m-cause

As the weekend approaches I am making sure the iPod is warmed up. The Top 6 songs on my iPod right now are: Mr. Ambulance Driver–The Flaming Lips; Missed the Boat–Modest Mouse; Hey Ya!–OutKast Jigsaw Falling Into Place–Radiohead; Learn To Fly–Foo Fighters; Party Crashin’–Evangelicals

Yanik Silver, author of Moonlighting on the Internet and the always interesting internetlifestyle.com blog threw up a good “reminder” post on persuasion recently.  Yanik is a very transparent blogger who has inspired many people to start their own online businesses. The crux of his post is that transparency sells. Just by using the word BECAUSE in advertising text you can sell much more. In the post, Yanik quotes Maxwell Sackheim, originator of the book of the-month concept, who says this: “Whenever you make a claim or special offer in your advertising, come up with an honest reason why, and then state it sincerely. You’ll sell many more products this way.” My company, P&G, has long been a master at the “reason to believe” approach. It sounds simple, but many large/small companies forget the power of this approach. However, as consumers start purchasing with their conscious, more & more they are looking behind the simple functional benefits that companies have used so successfully in the past.

Next week is Earth Day and I will try to get myself (and others) to participate in a biking to work contest sponsored by P&G. I hope to get some encouragement from you guys & gals (my online community) to do this.