The competent advertising man must understand
psychology. The more he knows about it the better. He must learn that certain
effects lead to certain reactions, and use that knowledge to increase results
and avoid mistakes. Human nature is perpetual. In most respects it is the same
today as in the time of Caesar. So the principles of psychology are fixed and
enduring. You will never need to unlearn what you learn about them.
We learn, for instance, that curiosity is one of the
strongest human incentives. We employ it whenever we can. Puffed Wheat and
Puffed Rice were made successful largely through curiosity. "Grains puffed to 8
times the normal size." "Foods shot from guns." "125 million steam explosions
caused in every kernel." These foods were failures before that factor was
discovered.
We learn that cheapness is not a strong appeal.
Americans are extravagant. They want bargains but not cheapness. They want to
feel that they can afford to eat and have and wear the best. Treat them as if
they could not and they resent your attitude.
We learn that people judge largely by price. They are not experts. In the
British National Gallery is a painting which is announced in a catalog to have
cost $750,000. Most people at first pass it by at a glance. Then later they get
farther on in the catalog and learn what the painting cost. They return then and
surround it.
A department store advertised at one Easter time a $1,000 hat, and the floor
could not hold the women who came to see it.
We often employ this factor in psychology. Perhaps we are advertising a
valuable formula. To merely say that would not be impressive. So we state - as a
fact - that we paid $100,000 for that formula. That statement when tried has won
a wealth of respect.
Many articles are sold under guarantee - so commonly sold that guarantees
have ceased to be impressive. But one concern made a fortune by offering a
dealers signed warrant. The dealer to whom one paid his money agreed in writing
to pay it back if asked. Instead of a far-away stranger, a neighbor gave the
warrant. The results have led many to try that plan, and it has always proved
effective.
Many have advertised, "Try it for a week. If you don't
like it we'll return your money. Then someone conceived the idea of sending
goods without any money down, and saying, "Pay in a week if you like them." That
proved many times more impressive.
One great advertising man stated the difference this way: "Two men came to
me, each offering me a horse. Both made equal claims. They were good horses,
kind and gentle. A child could drive them. One man said, "Try the horse for a
week. If my claims are not true, come back for your money." The other man also
said, "Try the horse for a week." But he added, "Come and pay me then." I
naturally bought the second mans horse."
Now countless things - cigars, typewriters, washing machines, books, etc. -
are sent out in this way on approval. And we find that people are honest. The
losses are very small.
An advertiser offered a set of books to business men. The advertising was
unprofitable, so he consulted another expert. The ads were impressive. The offer
seemed attractive, "But," said the second man, "let us add one little touch
which I have found effective. Let us offer to put the buyers name in gilt
lettering on each book." That was done, and with scarcely another change in the
ads they sold some hundreds of thousands of books.
Through some peculiar kink in human psychology it was found that names in
gilt gave much added value to the books.
Many send out small gifts, like memorandum books, to customers and prospects.
They get very small results. One man sent out a letter to the effect that he had
a leather-covered book with a mans name on it. It was waiting on him and would
be sent on request. The form of request was enclosed, and it also asked for
certain information. That information indicated lines on which a man might be
sold.
Nearly all men, it was found, filled out that request and supplied the
information. When a man knows that something belongs to them - something with
his name on - he will make an effort to get it, even though the thing is a
trifle.
In the same way it is found that an offer limited to a certain class of
people is far more effective than a general offer. For instance, an offer
limited to veterans of the war. Or to members of a lodge or sect. Or to
executives. Those who are entitled to any seeming advantage will go a long way
not to lose that advantage.
An advertiser suffered much from substitution. He said, "Look out for
substitutes," "Be sure you get this brand," etc., with no effect. Those were
selfish appeals.
Then he said, "Try our rivals' too" - said it in his headlines. He invited
comparisons and showed that he did not feat them. That corrected the situation.
Buyers were careful to get the brand so conspicuously superior that its maker
could court a trial of the rest.
Two advertisers offered food products nearly identical. Both offered a
full-size package as an introduction. But one gave his package free. The other
bought the package. A coupon was good at any store for a package, for which the
maker paid retail price.
The first advertiser failed and the second succeeded. The first even lost a
large part of the trade he had. He cheapened his product by giving a 15-cent
package away. It is hard to pay for an article which
has once been free. It is like paying railroad fare after traveling on a
pass.
The other gained added respect for his article by paying retail price to let
the user try it. An article good enough for the maker to buy is good enough for
the user to buy. It is vastly different to pay 15 cents to let you try an
article than to simply say "It's free."
So with sampling. Hand an unwanted product to a housewife and she pays it
slight respect. She is no mood to see its virtues. But get her to ask for a
sample after reading your story, and she is in a very different position. She
knows your claims. She is interested in them, else she would not act. And she
expects to find the qualities you told.
There is a great deal in mental impression. Submit five articles exactly
alike and five people may choose one of them. But point out in one some
qualities to notice and everyone will find them. The five people then will all
choose the same article.
If people can be made sick or well by mental impressions, they can be made to
favor a certain brand in that way. And that, on some lines, is the only way to
win them.
Two concerns, side by side, sold women's clothing on installments. The
appeal, of course, was to poor girls who desire to dress better. One treated
them like poor girls and made the bare business offer.
The other put a woman in charge - a motherly, dignified, capable woman. They
did business in her name. They used her picture. She signed all ads and letters.
She wrote to these girls like a friend. She knew herself what it meant to a girl
not to be able to dress her best. She had long sought a chance to supply women
good clothes and give them all season to pay. Now she was able to do so, with
the aid of men behind her.
There was no comparison in those two appeals. It was not long before this
womans' long established next door rival had to quit.
The backers of this business sold house furnishings on installments. Sending
out catalogs promiscuously did not pay. Offering long-time credit often seems
like a reflection.
But when a married woman bought garments from Mrs. _, and paid as agreed,
they wrote to her something like this: "Mrs. _, whom we know, tells us that you
are one of her good customers. She has dealt with you, she says, and you do just
as you agree. So we have opened with you a credit account on our books, good any
time you wish. When you want anything in furnishings, just order it. Pay nothing
in advance. We are very glad to send it without any investigation to a person
recommended as you are."
That was flattering. Naturally those people, when they wanted some furniture,
would order from that house.
There are endless phases to psychology. Some people know them by instinct.
Many of them are taught by experience. But we learn most of them from others.
When we see one winning method we note it down for use when occasion offers.
These things are very important. An identical offer made in a different way
may bring multiplied returns. Somewhere in the mines of business experience we
must find the best method somehow.
Table of Contents
Chapter Seven