Opinion: Is This Good Copy?

My dear fellow marketers and brand managers,

For this edition of the Marketing Love Letters, I wish to share my opinion or incredulity pertaining to something I came across in my daily readings and work.

There are two such instances that have left me scratching my head and trying to figure out why are these two being hailed as something worthy and wonderful.

Splitting them over two separate newsletter issues.

Here is how we will go about it:

• I will share the two stories, alongside my commentary.
• You can then form your own viewpoint thereafter.

Part 1: What is good copy?

I am currently revisiting an old copywriting course shared by my sister. The assignment I am on right now has to do with Gary Halbert's direct response ad/ newsletter.

https://thegaryhalbertletter.com/newsletters/zhzz-07_big_idea.htm

When I came across this copy writer, of course I looked him up. Apparently he is considered one of the stalwarts, one of the greats of copywriting and direct response ads.

According to me, a world famous 'Copy Expert' would obviously live and breathe the following foundational marketing principles:

1. Customer is king. Every piece of your 4Ps should be designed to make life as easy as possible for your customer. Especially communication.
2. The most effective communication talks about the benefit to the customer and not the features of the offering. It talks about how the offering can ease the pain point of the prospect.
3. The worst (yet most common) mistake by rookie or bad marketers is talking about themselves. Me Me Me, like a self obsessed, completely tone deaf, self important person. No one, least of all a prospect, likes such talk from anyone (be it a person or a company).
4. Use your communication to evoke a positive emotion so that there is a stronger connect with the prospect. It could be any positive emotion like encouragement, motivation, reassurance, appreciation, gratitude, etc.
5. Never disrespect/ insult/ abuse another human, ESPECIALLY a prospect you are trying to woo into becoming your customer. (This is not just a marketing principle but basic human decency).

Now, when I read this apparently famous newsletter by Gary Halbert, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. I re-read it twice just to make sure I hadn't misunderstood the content.

The guy annihilates every piece of advice we have ever heard of or followed about marketing communications, copy, customer respect, even about being a good human!!

Let me share some of the 'wonderful' snippets from his world famous letter. You can read the entire letter at the link I shared above.

Snippets and my comments:

"Why did this happen? Because I'm good. I'm?damn?good! When it comes to direct marketing, there's nobody else in the world as valuable as me sitting in a room with you."

(This is NOT bragging or overinflating one's worth, right?)

"...before I was finished, they were literally tape recording every word I said (even while driving me to the airport) and actually raising their hands to ask my permission to go to the bathroom."

(Publicly mocking your paying customers, even if you were using exaggeration for humor? How lovely, Mr. Halbert!)

"Also, imbedded in this true story are many other lessons... which... for those of you who still have a few working brain cells left... will teach you...HOW to think"

(There is using humor and pulling someone's leg and then there is being demeaning/ insulting. Guess which of these is evoked by the line above?)

"Once upon a time (when dinosaurs still roamed the earth) I used to work for Ernest Borgnine and his evil wife, Tova. They had a little cosmetic company called "TOVA-9" which was a breathtaking clever combination of the name "Tova" and the second syllable of Ernie's last name.

When they hired me (the best move they ever made) I took them from grossing about $20,000 per month and being in debt... to... grossing about?$800,000?per month... and... I managed to do this in less than half-a-year."

(And here we go again: praise your own contribution and self to the high heavens and publicly insult or mock your customers.)

"Look, many of my readers are quite slow (mentally speaking) thus, I'm going to try and explain it... so simply... even my densest reader can easily understand the concept."

(Do I even need to comment?)

I am sure you get the drift.

My conundrum and your opinion?

How in the world did THIS guy become famous as a copywriter. Not just famous, but looked upto and considered great enough to learn from?

AND how did his copy manage to convince even half a person, forget millions of customers?

I just cannot wrap my head around this.

If you have an explanation, please do share with me. I would be greatly obliged to solve this piece of psychological conundrum.

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Will continue with another conundrum and opinion piece in the next issue.

Till then, happy contemplating!

ps: The only good thing that I liked in the letter above was the emphasis on and explanation of 'The Big Idea'. It is a truth universally true.

If you enjoy exploring 'big ideas' related to marketing from various industries, you would enjoy the collection of 400+ unusual ideas here www.ifiweremarketing.com