How to Make Sure Your E-Mails Get Opened

Elvis stands at the front of the stage… He flicks his hair back, jiggles his hips, and asks the audience (mostly made up of screaming girls)… “Who wants to come up here with me for a slow dance, u-huh?” The crowd goes wild, everyone screaming for Elvis to “Pick me, pick me!” That crowd is…

Read More

How Many Times Have You Seen The Godfather?

It starts in darkness, with Nino Rota’s famous score… Into view comes Bonasera, the undertaker. He describes a terrible attack on his daughter. He is asking for justice. He wants the men who attacked her killed. We’re in morally polysemous waters here. The camera slowly zooms out, bringing into view the man he’s petitioning. It’s…

Read More

An Old Hymn, Jazz, and the Key to Copywriting

An old Christian hymn might seem the last thing that could help you become a master copywriter.

But you’d be surprised…

Do you know the hymn “Morning Has Broken”? (Cat Stevens did a version of it in the 70s.)

Well, that was the first tune I ever learned to play on the bass guitar. And to this day, I can still remember how to do it.

Read More

Experiment

Most marketing people will tell you that the key to any successful marketing campaign is “testing.”

True. But there’s a little more to it…

Read More

Silly Ideas

It was an experimental wine that Thierry had been working on…

He thought it had potential, so he decided to share it with Guy.

He poured two glasses. They sipped it.

Read More

The Easiest Extra Income You’ll Ever Make

So it’s Sunday. The roast is in the oven and it’s going to take a few hours.

You set the timer, pop into town, and drop into your local charity shop. That’s a thrift shop to you U.S. readers — but either way, I like to call them “surrogate stockrooms.” You’ll see why.

Read More