Recent Marketing and Advertising Articles
for Your Small Business
Chapter Thirty-five: Can you use long copy for selling
soda?
Most people love to question the use of long copy.
"It's not needed" – "no one will read all of that" – you can do
the same job without all the words", etc.
All untrue.
How do I know that?
Facts. Based on a hundred years of measurable, scientifically
proven tests.
The results of the tests? Long copy will always out perform
short. A 4 page letter will outperform a 2 page. An 8 page will out perform a 4
page... and so on.
Here is an example from 1923... selling of all things...
soda.
Written by George Cecil
Headline:
"Down from Canada Came Tales Of a Wonderful Beverage"
The subhead and intro...
How Canada's famous old ginger ale was brought to this country
and adopted by New York's most exclusive clubs, restaurants and hotels. Now sold
in this city.
For years and years, visitors to Canada have come back with
tales of a wonderful ginger ale. They described its exquisite flavor- – they
told of drinking it in the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa, in the residence of
the Governor-General, and in the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.
And on the story goes... for a whopping 700 WORDS (or so) in
total! SELLING A SODA!
So... did it work?
THE FACTS:
· First day after the first ad ran = 500 CASES
sold.
· In 30 days – plant working overtime.
· In 90 days it was 300% OVERSOLD
· In 1923 the orders were 5-10 TIMES the capacity of the
plant
· A new plant was built designed to fit "all future
requirements"
· -In January of 1924 they sold MORE THAN ALL OF
1923
Long copy – selling a soda drink.
Yes it worked.
To say the least.
And yes, it WILL work for you when you find the right
message.
Tell that story in a compelling way.
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