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Elaine Fogel Elaine Fogel   Bio
09.05.07

If You Like Coffee, Read This

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Americans love their coffee. In fact, they consume 400 million cups of coffee daily - the equivalent to 146 billion cups of coffee per year - making the US the leading consumer of coffee in the world. So how can a small American coffee company stand out among all the big guys?

I was doing Internet research on frozen shrimp from China after hubby bought several bags on sale from our local Fry's store. One Google listing coincidentally took me to Canada.com.

While I was in the food research mode, I discovered a Google ad below another that asked, "Is Osama Bin Laden dead?" Interestingly, it caught my attention:

Coffee Exposed
A shocking secret coffee co's don't want you to know

Since I now consume two cups a day, my curiosity was tweaked enough to click. What I discovered was really smart marketing and amazing copywriting. Here's what appeared on the landing page:

Oh I am sorry. What did I do? Ever since putting The Coffee Fool online, I have been beaten regularly by customers for clueing them into the secret on 'fresh' coffee.

Why?

Because they can no longer stand the taste of coffee they get at work, gas stations, even... coffee stores - in a world of stale coffee, they are ruined on our fresh.

So if you happen to be a newbie to The Coffee Fool and want to keep your coffee innocence intact - look away. Otherwise, here comes the knowledge (read as sales pitch) that may very well ruin you too.

Clever, isn't it?

The Coffee Fool Web site doesn't give any hints to the company's background, but it does show five locations across the country. This isn't a Starbucks in the making. There are no retail outlets. It's a mail order business. And a smart one at that.

One testimonial is from Brad Davis who purchased coffee for himself and Billy Bob Thorton during an eight-day recording session. He even wrote a song about it. Chalk up a celebrity endorsement to boot!

Since I just discovered this Web site, I haven't ordered the coffee yet, but I intend to try it. You should see the list of flavored coffees they offer. Tantalizing flavors.

What is your company's experience using Google ads? Are you using creativity to get attention? Let's hear some stories.



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Comments

Coffee puts the system under the strain of metabolizing a deadly acid-forming drug, depositing its insoluble cellulose, which cements the wall of the liver, causing this vital organ to swell to twice its proper size. In addition, coffee is heavily sprayed. (Ninety-two pesticides are applied to its leaves.) Diuretic properties of caffeine cause potassium and other minerals to be flushed from the body.

Get the real scoop on coffee at www.CaffeineAwareness.org
And if you drink decaf you wont want to miss this special FREE report on the Dangers of Decaf available at www.soyfee.com

Posted by: Mary | 09.05.07

Elaine, i saw a similar ad on gmail. Great lead in, "Coffee Exposed". I clicked the ad as well. Just goes to show the power of good copy writing.

Posted by: Paul Barsch | 09.05.07

Elaine,

I hate to disagree but I have seen that lead before and never been tempted to click. The reason is that I assumed it would be an anti coffee screed.

I figured an ad isn't going to educate me on this so why go there? There is plenty of published research.

Mary,

Most of the research I have seen indicates that coffee's benefits actually far outweigh its risks. The body of research supporting this is pretty large.

Posted by: Neil Anuskiewicz | 09.05.07

Sorry, but I don't have time to comment. Had to run out for another cup of coffee.

Posted by: David Reich "my 2 cents" | 09.05.07

It just goes to show that response rates are determined by all kinds of factors. It didn't tempt you, Neil, but it intrigued Paul and me. I thought the landing page copy was very creative.

Mary, I've gone back and forth about coffee. Every time a new study comes out, I toy with the habit - to drink or not to drink. I do believe that Neil may be correct in that the newest research shows that the benefits outweigh the negatives. But then I'm not a nutritionist or scientist. This debate could equate to the one between holistic and traditional medicine.

Thanks for your input!

Posted by: Elaine Fogel | 09.05.07

Good point, Elaine, the lead did not tempt me but it did tempt you two. And, to add to your argument, I have been seeing that ad for quite a while! If it did not work, it would likely not still be running. So the combination of the lead and copy writing must be getting positive ROI.

As for coffee, the evidence for it being healthy seems pretty solid. So enjoy your coffee. :-)

Posted by: Neil Anuskiewicz | 09.05.07

Thanks, Neil. Although this has nothing to do with marketing, one Google alert this afternoon took me to a coffee blog (where they linked to my blog here).

http://theroastcoffee.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-about-some-coffee-with-your-skin.html

The post by Robert G. Knechtel demonstrates coffee's benefits for something very different:

"As we move solidly into the 21st century, more indications of coffee's beneficial properties are surfacing, and nowhere is that more evident than in the lucrative skin care market. Primarily, coffee and caffeine are finding their way into skin lotions and creams because of antioxidant properties and tightening and firming qualities."

Who knew? Gives a whole new perspective to "pick me up!"

Posted by: Elaine Fogel | 09.05.07

The shocking secret about coffee is that it is good for so many things!

Posted by: Neil Anuskiewicz | 09.06.07

Elaine,

I'm trolling here, but just wanted to say that I'm glad someone else thought this copy was brilliant. I definitely clicked on it, and although I haven't purchased anything from them yet, I totally give them kudos for sticking in my brain.

As for adwords writing myself... I am not so hot at it. I've been trying lately and haven't gotten the results I've wanted. I get the clicks, but not the conversions. Ah well, try try again.

Posted by: nate | 09.11.07

Nate,

I wrote an article on Making the Most of Google Adwords:
http://www.marketingprofs.com/6/anuskiewicz1.asp

I don't claim that it covers everything but it is based on our experiences with it.

We have experimented with different landing pages, ads, etc., and it took a while but AdWords works well for us.

An interesting anecdote. We once changed only our order form (we thought for the better) and our conversions immediately went way down. We left it for a while but there was no improvement. We changed back to the old order form and conversions immediately and dramatically went up. It is sometimes surprising what things can affect conversions in unexpected ways.

Posted by: Neil Anuskiewicz | 09.12.07

"A shocking secret coffee companies don't want you to know" is good copywriting? Please. It's a notch above the "giant erection" headlines, a notch below "Don't squeeze the Charmin."

Not that I'm knocking Coffee Fool's strategy -- positioning yourself as the un-Starbucks is smart. But let's not call it brilliant copywriting.

Posted by: Bob Gardinger | 09.14.07

Bob, I wasn't referring to the teaser. It's the landing page copy that's very cleverly written.

Neil, thanks for including the post to your artcle.

Posted by: Elaine Fogel | 09.14.07

yes! i tried it. i love trying diff coffees but this one really stinks.

its your regular cup of joe from your regular diner around the corner.

nice ads. it definitely worked. but they won't get repeat orders for sure.

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