Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz takes you on a journey to the edge of advertising. The book will introduce you to some fascinating cases where new trends have emerged and how these ideas are changing our understanding of branding in society today.
The first case is between KFC’s Kentucky colonel sandwich campaign, which had more than two billion impressions worldwide within its year-long run from 2010-2011! This isn’t just any ordinary fast food meal being advertised. Instead, we get this “Colonel Sandwich” that has been dressed upright to look like an actual human being.
This campaign shows how you can use advertising to create status around products still considered low-cost items. This makes us ask ourselves: “How do we desire what’s outside the box without compromising our wallet?” The advertising for this campaign shows how it can appear like a high-class brand when it is mass-market.
The following are lessons from Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz:
1. A sales proposition is essential.
It must be unique and differentiated. It cannot be easily duplicated, alluding to the fact that it is difficult for others to copy when you have a breakthrough idea because there’s no way they can improve on it when yours is already “perfect.”
It must come across as a genuine need or problem that is being solved. It should also be exciting enough, making people look forward to purchasing your product/service.
So why did KFC sell a sandwich that looks like a man? First, the product is mass-market, which makes it difficult for other brands to imitate! Second, the product brilliantly solves the problem of what to have for dinner. It can be used as a meal during lunch or dinner time, perfectly fitting with the marketing strategy.
The lesson here isn’t just about copying the idea but about learning how this campaign became successful. You can take it as a lesson on becoming successful with your own campaigns because KFC’s idea wouldn’t have happened if people had not shown interest in it!
2. People are looking for better ways of doing things
This is an important marketing concept that you must learn about. It basically means that you need to look at what people are doing today and discover how you can do it better or differently.
It doesn’t have to be something mind-blowing or complicated; it can be as simple as reusing old material like newspaper and putting them into a nice tote bag that you then sell for the price of a newspaper.
You will never know how people will react unless you try! People are always looking for something new, but at the same time, they are looking for cheaper alternatives to expensive branded products.
3. You can’t treat your consumers as a number
This is very true! To have better relationships with your consumers, you need to know who they are and what makes them tick.
It’s easy to string together a sentence with keywords that will generate interest, but writing something that will connect with your audience is another thing. This is where you know who they are and what their needs are.
This way, you can develop a product that best reflects the needs of your consumers, rather than just writing about them in general terms like “all people.”
4. It takes more than great products to sell them!
The product that you are trying to push doesn’t just speak for itself. You need to advertise it in a way where it will be appealing and functional to your target market.
This is important because no one will buy anything if they don’t already know about it! This is why advertising can make or break your product.
5. The more information you give, the more credible it becomes
The major aim of advertising is to make people believe in what you’re offering, and they will buy into it as long as they feel that there is some credibility behind it.
It’s best if you use numbers and specific details to back your claims instead of vague explanations. This way, your consumers will have a better idea of what you are selling and how it can benefit them!
6. Differentiation matters
When you become successful, people will imitate your ideas because they know it appeals to consumers. They may even offer similar products/services with a different name or packaging.
To keep your success going, you need to offer something different from what everyone else is doing! This means creating a new product or service rather than relying on what worked for you in the past.
What made Starbucks different was their coffee beans because no one at that time had really thought about selling freshly-roasted beans. On top of that, they gave their customers a better experience in general because their baristas were trained to make your order the way you want it!
7. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started” – Mark Twain
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when you aren’t sure about what you are doing. Of course, you can try to do things in an old-fashioned way because it’s easier, but the truth is that you will never be able to take your business ahead if you don’t make any changes!
Starting small is fine as long as you know what gaps there are and how you plan to fill them. There’s no point in waiting for things to fall into place because it won’t happen magically.
8. People like to buy – but they hate to be sold!
People don’t really enjoy the fact that they are being sold something, so you need to find a way around this obstacle if you want them to buy from you instead of your competitors.
You need to give them a good reason why they should buy your product instead of choosing something else. You can do this by fulfilling their needs better or servicing them in a way that makes them feel valued as customers!
9. Your publicity campaign is only the beginning
It doesn’t matter how much you spend on your publicity campaign because you will have to continue informing your consumers about what you have done.
People’s interests are short-lived, so you need to go overboard if you want them to remember you! But, on the other hand, if they stick with the product you are pushing, it will eventually become a part of their lifestyle!
Conclusion
Eugene Schwartz’s book, Breakthrough Advertising, has many lessons for marketers who want to be successful in their advertising campaigns. One of the essential principles of this book is that you need to plan how your advertisement will work with other marketing efforts – such as social media or events.
You also cannot rely solely on an ad campaign – it needs to have a call-to-action so consumers can take some action after being exposed to your message. It’s also crucial that the ads are relevant and interesting enough for people to pay attention. If these nine principles resonate with you, I highly recommend reading this insightful book!