by Chuck McKay | Sep 29, 2007 | Advertising / Marketing Strategy, Credibility and Critical Non-Essentials, Customer Focus, Retention, and Evangelism
My first post-high school employment was with Howard’s TV Repair. Howard had a pretty good understanding of human psychology. He insisted that we clean the outside of each television set repaired in his shop before it was returned to the owner. It never took...
by Chuck McKay | Jan 29, 2007 | Ad Writing / Copywriting, Advertising / Marketing Strategy
For years I’ve said (and I have not been kidding) that the problem with most advertising is it’s written by the advertiser. A typical small business ad makes a major feature of the name of the business. In newspaper the tendency is to make the business name the...
by Chuck McKay | Jun 24, 2006 | Ad Critique / Classic Examples, Advertising / Marketing Strategy
Bear with me as we set up the facts of this story. This story is true. It actually happened. The people and the company involved are very real, but shall not be named. If they must have a name, call them . . . oh, let’s call them Little Brother Bob’s...
by Chuck McKay | Mar 13, 2006 | Advertising / Marketing Strategy, Customer Education, Expectations, and Motivation, Presentation
You’ve no doubt heard that people emotionally decide what to purchase, and then use logic to justify that purchase. Can a product be sold on emotion alone? Yes. Usually to children. Children desperately want to fit in. The easiest way to entice a child is to present...
by Chuck McKay | Feb 5, 2006 | Ad Writing / Copywriting, Advertising / Marketing Strategy
I’m uncomfortable with most clever or creative advertising. Clever and/or creative is dangerous, because it’s too easy to get sucked into the creativity, and forget that our purpose is communication and persuasion. If your attention is drawn to the...
by Chuck McKay | Jan 6, 2006 | Advertising / Marketing Strategy, Customer Sources
You have a new store. It’s ready to open to the public. What’s the first thing you should do? You should hang out a “Now Open” sign. People will drive by and see the sign. Some will walk in to see what you have to offer. Some will buy. Then, depending on that first...
