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The Advertising Solution

By Craig Simpson with Brian Kurtz

*A Book Review*

by Michael C. Gray

© 2017 by Michael C. Gray

"Half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." - John Wanamaker, American merchant (1838 - 1922).

There were trailblazers for advertising who developed scientific methods to measure whether the advertising is wasted or not.

In The Advertising Solution, Craig Simpson and Brian Kurtz distill the wisdom from the books and newsletters of these great writers and analysts as a desktop reference and introduction to their works.

Craig Simpson owns a direct marketing firm and manages direct marketing campaigns for his clients. Brian Kurz was an executive for Boardroom, Inc., one of the largest mailers in the world for over 34 years. Both of these authors have personally implemented the principles summarized in this book.

The trailblazers they chose to focus on are Robert Collier, Claude Hopkins, John Caples, David Ogilvy, Gary Halbert and Eugene Schwartz.

Throughout the book, testing is emphasized. The method of testing is also explained. The effectiveness of a concept can vary based on the circumstances.

For example, Gary Halbert was adamant that a sales letter should be mailed in an envelope with only an address and a "blind" return address (no name or logo). (Some call this the "letter from Grandma" approach.) Eugene Scwhartz said it was a shame to waste otherwise blank space on the front and back of the envelope. He loaded the envelope with advertising copy, teasing the recipient to open the envelope for the valuable information inside.

The only way to know the best way to deliver your offer is to test, but the majority of "control" mailings have promotional copy on the outside.

Some of the chapters include: "The Psychology That Sells," "Secrets of Writing Great Copy," "Headlines" (includes email subject lines), "How to be Creative," "Test, Test, and Test Again," and "The Top Ten Lessons From the Legends."

Every business owner must recognize marketing as the key function of a business. No customers and sales - no business! The business owner must be able to at least recognize what effective advertising looks like and how to evaluate it. That's the reason why every business owner should have The Advertising Solution on his or her desk.

Buy it on Amazon: The Advertising Solution: Influence Prospects, Multiply Sales, and Promote Your Brand.

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