It doesn't matter what you say

I used to tell my son, "it doesn't matter what you say, what matters is what they hear". Bottom line: It was his responsibility to be understood. He's 22 now and fed this lesson back to me during a recent visit.. good to know some things stick. The reason I'm bringing this up is that I've been asked to be a judge for the Multi-Channel Merchant catalog competition. After carefully reviewing a stack of catalogs, (and I'm not kidding about the carefully part, it's been a time sink-hole... 14 catalogs!), I realize how that lesson applies to marketing and creative. We, (the greater "we"), tend to talk with one another about all the things we're doing to make our offer sweeter, to capture market.. the little improvements and the big ideas. We set our course with confidence, sure to achieve sales goals and move our business to the next level. Here's the problem; sometimes we forget to let the customer in on our plans! We create killer guarantees and promises of satisfaction. We create price promotions that eat into our margins, (convincing ourselves that sales volume will make up for it). And our product assortments are fine tuned to deliver precise improvements that will benefit the customer. The fact that we don't always tell the audience about all the good work we do, makes most of the effort pointless.. or I should I say ineffective. Many of the catalogs I've been looking at have hidden gems that are buried on the order form, at the end of the product copy or somewhere quietly placed on an  interior page..sshhhhh.. don't wake the shopper.. Sometimes you need an outside perspective to recognize your best qualities, (like a creative consultant.. I have no shame). But really, it's a good idea to take stock of where you're invested in customer benefit and satisfaction and be sure it's clearly presented-  don't be so darn quiet about your best qualities, (I should have told that to my son too..). 

Equal opportunities for creative

I was going to write the third installment in a series about how you can increase response by dialing up relevancy in your creative, you can -  and I will. But this weekend I was reminded of something I wanted to share while it was still fresh.

When I was on the hunt for a staff position I would tell headhunters and perspective employers that it didn't really matter that I had worked on Harry & David creative for a million years, the techniques and strategies for direct selling are the same whether on-line or on the page. And I believed it. Sometimes we carry these truths around with us without ever really putting them to the test; they're still true, but haven't crossed into that absolute stage where you really feel it.

A few weeks ago I was offered a great opportunity to write a critique for Multi-Channel Merchant magazine, ( a trade pub and website for .. multi-channel...). I jumped at the offer and anxiously waited for the catalog to arrive so I could dig right in. The day arrived and I ripped open the fed-x package to find, (drum roll), Lady Grace! An intimate apparel catalog specializing in large, and in some cases huge bra sizes. Is this some new consultant hazing? Could it be a mistake.. a mix-up of some kind? Then I heard myself on the phone months back saying with the utmost confidence, "it makes absolutely no difference what you're offering, the fundamental strategies of direct selling apply!" Damn it! If there's something like mid-life-job-change instant Karma this was it in spades, in bras actually.

I procrastinated, tried not to think about the critique and busied myself with potential revenue driving activities. I said to my wife Janet on Friday, (it was due on the 1st), "this weekend I'm writing the bra book critique". I knew she wouldn't let me off the hook, "aren't you supposed to be writing something this weekend?" So first thing on Saturday I began by reading a letter from one of the owners of Lady Grace. It was a very nice note thanking me in advance and looking forward to my suggestions. After a lesson in bra shopping from  Janet, I began to see the book through the eyes of the shopper and it happened, the opportunities for applying those selling fundamentals began to show themselves, just like I said they would. I dug right in like a large breasted bra shopper with 20 years of direct response creative experience. By the end of the excersize I was satified that if Lady Grace leveraged the strategies I put out there, indeed their buiness would grow.. to a yet larger size.

We'll save relevacy for next time.

Improving response part 2

I thought I'd write part 2 about making messaging more persuasive. It was going to include design techniques too, but I got carried away on the messaging thing, so design will have to wait. Too often people assume if their site or catalog "looks good" then that's enough of an engagement strategy. But if you really want to influence behavior, (aka get them to buy something), you have to work at enticing your audience; passive messaging doesn't drive  conversion, you have write for action!  Here's a little example..  I was reviewing a prospective client's catalog cover, and here's one of the messages: 80 delicious gifts under $20. Not a bad idea, for sure lots of order-starting price points is a good way to get shoppers in the book. That said, it's pretty passive in it's delivery, (like you want to put a little BTW in front of it).  If it said: Delight everyone on your list starting at just 19.95! you would have a much more active, and persuasive headline and here's why: Delight everyone on your list, (buyer benefit) starting at just 19.95!, (better value proposition, the .95 still works) plus the headline has been turned into a call to action. Shoppers respond to tasteful assertiveness, sometimes even distasteful assertiveness. I worked with a guy who insisted on calling his events door-busters, smokin' deals, blow-out bargains, you get the idea. The customers generally forgave the shouting style and came in and purchased. It supports the 80/20 rule that says creative only affects 20% percent of the results and the product and offer are responsible for 80%. But I think the fox network-like shouting style wears on customers and over time, (maybe unless you're a discounter brand), the returns on yelling BARGAIN all the time will diminish. 

Throughout whatever channel you're working in, keep in mind that copywriting that differentiates and champions benefits always sells better than a passive voice. Presenting the “beneficial difference” for every product, product category and brand should be a priority.

Another copywriting essential is establishing and validating your brand's authority. It will instill confidence in the shopper and help close the sale. 

Ramping up messaging to include; benefits, difference, relevancy, call to action and to build authority has proven to increase response in any channel. And be sure to do it with a good dose of positive energy behind the writing. 

Improving response on your website part 1

I received a link from a friend the other day, it was a blog entry where people were writing about blogging. Blogging about blogging, (like an MC Escher image). The consensus among the group was that blog writing should have soul and personality. I immediately felt intimidated; dispensing advertising techniques isn't enough, I have to be soulful too? Oh no! One of the entries said "be frank about what you don't know". Okay, I don't know how to be informative and soulful at the same time. Another said, "share some personal information".. okay, I'm wearing my slippers and it's after 1:PM! Alright, there's my version of the goodfoot in 50 words or so.  


The truth is, I like writing, but I don't want to presume you're all that interested in my musings. If you become a follower, I want you to know that you'll find valuable stuff here you can actually put to work to improve your business. By all means take full credit, this dispensary can be our secret.

Soulfully improving response on your website part 1

In my experience there are three key creative strategies that drive response:


Part 1. Make it easy to shop and purchase
Part 2. Ensure design is compelling and messaging is persuasive
Part 3. Communicate relevancy

Ease: Removing every conceivable barrier during the shopping experience should be the goal throughout the site. Be sure the site design is intuitive and doesn't leave the shopper wondering what to do next or where to find what they're looking for. Conduct a little usability study with your mom, see where she hesitates and when the navigation becomes unclear. It's almost impossible to be objective about your own site, so open yourself to input from unfamiliar users. Remember, websites aren’t linear like a catalogs, where you have a front to back, or back to front navigation. Websites are multi-dimensional which can make it very efficient in organizing information and offers but without proper design and navigation you'll lose your audience quickly. And remember checkout; creating a seamless and simply funnel from product page through check out will reduce abandonment significantly. 

Creative Collaboration

It takes a whole village, or at least two.

The result of collaboration between your writer and designer is much greater than having them work independently. Aesthetics count and communicate, but only to a point. And, shoppers typically aren’t attracted to copy until they’re visually enticed. To ensure you get the most from your team, have them agree on these goals: 1) Communicate the offer in a clear and compelling way. 2) Champion the difference and benefit in the offer, product and brand. 3) Make style choices that support your brand and resonate with the target demographic. If you want your catalog or website to sing, it’s more likely a duet than a solo act.

My definition of Creative

The other day a friend of mine suggested that my orientation "Creative" may not be as universal as I think. I realize people outside of the marketing community think of "creative" as an adjective whereas I'm referring to it as a noun. The noun creative is hard to explain quickly and succinctly to someone who may not be familiar with the various components of the advertising and marketing business. So here's my elevator or cocktail party explanation, (20 seconds or less). Creative the noun: A persuasive communication strategy and/or execution that influences a target audience. Components include: copy writing, design, visual aesthetics and imagery. Eleven seconds according to my clock! Still a bit cryptic I admit, but to the point..no? I could spend hours trying to massage a couple of sentences to be more succinct, instead I'll take suggestions- feel free to post your own definition. I wish I would have done this before all those holiday gatherings... "so Neal, what do you do exactly...."? Eleven seconds later.. hmm, great! been skiing yet? 

Welcome to my blog and my first entry! I want to take a minute to talk about how I intend to use this space. My initial thought was to post tips to help marketers solve problems and tune up their creative. I'll definitely do that, but I'd also like to respond in real time to creative I see pop up in my email and in my mail box; a combination of how-to fundamentals and in-the-moment reviews that are seasonally or market relevant. As for timing, I'll try and get to this weekly -  I'll post an update notice on Linkedin. 

I'll provide lots of good information that you are welcome to put to work for your brand. As you begin to see how applying these tested creative techniques can improve your business, you may want to expand the effort, if so I'd love to lend a hand, (sorry, blog followers don't get a discount,  just a head start on better response and improved sales). 

Okay, like the subhead promises, here's a handy little "result driven" tip:

Put on your customer hat! 

Be sure your site and catalog are customer centric. It sounds obvious, but creative execution can easily become self-centered and drift from the target audience. To keep your creative on track dig out your brand positioning and customer profile and create a handy brief that you can distribute to your creative team. Think about it this way; everything the creative team does either adds or subtracts from your brand value. So next time you're assessing creative ask yourself two questions: Will the presentation strongly resonate with the target audience? And, is the presentation adding or subtracting from the brand value?

The target customer informs the brand, the brand informs the creative so it resonates with the customer and drives response.. Voila!