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I've spoken numerous times on "Creative Strategies in the Age of Disbelief"....
One of the key premises is that DECEPTION IS VERBOTEN. One of the "10 Ways to Suspend Disbelief" is to admit fallability.
There's a creative corollary to that - being totally truthful about your product/service up front… or airing the dirty laundry.
Example 1: Years ago, I approached Barron's with a direct mail subscription package themed "Invest Ugly." At that time, Barron's was not particularly well-designed or easy to read. I wanted to compare it to Forbes or Money, telling prospects upfront - "if you want pretty pictures and slick design, you won't find it in Barron's."
Example 2: This is from the opening of the letter in a successful B2B lead generation package for a commercial lender:
If your company needs a working capital loan of $300,000 to $3,000,000 NOW, call us at 1-800-000-0000 ext. 14
We can't promise you the same interest rates that companies with "A" credit ratings might get, but we are able to lend to companies that banks turn down. Availability is more important then ever, in light of the recent increase in bank mergers.
ABC Lending offers a more open approach than you've been accustomed to.
The second paragraph is completely disarming. Instead of hiding the fact that interest rates will probably be higher than some companies pay at banks, it raises and dispenses with the objection.
Example 3: A well-known company in document processing services wondered why its direct mail control package didn't hold up. The answer was in the Acceptance Certificate. The disclaimer type is so small that it is intimidating. Recipients will have an immediate distrust of any deal that is so heavily footnoted. The recipient's name is almost invisible on the form. We urged the mailer to increase the type size used on the response form, and to explain the deal right up front in the letter.
"Yes, you can try the Widget free for 90 days, but frankly we're making the offer only to companies who can profit long term. So we're asking you to do a, b, and c… and to understand that d, e, and f."
When you are forthright at the outset, you lower prospects' resistance and earn their respect. That credibility – particularly in times of government and corporate deceit -- can make all the difference in the profitability of your company's marketing programs.
Who among you has shown warts and won?
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Comments
You are right about the message of distrust communicated by "mouse type" disclaimers. I would add that using an asterisk is an equally bad practice in marketing communications: it says "we don't really mean what we just said."
Posted by: Ruth Stevens | 04.24.06
Ruth,
I agree totally about use of asterisks. If you have more than a few disclaimers in a direct mail piece or email, there's something wrong. I like to incorporate the few disclaimers right into the copy.
Posted by: Lee Marc Stein | 04.24.06
An asterisk in copy is the equivalent of a whispered aside in speech....which is usually where the truth lies.
* this comment is not valid in the state of South Dakota. : )
Posted by: Ann Handley | 04.24.06