2 ad frameworks

In my last email I looped you into a conversation I had with my brother about advertising copy. If you missed that email, you’ll want to read it. 

Why? Because I am about to ask you a question (it’s a trick question):

Which benefit statement is stronger:

Benefit statement #1: “The 100% organic cotton sheets breathe. Leaving you cool at night so you wake up energized and fully alive in the morning.”

Or,

Benefit statement #2: “Wake up energized and alive with sheets that keep you cool at night. The secret is in the organic bamboo cotton. It breathes!”

(Remember it’s a trick question). 

As you can see, the first one leads with the features i.e. 100% organic sheets. 

The second statement leads with the core emotion i.e. wake up energized and alive. 

WHICH IS MORE EFFECTIVE?

It depends on your audience! 

The real question to ask is…

When do you lead with features... and when do you lead with the emotional benefit?

Because there’s a clear cut answer…

If you’re dealing with a sophisticated audience, lead with features. That’s because a knowledgeable buyer translates the feature into a benefit in her mind. 

i.e. This person knows that 100% organic cotton sheets keep you cool and help you sleep. 

And a buyer that sells themselves on the benefit is a much easier sale. 

If, however, your buyer is NOT sophisticated… then lead with the emotion.