Yes I downloaded my own PDF of Claude Hopkins book when I heard Jay say he’d read it about 30 times when I first saw him.

As to branding I’ve an article I’ve written on that exact subect on my own blog. In summary though my point is that branding is not actually a lot of use for smaller companies.

Of course Coca-Cola, General Motors and Ford all look for branding but their purpose is to create Top of Mind Awareness so the first think you think of is their brand.

Trying to do use a brand for a smaller business is doomed to failure, lots of wasted cash and frustrated management - I’ve seen them - very unhappy bunnies!

Jim

I have heard about Ben’s book but haven’t got a chance to read it yet. I remembered it was quite heavily promoted when it came out.

Bookstores are selling this book and Scientific Advertising as a single volume. I have a copy and it is definitely a mainstay in my marketing books collection. I have already read it 3 times ever since I got it last year.

With regards to Brand Marketing vs Scientific Advertising…I believe a lot of direct marketers are too quick to slam the practitioners of brand marketing ala Madison Avenue. The way I see it, they must be doing something right. I always felt that there is definitely something to learn from their kind of marketing that we can apply to direct response advertising.

In fact, there is a good book out there titled Think Two Products Ahead by Ben Mack. The author was a branding specialist from BBDO, but now, he is plying his trade in the direct marketing world. He has quite effectively drawn out the essence of brand marketing and incorporate it into direct marketing. I thought his book was quite brilliant…albeit a little bit too self-serving…

For most of us here, we will not have the budget to run enough institutional ads for them to have any sort of meaningful impact.

Now sometimes that can be through advertising but how long has the Coca Cola brand been around.

The biggest problem I have is when I can be “entertained” by an advert but have no idea at all whose products it is promoting or even what they do. Sometimes these adverts are just too clever for their own good.

Definitely not targeted at Gucci, Prada or Big Branded names.

He doesn’t like “institutional ads”…that put your name out there, say how wonderful you are, that don’t offer a specific benefit or advantage.

He wants you to accept that ads are there to make sales, and nothing else. Not to win awards or win hype.

If the branding ads do get your name out there, but don’t translate to increased sales/profits..then is it a wasted ad, wasted money? Jay would say yes.

And big Fortune 500’s obviously have alot more money than a small start up. They can waste plenty of money on “branding ads” and it won’t hurt them.

Jay is very dollar conscious and wants to get the maximum return for your dollars and effort.

I am in 2 minds. On the one hand, there is no doubt about being “scientific” - particularly for small business, but also for big business.

However, “non-scientific” adverts are NOT as ‘bad’as you think. They DO create “branding” and “brand awareness”.

For example, SuperBowl ad with “Apple vs. Big Blue IBM” was indeed recognized and realized. It did “brand” Apple and Jobs is not “stupid”.

Beer Ads “do” work. You “recognize” and “feel like that brand” that you come across.

“Cola Cola” adverts DO work.

“Fashion Magazine CONSISTENT BRANDING - Gucci, Armani, CK etc.” do indeed cause you to “feel” for THAT brand and purchase THAT brand.

Anyway - the point is that “scientific advertising” is GREAT; but it is NOT the ONLY way, NOR neccessary THE BEST way. Imagine if BIG BRANDS like “Gucci” started to “scientifically brand themselves” - do you REALLY think that would be WISE ? REALLY? I think it would kill their brand !

“Scientific Adverts” are oftentimes NOT preferred BY SCIENTIFICALLY MINDED people and EDUCATED people. They ARE preferred by those people that are LESS EDUCATED - the type that purchase “self help” material; not the type that go to Harvard. Am I correct ?

Main point:
Ask: WHO IS YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER?

Is “scientific” the right way to get through to your IDEAL customer ?

How much money do you have? LOTS or LITTLE. If little, then use it. If LOTS - then think twice about whether it is right for your brand.

How long and how much are you know in business? If “long” and “known” then BRANDING is a great way to KEEP your brand in public perception. If “unknown” then indeed scientific may be a way to go.

Something I’ve found useful with this book is to make mental notes of real life case studies..i.e. ads are not for general effect, they’re there to make sales.

I.e. “Got milk ads” here in the US, or superbowl ads that are a huge waste of money.

You can also see how much of it is used today..i.e. headlines on tabloids at the supermarket.

“A lousy salesman might have little effect on your overall business. A lousy advertisement, on the other hand, affects your entire business.”

If you understand this, you’ll be light years ahead of your competitors. Most people dont understand this.