Chapter 6 in “Scientific Advertising” by copywriting legend Claude Hopkins is all about “Psychology”…
“The competent advertising man must understand psychology. The more he knows about it the better. He must learn that certain effects lead to certain reactions, and use that knowledge to increase results and avoid mistakes.
Human nature is perpetual. In most respects it is the same today as in the time of Caesar. So the principles of psychology are fixed and enduring. You will never need to unlearn what you learn about them.”
The first point to make is that because human psychology is essentially unchanging, the lessons that Hopkins learnt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are still relevant today.
In the rest of the chapter Hopkins discusses a number of aspects of human psychology that he noticed during the course of his work.
These are a collection of loosely linked cases, rather than any comprehensive study of human psychology. But they are extremely valuable, nonetheless.
Some of the points Hopkins makes…
1. Curiosity is one of the strongest of human incentives.
2. Cheapness itself is not a strong appeal.
People want bargains, but not cheapness.
3. People judge largely by price.
Hopkins illustrates this with a couple of examples. In one, a painting in a gallery was largely ignored until people were told the price was very high. They then flocked to look at it.
He also relates the case of two advertisers who offered nearly identical food products. Both offered a full sized package as an introduction. One gave away the package free. The result was a disaster, not only failing to pick up new business but actually losing existing sales.
The other advertiser gave away a coupon, good at any store, for which the maker paid full retail price. The result was a big success.
The lesson is to only give a way samples to people who have expressed interest. I’ve mentioned this point previously (most recently in “I Guess These Guys Didn’t Read Scientific Advertising”) and it’s so important. Otherwise you risk undermining the perceived value of the product.
One of the things that struck me forcefully when I first read “Scientific Advertising” was that the book was the original source for many of the strategies and tactics put forward by modern day authorities.
Here’s one example. The idea of getting someone’s credit card details but not charging them for, say, 30 days is simply a variant of selling goods “on approval”. Another of the tactics discussed in this chapter and one that usually produces a big jump in response.
As I said, the chapter is by no means a rigorous exploration of psychology. Hopkins’ approach was very much one of proceeding by observation and trial. For him this was an endless process, but one that was essential, as his concluding comments make clear…
“These things are very important. An identical offer made in a different way may bring multiplied returns. Somewhere in the mines of business experience we must find the best method somehow.”