"Honey, We Need To Try A New Position"

[max5ty]

You've got the greatest product in the world to write copy for -- maybe it's yours, maybe it's for a client.

You're excited about it...

You know it should sell big.

The whole project bombs, or at best barely breaks even.

What went wrong?

Lucky for you...you have a buddy named David...even luckier, you have his number on speed dial...he's one of the world's greatest copywriters...not to mention the fact his agency has spent millions and millions on testing...and spent billions on advertising.

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YOU: "Hey David, I wrote a piece for this super great product and I got nothing. The sales weren't there, the phone didn't ring...it's like the piece just got lost somewhere in the universe."

DAVID: "Send me a copy of your work."

Two days later...

DAVID: "You're using the wrong position."

YOU: "Huh?"

DAVID: "We have learned that the effect of your advertising on your sale depends more on this decision than any other: How should you position your product?"

"Should you position SCHWEPPES as a soft drink -- or as a mixer?"

"Should you Position DOVE as a product for dry skin or as a product which gets hands really clean?"

"The results of your campaign depend less on how you write your advertising than on how your product is positioned...it follows that positioning should be decided before the advertising is created."
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In case you haven't figured it out, I'm quoting from David Ogilvy.

You might want to read his statement again...position is more important than how you write your piece.

What are you selling? Is it a marketing plan...

Are you positioning it as a way to get rich?

Would it be better to position it as a way to enjoy more time with family?

More time to travel?

The ability to live in exotic places?

What if you're selling shoes...

Are you positioning your piece to focus on how good the shoes look?

How comfortable they are?

How they can relieve back pain?

Your sales piece should position your product right from the get-go.

Look over some of the work you've done...could you have positioned the product better? Maybe go back and give it another try.

The other day I did a post where I said you can take products that hadn't done good before and turn them into money makers...maybe they were positioned wrong by someone else.

To put this post in a nutshell...the most important thing that can make or break your piece...the most deciding factor between success and failure...the thing that can leave you struggling or have you enjoying the good life...is how you position your product.

Once this concept sinks in, it'll be like a light bulb being turned on.

Here's the link to the quote...(the first paragraph is the source of the quote)

Ogilvy & Mather Direct Ad # 4: “How To Create Advertising That Sells”

[NickN]

This reminds me of Avis's famous "We're #2, so we try harder" campaign. The company took the damaging-admission route and spun gold out of it.

Seriously, how brilliant is it that you can say, "We sell less than the other guys and we aren't as popular" and have it INCREASE sales?

Here's a blog I found with some of Avis's "#2" ads. (I have no affiliation with this blog -- don't know the person who runs it, never will.)

[max5ty]

Originally Posted by NickN

This reminds me of Avis's famous "We're #2, so we try harder" campaign. The company took the damaging-admission route and spun gold out of it.

Seriously, how brilliant is it that you can say, "We sell less than the other guys and we aren't as popular" and have it INCREASE sales?

Here's a blog I found with some of Avis's "#2" ads. (I have no affiliation with this blog -- don't know the person who runs it, never will.)

Actually, that's a great way of positioning that I hadn't thought about

[RickDuris]

Good point, Max5ty. Here's the main takeaway for people reading your post:

Many internet marketers on this forum will try to position their product as a business opportunity. e.g. Business-in-a-Box.

Heads up! Starting, owning, running a business is NOT the best positioning to people in this market.

Why?

Having a business is TOO MUCH WORK for them.

They just want to make money, and they want that money now. Preferably if THEY don't have to lift a finger.

You could be selling toilet paper to these folks and if you position the toilet paper as being able to make money for them while they sleep, you'll find buyers.

- Rick Duris

[videolover7]

To put this post in a nutshell...the most important thing that can make or break your piece...the most deciding factor between success and failure...the thing that can leave you struggling or have you enjoying the good life...is how you position your product.

Before you even write the copy, determine if the product serves a hungry market. If it doesn't, forget about the product, much less positioning it.

The best approach is to find a hungry market first, create (or find) a product that serves that market second, and then concern yourself with positioning.

VL

[Centurian]

Originally Posted by RickDuris

Good point, Max5ty. Here's the main takeaway for people reading your post:

Many internet marketers on this forum will try to position their product as a business opportunity. e.g. Business-in-a-Box.

Heads up! Starting, owning, running a business is NOT the best positioning to people in this market.

Why?

Having a business is TOO MUCH WORK for them.

They just want to make money, and they want that money now. Preferably if THEY don't have to lift a finger.

You could be selling toilet paper to these folks and if you position the toilet paper as being able to make money for them while they sleep, you'll find buyers.

- Rick Duris

Rick,

Great point! That's why the "push-button profit plans" sell so well.

Who wants a job? I want cash in a flash.

Guess that's why credit cards and equity lines were so popular.

Derrick

[The Copy Nazi]

I've read that Ogilvy page many times over the years but it's still relevant today.

The section What Works Best In Television could work just as well as What Works Best In Video.

My God there's some rubbishy IM videos kicking around aren't there? Especially on Clickwank. All same same. I talked about this with a well-known I.M. whale recently and he said "Mal, you gotta remember...the target audience is trailer trash and soccer Moms. You should read the support tickets we get - "Wait...you mean I've gotta build a website? I want my money back."

As Rick says above -

Having a business is TOO MUCH WORK for them.

They just want to make money, and they want that money now. Preferably if THEY don't have to lift a finger.

That reminds me...I got an email from Ryan Deiss yesterday...headed "Encore Training" and I immediately thought "wrong word...sounds like work". But then the email message itself says "presentation" not "training".

And how many times do you see "learn" in a pitch? Same thing - sounds like work. "Discover" is a better word.

Another word I have an aversion to is "teach". Big turn off. Should be "share" or "show" or "impart". Don't know about you but I didn't have a particularly good relationship with "teachers" - not the traditional type anyway. I did have a wacky high school art teacher who once invited us to a pot-smoking party at his apartment and introduced us to his wife - who was a high-class hooker. True story.

[Steve The Copywriter]

Yes it's true 99.99% of "prospects" don't want to do any work.

They want everything done for them.

Just take the red pill tonight and wake up rich tomorrow.

And if you want a exceptional response - make it all easy.

I've always had a problem when a client says "lets do - 29 videos, 17 workbooks, 16 cd's and 7 months of ongoing training - we can flog the package for fortunes"

I suggest - "do the complete package FOR them - and you'll be able to charge even more"

(don't try to teach people how to build a website, build it for them. Don't try to teach them how to get more customers - get them for them. Forget about teaching them how to cook, make the meal for them. Whatever it is - do it all for them).

If you can't...

At least make it ALL as simple as possible.

Do everything imaginable to make it quick and easy.

Make absolutely sure they can do it - with virtually no effort.

Make it like "painting by numbers" - they just can't go wrong - and the end result works like magic.

Do all this - and the results go through the roof.

Steve

[max5ty]

Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi

I've read that Ogilvy page many times over the years but it's still relevant today.

The section What Works Best In Television could work just as well as What Works Best In Video.

I actually had the same thought when I read that part.

Here's the whole ad he did on television advertising for those who may have never seen it.


David Ogilvy - 21.pdf

[monkeytrousers]

Great post and responses!

I especially love, "the target audience is trailer trash and soccer moms." Sometimes I have to keep this in mind when developing new sites. Not everyone is a go-getter like the warriors.

Don't write for someone like you imagine yourself as a much lazier person and speak to that guy...

[Bruce Wedding]

Originally Posted by max5ty

In case you haven't figured it out, I'm quoting from David Ogilvy.

Now this is weird. Your post is appreciated and on the money yet in another thread, just a day or so ago you said the #1 thing that pisses you off about copywriters is...

1. New copywriters are always quoting someone...

"Kennedy said this..."

Halbert said this..."

Sorry, just couldn't let this one pass.

Personally, there's nothing wrong with quoting from leaders in the industry.

[Mark Andrews]

Someone else spotted the irony.

Mark grins.

What does this say about your positioning Marcus?