Sunday, February 26, 2006

Aristotle & Associates

There are a lot of inspirational books on creating great advertising. Some of them are classics, but this one is really a classic – it’s 2,300 years old.

Aristotle, one the great ancient Greek philosophers, studied the art of persusasion. And his work convinces me that he would have been right at home in today’s advertising agency.

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Posted by Richard Bloch

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Thursday, February 09, 2006

Parking Lot Stripes

This falls under the category of “Why didn’t I think of that?” I have to kick myself for not coming up with the newest form of advertising – parking lot stripes.

Yes, you read correctly. A Colorado company aptly named Parking Stripe® Advertising is in the business of placing ads on the lines that divide parking spaces. As you get out of your car, an ad appears right below your feet.

According to the company:

Why are advertisers jumping at the chance to use parking lots to increase sales? That’s where the consumers are! The audience is captive and they are walking wallets in the mood to spend all that disposable income.

Well, I don’t know if people are “walking wallets,” but there’s a certain logic to this approach. After all, if you’re going to the grocery store with laundry detergent on your list, seeing an ad for Tide just before you go in may be just what it takes to get you to buy. And there’s plenty of in-store advertising, so it must work.

For example, at my grocery store, I see ads on the shopping carts, on those bars used at checkout to divide orders, and on the back of my receipt. There are even ads on the floor! I suppose if they could get away with it, they’d make all of their employees wear those sandwich board signs.

The one good thing about a new form of media is that hardly anyone can claim expertise. Even though the number of parking stripe ads I’ve written to date stands at zero, I still have the exact same level of experience as 99.9 percent of all the writers out there.

Posted by Richard Bloch

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Sunday, February 05, 2006

The “I” Word

Every direct marketing copywriter is well acquainted with turning features into reader-oriented benefits. After all, the reasons to respond to your offer ring through more loudly and clearly when phrased in terms of “you.” In many letters I see, there’s too much focus on “I” and “we” – and way too little on “you.”

But presenting reader benefits doesn’t mean always avoiding the “I” word. Using a first-person voice in certain places can actually make your copy more powerful.

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Posted by Richard Bloch

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