Ryan

Thanks for such a great comment. I've read it through it multiple times. I think you summed it up very well when you said:

“Hype is marketing candy. Real promises written well are vegetables. “

Also: While I find that quote by Camus fascinating, I also disagree with it from a long-term perspective. We are seeing the truth of it in the short-term (as you point out)… but in the long-term I don't think the maxim holds up. You allude to this as well.

Lastly, I've got one more post already written in this series of “truth in advertising” posts. I'll probably publish it in the next couple of days.

Ryan

I think marketers and copywriters face some of the most challenging ethical dilemmas of any profession. Especially as the internet has evolved to provide immediate feedback in terms of clickthrough and conversion rates, we're constantly under pressure to exaggerate, hype, and outright lie.

Nowhere is this point brought home stronger than in a high traffic AdWords account, where a 0.1% increase in clickthrough can translate into thousands of dollars of additional profit for the advertiser TOMORROW, and where the consequences of underplaying the point have an immediate and painful financial cost.

Camus said “the truth is a poor competitor in the marketplace of ideas”, and I think we're seeing this play out in the modern day ad auction.

Yet the savvy marketer recognizes there are serious consequences of exaggeration, lies, and hype, far beyond legal exposure or FTC actions.

Because the savvy marketer wants to build a long term relationship with delighted and satisfied customers. Exaggeration, hype, and lies are all about TRIAL, whereas the serious marketer knows the WIN is in the repeat.

I can tell you with virtual certainty that the internet landscape is changing to favor long term, relationship based marketers… the search engines are doing all they can to eliminate false promises and vendors who don't really add any value to a transaction. (I own a 35 person internet marketing service, have access to hundreds of accounts, and see what's changing day to day)

Hype is marketing candy.

Real promises written well are vegetables.

It's a lot easier to eat candy, and most people hate to eat vegetables, but we all have to grow up sometime.

Man, you got me on a soap box today!

Thanks for the great post, as always,

Dr. G :-)

PS – I wouldn't want to portray myself as totally above reproach. It's not that I've never exaggerated to get that extra 0.1%… we all have and that's why the law forgives “puffery”. But I've never lied… and the older and more experienced I get at this game, the more blatantly honest I choose to be, even when it repels customers. In fact, I've learned there are certain customers you definitely WANT to repel… the more you do so, the more you can concentrate on delivering value to those who will reciprocate in spades.

I think old school copywriter Maxwell Sackheim had the right idea about this.

If you're going to say a specific product gave someone who does not exist results, then be up front about it being a dramatized fictional story.

For example:

On page 98 of “Billion Dollar Marketing” there is a Sackheim ad about a supplement that gives people energy. The ad is about a woman whose husband ignores her after work and just falls asleep without even so much as kissing her goodnight (the headline is “He Didn't Even Kiss Me Goodnight!”)

How did Max approach this ad?

By making up a fake housewife and husband and saying that husband who does not exist got super duper results from the product?

Not exactly. True, Max did make up a character out of thin air (like Caples did).

But, unlike Caples, he has the slug:

“A Dramatized Story About A Wife Who Worried About Her Husband”

Right under the headline.

Since this ad is displayed in this particular book, I am going to go out on a limb and guess it was one of Max's more successful ads.

And here's the funny thing:

Even though it says it's a dramatized story, I don't think it really hurts the ad copy at all. In some ways, since it's so blatantly honest, it might even be an advantage. And the story is still pretty persuasive even though you've been told it's fictional.

You can see it here:

http://www.bensettle.com/Swipe-File/kiss.pdf

Over and out,

Ben

It seems to me that using a story in advertising is not necessarily right or wrong… but we have to be careful to convey the truth.

Ryan

Great observation: “the aim in advertising is not to be truthful but to be believable.”

I might rephrase it to say, “the aim in advertising is to be truthful AND believable.”

Ryan

Ryan

I've personally found that the more research I do, the easier it is to write the copy. So I agree 100% with the idea that more facts make for better copy.

Also, thanks for the perspective on learning the piano. I've got short fingers, so I've never pursued the piano. :-)

Ryan

I would argue that you can make legitimate claims using a make-believe story. The use of a make-believe story does not imply a claim one way or another; a story is merely a construct or mechanism for conveying the claims.

And I must say… your comment that “you can't polish a turd” gave me a good laugh. :-)

Ryan

Great discussion.

Personally, I think stories, even if they're made up, are an OK way to sell.

I mean, most everything Jesus ever taught was done in parable (story) form and I'm sure most all of those were made up to prove the point … to “sell” if you will … the listener on the truth of what Jesus was trying to reveal.

Just some that come to mind …

– Good Samaritan story …
– Prodigal Son story …
– Workers in the field story …
– Seeds in the ground story …
– Etc …

And I wouldn't call Jesus a liar. I'd just say he was trying to make a point and sell effectively his truth/ideas.

I dunno, I guess it doesn't bother me.

Later,
Caleb