Years ago I wrote that the way we define what we do determines what we do.
This means words can say a great deal more than they seem to.
Suppose you look in the mirror and you see an old coot like me with far too many wrinkles and not enough hair.
Well, you can see who that old coot is and what is likely to interest him.
Anyone seeing that mirror image has a good idea of what matters to that old coot. His hopes, fears, needs, wants, problems, challenges, pleasures. All manner of things that can help persuade him to do what you want.
I don’t know who you are. Maybe you are young and crazy, mature and sensible, a mother, a daughter, a brother, someone who is always worried, someone happy, someone who dreams of success though others don’t give you a chance.
I don’t know.
But one thing I’m damn sure of. You’ve never thought of yourself as a “target market”.
This was prompted by a recent piece about why copy fails by a highly regarded copywriter. In it he started talking about “your target markets”.
The minute you use that sort of language you are on the road to dead marketing. As soon as you start thinking of people as numbers or as some sort of group defined by sociology you’re driving off in the wrong direction.
Have a look at whatever you write or send out to people.
Ask yourself are you talking to human beings or using business jargon that sounds fancy and impressive to you?
These phrases are all used to make people feel they’re engaged in something more important, more intellectually demanding than it is.
It’s not, it’s incredibly simple.
The way to start once you’ve determined the benefits of what you’re selling and why anyone should buy it, is to sit down, visualise one of those people and imagine you’re sitting in front of them.
What are they thinking about? What worries them. What excites them? What depresses them? What enthuses them?
Link that to whatever you’re trying to offer them.
It sounds damned obvious, but it isn’t to many in the marketing industry. They like to believe they’re involved in something far more intellectually challenging than it is.
They think fancy pseudo-scientific words work better than thinking about people.
Nigh on a century ago the great British advertising man Sir Charles Higham had a big picture of the Football Cup Final on his office wall, and when annoyed would point to it and say to a writer:
“Those are the people you are writing to. Go away and do it again!”
“Would you say that to someone you know?” asked the famous advertising man Fairfax Cone, when faced with a copywriter’s poor effort.
Does that make sense to you? Good copy costs no more to run than bad copy. But do you know enough about what makes the difference? Are you sure?
No? Then here is a wonderful opportunity for you.
In August some celebrated U.S. experts will join me in one of Europe’s most beautiful (and lively) cities at an event to mark my 83rd birthday.
None have spoken before in Europe. It will be a unique occasion, never to be repeated.
I shall tell you pretty simple stuff like what you just read. But then I don’t think marketing is as complicated as some make out, and maybe you agree with me.
Believe me, I’ve learned the hard way. Throughout my career I’ve not just spent clients’ money. I’ve risked my own money in my own businesses. I still do to this day.
I’ll also tell stories from my forthcoming autobiography, mostly about business failure and success – my own, and with people I knew, especially David Ogilvy.
I hope you can make it. As you can imagine, I’m not planning many – or even any – more such trips again.
Best,
Drayton
P.S. Of course you may be too damn busy trying to improve your response rates to go to Gdansk.
If so, here’s an idea for you. Tell me what’s bothering you, my colleagues and I will tell you what we think – free.
