Month: September 2004

The Shoemaker’s Children


The Shoemaker’s Children
Originally uploaded by otisregrets.

Direct marketers in their self promos are some of the worst practioners of our craft, and this invite to a Catalog Age webinar is a great example. The subject line should tease… an intro headline should pay it off… then quickly get to the meat in the body copy of the invite.

Instead, this email repeats the same headline no less than three times before they get to the meat and the benefits. The row of identity-building images across the top is also a problem. This is appropriate for collateral but not for the recipient of the email; I already KNOW who I am. The muffed salutation… let’s say that is a service bureau problem… even so, if you’re not sure your data is clean maybe just forego the dear so-and-so ?

Why this is here.

This blog is about “copywriting that gets results”… the creation of email, direct mail, space ads etc that are measured not by awards won or clients placated, but by actual response in terms of URLs clicked, toll free calls made, coupons returned and so on. This is the kind of writing I do on a daily basis and it’s what I teach in the eponymous course at San Jose and other places.

We’ll use this space to share ideas and maybe some actual materials related to the courses that I teach. In addition, as the Cole Porter lyrics imply, we may take a few unexpected side trips. Welcome, and thanks for stopping in.

Close enough

“Miss Otis regrets she’s unable to lunch today, Madam,

Miss Otis regrets she’s unable to lunch today,

She’s so sorry to be delayed,

But last evening down in Lover’s Lane she strayed, Madam,

Miss Otis regrets she’s unable to lunch today, madam,

When she woke up and found that her dream of love had gone, Madam,

She ran to the man who led her so far astray,

And from under her velvet gown,

She drew a forty-four pistol,

And she shot that dirty rascal down, Madam,

Now, Old Lady Otis regrets she’s disabled and she can’t lunch today.

And the moment before she died,

She lifted her lovely head and cried, “Oh, Madam,

Miss Otis regrets she’s unable to lunch today.”

–Cole Porter, as performed by Cab Calloway and transcribed on http://www.heptune.com/missotis.html