I.M.W.A.R. Blog
Three Research tips you can take home
Posted 12-15-2009 at 06:31 PM by wrcato2
Tags advertisment, beer, campaign, claude hopkins, copy writing
Today I would like to talk about why research is key to a successful Ad campaign.
Let’s get right too it…
Writing an ad copy may be one of the hardest tasks that one has to do in any advertisement. Writing good ad copy that sells thousands or even millions of dollars of products or services may seem to some, to be impossible. The first step in any good copy is to first research the product or service.
Claude Hopkins, the father of modern advertising as we know it today was hired by Schlitz beer to craft an ad campaign that would rescue the company. Schlitz at the time was deep trouble. There sales had had slip to almost non-existant.
Claude Hopkins made a trip to Wisconsin, to visit the brewery. He needed to learn more about how Schlitz was conducting business in general. He knew that it was impossible to sell without a thorough knowledge of the product being sold. So,as a consultant Hopkins was given a tour of the beer plant and was shown step by step how the beer was made. Claude, ask the management at Schlitz, “Why don’t you tell people in your advertising about all these steps you are taking to brew your beer?”
Schlitz’s response was “All the breweries, brew beer about the same way”.
“Yes,” Hopkins countered, “but the first one to tell the public about this process will gain a big advantage.”
Claude Hopkins, then launched a major ad campaign for Schlitz that described in detail the company’s step-by-step brewing process for making the beer. Within six months, Schlitz beer went from number 15 to the number one beer in America.
The moral of this story was to show you that with a little research, you to can find the hidden gem that lies deep within any ad campaign. And once you have done all the research possible, your copy will pretty much write itself.
Three Research tips to take home
Tip 1. Know your product: Whatever it is you are planning on selling, you must get to know your product or service. For instance, if you are selling diet products; then you need to know the key ingredients that helps achieve weight loss. A lot of weight loss products sell by the key ingrediant.
Tip 2. Sometimes you may have to dig a deep hole to find that hidden jem. If the product or service that you are selling isn’t your own, you may have to interview the creator and dig deep into his psyche.
Here is a great example:
I was going to sell Jim Cockrums best selling ebook “Silent Sales Machines-hidden on Ebay”.
I didn’t think that the sales message was very “professional” looking and bordered on a little cheesy. (Sorry Jim ). So I spent a few days jazzing up a new sales letter that look more proffesional.
I had ask a few friends and collegues, to compare the two messages and let me know which one they liked better. I didn’t tell them which one I wrote. A few days later they responded. Guess which one they like? Three to one they like Jims original message over my new “pro” letter. What a let down that was.
I spent some time studying the “Silent sales machine letter” and found that mine lack the passion that Jim created with his message.
Tip 3. Search Engines are a great research tool. I like to use Google searches to conduct research. There are many places on the internet that you can find information pertaining to a product and service. One of the best places I have found is the U.S. government. They have information on everything. USA Dot Gov.
If you have any tips on research please leave them with your comments. Also if you would like to be a guest author on this blog, just send me PM. Go ahead and leave a comment
Thanks.
Let’s get right too it…
Writing an ad copy may be one of the hardest tasks that one has to do in any advertisement. Writing good ad copy that sells thousands or even millions of dollars of products or services may seem to some, to be impossible. The first step in any good copy is to first research the product or service.
Claude Hopkins, the father of modern advertising as we know it today was hired by Schlitz beer to craft an ad campaign that would rescue the company. Schlitz at the time was deep trouble. There sales had had slip to almost non-existant.
Claude Hopkins made a trip to Wisconsin, to visit the brewery. He needed to learn more about how Schlitz was conducting business in general. He knew that it was impossible to sell without a thorough knowledge of the product being sold. So,as a consultant Hopkins was given a tour of the beer plant and was shown step by step how the beer was made. Claude, ask the management at Schlitz, “Why don’t you tell people in your advertising about all these steps you are taking to brew your beer?”
Schlitz’s response was “All the breweries, brew beer about the same way”.
“Yes,” Hopkins countered, “but the first one to tell the public about this process will gain a big advantage.”
Claude Hopkins, then launched a major ad campaign for Schlitz that described in detail the company’s step-by-step brewing process for making the beer. Within six months, Schlitz beer went from number 15 to the number one beer in America.
The moral of this story was to show you that with a little research, you to can find the hidden gem that lies deep within any ad campaign. And once you have done all the research possible, your copy will pretty much write itself.
Three Research tips to take home
Tip 1. Know your product: Whatever it is you are planning on selling, you must get to know your product or service. For instance, if you are selling diet products; then you need to know the key ingredients that helps achieve weight loss. A lot of weight loss products sell by the key ingrediant.
Tip 2. Sometimes you may have to dig a deep hole to find that hidden jem. If the product or service that you are selling isn’t your own, you may have to interview the creator and dig deep into his psyche.
Here is a great example:
I was going to sell Jim Cockrums best selling ebook “Silent Sales Machines-hidden on Ebay”.
I didn’t think that the sales message was very “professional” looking and bordered on a little cheesy. (Sorry Jim ). So I spent a few days jazzing up a new sales letter that look more proffesional.
I had ask a few friends and collegues, to compare the two messages and let me know which one they liked better. I didn’t tell them which one I wrote. A few days later they responded. Guess which one they like? Three to one they like Jims original message over my new “pro” letter. What a let down that was.
I spent some time studying the “Silent sales machine letter” and found that mine lack the passion that Jim created with his message.
Tip 3. Search Engines are a great research tool. I like to use Google searches to conduct research. There are many places on the internet that you can find information pertaining to a product and service. One of the best places I have found is the U.S. government. They have information on everything. USA Dot Gov.
If you have any tips on research please leave them with your comments. Also if you would like to be a guest author on this blog, just send me PM. Go ahead and leave a comment
Thanks.
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