Month 11

1. Discover the secrets behind one of the world’s most famous brands. This video is all about positioning - and how one brand broke all the rules – putting into the top position for over 60 years. Also something about where good ideas come from, two famous ads dissected, what makes a great creative idea – and much more.

2. All about slogans – what makes a good one and why most are a complete waste of time. What makes a good slogan? A perfect one – just four words long – analysed. The big mistakes most marketers make. The curse of boredom. How I devised a slogan for an airline. Why and how you must do your research. The questions to ask yourself. What marketing is really all about.

3. How to sell an agency – the Claude Hopkins approach. More about the greatest adman ever, with an ad for his agency dissected, phrase by phrase. It’s over 100 years old, yet by analysing it we see how it worked. Why the approach it used is still relevant. Very bravely I suggest how it could be improved – based on David Ogilvy might have written.

4. It took me decades to realise the importance of this. Another Claude Hopkins ad for another brand that is still selling today. It used an approach I never appreciated until a few years ago. Yet again, you see the importance of doing your research, and the power of word pictures, plus a scientific word that added conviction. And the use of tests in copy.

5. Another lesson in advertising and marketing from Claude Hopkins. The problem with pictures. How he singles out his prospects. Another headline that would work on today. How to follow up your headline. The power of precise numbers. How he goes for a free trial. How I would change this ad today. How to sell two things. And how to force distribution.

6. Answers to good questions from subscribers. One subscriber – Marcus - is launching a new offering. How should he go about it? What questions should he ask himself? The key to success whatever you sell. Mike asks about layout and design on-line. Helios asks how to get a decent copywriter and what should I pay, or should I do it myself? He also asked about guerrilla marketing – and I cover that.

7. A very important question about testing from Vicky. You can test more easily, quickly and cheaply on the internet than in traditional media. Yet unfortunately people often draw the wrong conclusions from tests. Here I explain briefly the pitfalls you must beware of.

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