Why Would You Want to Read a Marketing Book Printed in 1923?
Last week I was asked by a girl who wanted to get into copywriting, “what the best book to read on copywriting”
Although I could of suggested plenty of books on Copywriting one stands out.
I told her, “she should get a copy of Scientific Advertising, and because it was printed in 1923, it in the public domain” She could even download a copy from my website. Claude Hopkins Scientific Advertising
But saying its book on copywriting, just doesn’t do it justice.
It really could be describe as a pillar in advertising, copywriting and marketing
She looked at me, as if I was just pulling her leg. “Why would I want to read book written in 1923 on Marketing? They didn’t even have TV’s or the Internet back then.
It’s amazing how people ask for advice, then as soon as you give an answer. That’s not sexy, they think it can’t work.
If you want to master advertising, copywriting and marketing, then you have read Scientific Advertising at least 7 times.
You see, I’ve just finished reading Scientific Advertising for the 14th time. I’m still learning new insights and better appreciation, of how powerful this resource is.
Now why would you want read a booked printed 1923.
Jay Abraham, has read Claude Hopkins more than 50 times. David Ogilvy said “you should read Claude Hopkins seven times before you have anything to do with advertising”
I was speaking with Malcolm Auld from Malcolm Auld Direct and he said “if people just read Scientific Advertising, then there marketing problems would be solved.”
If you want learn the secrets of Advertising, then you need to read Scientific Advertising, because you’ll be able to sack the Yellow Page rep.
This marketing classic still stands the test of time. In 1907 Lord and Thomas Advertising paid Claude C Hopkins a staggering salary of $185,000 a year, that’s $4,717,149 in today dollars, allowing for inflation. With Claude on abroad Lord And Thomas became the largest advertising agency in the world.
Claude Hopkins was one of the greatest advertising pioneers who ever lived. He believed that “Advertising is salesmanship” and as such, it should be measurable and justify the results that it produced.
Hopkins insisted copywriters researched their client products and produce reason-why copy. He believed that a good product was often its own best salesperson and as such he was a great believer in sampling.
To track the results of his advertising he used key coded coupons and then tested headlines, offers and propositions against one another. He used the analysis of these measurements to continually improve his ad results, driving responses and the cost effectiveness of his clients advertising spend.
The funny thing, is most advertising companies have forgotten these advertising principles, because their more interested in winning awards, then actually selling products.
Your Take Away quotes from Claude Hopkins
“Let me digress here to say that the road to success lies through ordinary people. They form the vast majority. The man who knows them and is one of them stands the vastly be[er chance.”
“The lesson in this is the lesson and all salesmanship. One must know what buyers are thinking about and what they are coming to want. One must know the trends to be a leader in a winning trend.”
“There I learned another valuable principle in advertising. In a wide reaching campaign, we are to apt to regard people in the mass. We must get down to individuals. We must treat people in advertising as we treat them in person. Center on their desires.”
“You will note that wherever possible I inject some personality into an advertising campaign. This has always proved itself an impressive idea.
People like to deal with men whose names are connected with certain accomplishments. They would rather do that, I have found, then deal with soulless corporations.”
The first paragraph sets the tone perfectly: “The time has come when advertising has in some hands reached the status of a science. It is based on fixed principles and is reasonably exact.
The causes and effects have been analyzed until they are well understood. The correct methods of procedure have been proved and established. We know what is most effective, and we act on basic laws.”
“The only purpose of adver=sing is to make sales. It is not for general effect. It is not to keep your name before the people. It is not to aid your other salesmen.”
“The advertising man studies the consumer. He places himself in the position of the buyer. His success largely depends on doing that to the exclusion of everything else.”
“Changing people’s habits is very expensive…to sell shaving soap to the peasants of Russia one would first need to change their beard‐wearing habits. The cost would be excessive.”
Read Scientific Advertising, at least 3 times, let it soak in. It’s only 43 pages. You’ll be so far ahead of your competition.
You have no excuse for not reading Scientific Advertising, because you can download a free copy from my website Grab a Copy of Scientific Advertising Now it’s free.
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