Claude C. Hopkins (1866-1932) was one of the great advertising pioneers, he believed advertising existed only to sell something and should be measurable and justify the results that it produced.
He worked for various advertisers, including Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company, Swift & Company and Dr. Shoop's patent medicine company. At the age of 41, he was hired by Albert Lasker owner of Lord & Thomas advertising in 1907 at a salary of $185,000 a year. Hopkins insisted copywriters researched their client products and produce reason-why copy. He believed that a good product was often its own best salesperson and as such he was a great believer in sampling.
Wowsers! The average wage in the U.S. in 1907 was 22 Cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year.
A dentist made $2,500 per year.
A veterinarian between $1,500 per year.
A mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
What is Scientific Advertising?
"Scientific Advertising" was written by Claude C. Hopkins in 1923 and is cited by many advertising and marketing personalities (such as David Ogilvy, Gary Halbert and Jay Abraham) as a "must-read" book.
In the book, Hopkins outlines an advertising approach based on testing and measuring. In this way losses from unsuccessful ads are kept to a safe level while gains from profitable ads are multiplied.
Here are some of my favorite quotations from this book;
One man may do business in a shed, another in a palace. That is immaterial. The great question is one’s power to get the maximum results.
Changing people’s habits is very expensive. A project which involves that must be seriously considered.
We must have a seeming advantage. People don’t quit habits without reason.
People will do much to cure trouble, but people in general will do little to prevent it.
An ad-writer, to have a chance of success, must gain full information on his subject.
We cannot go after thousands of men until we learn how to win one.
A man who desires to make an impression must stand out in some way ~ Doing admirable things in a different way gives one a great advantage.
We are attracted by sunshine, beauty, happiness, health, success. Then point the way to them, not the way out of the opposite.
Scientific Advertising was written over 80 years ago and offers very practical information that can be used today. If you are interested in advertising and copywriting, you must read this book!
I am offering a free ebook with the complete text of this book that was written in 1923. CLICK HERE for your FREE copy of Scientific Advertising. No forms or mail list sign-up.
No comments:
Post a Comment