealers who carried stock.
Some large companies could also persuade dealers to carry stock by providing a guarantee.
Hopkins’ preferred approach was to build demand for the product by using a campaign with samples, along the lines described in the previous section. (Part 13 “Use Of Samples”).
By offering prospects a coupon that they can redeem at a store for a free sample, the distribution problem becomes straightforward.
When dealers are informed about the campaign (backed up with proofs of the ad with the coupon) most will be keen to carry the product. After all, few dealers will pass up the opportunity of a cash sale at full profit.
Hopkins successfully used this approach in many campaigns. Palmolive Soap and Puffed Grains were two examples.
Other suggestions from Hopkins were…
1. Start with local advertising. Get distribution town by town and then switch to national advertising.
2. Providing stocks to dealers on consignment is not generally recommended.
3. Providing free samples to dealers usually works out as an expensive way to sell product.
Bear in mind, that even when you use dealers, you still have to provide the advertising.
So what lessons can we draw for modern day marketing and the use of affiliates online?
Well, the key point is to view an affiliate network as a distribution channel that needs to be managed effectively.
In a similar way that Hopkins used coupons to create demand and drive traffic to dealers, you need to assist affiliates in some way to create traffic.
Sure, there may be some “super-affiliates” who take the initiative.
But most will need support in the form of “samples” (for example, special reports or videos) that they can give away.
Remember, there are many other opportunities competing for the attention of affiliates.
In many ways, the “Product Launch” style campaign is an updated version of what Hopkins did for his clients. It’s a way of creating “buzz” and giving affiliates a powerful incentive to get behind your product.