Timeless Marketing Truth What Is Advertising Anyway
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Self Improvement -> subcategory Time Management.
Timeless Marketing Truth: What Is Advertising, Anyway?
Summary
Discover the timeless truth about advertising, revealed over a century ago.The Story of John E. Kennedy
Let me introduce you to John E. Kennedy, a confident young copywriter who revolutionized advertising. In May 1904, Kennedy, a former Canadian Mountie, sat in a New York bar, pondering his next move. He sent a bold note to A.L. Thomas, head of the Lord and Thomas advertising agency: "I'm in the saloon downstairs, and I can tell you what advertising is. If you wish to know, send the word yes."
Though Thomas dismissed it, his junior partner, Albert Lasker, was intrigued. Inviting Kennedy to his office that night, Lasker heard the words that transformed advertising forever: "Advertising is Salesmanship in Print."
The Impact
Kennedy’s definition remains unmatched, more than 100 years later. He was hired by Lord and Thomas, earning a remarkable $52,000 a year?"a phenomenal sum at the time. This changed the agency's trajectory and influenced modern marketing.
Lessons from the Past
Top marketers today tap into wisdom from the past because they understand a fundamental truth: human nature doesn’t change. Emotions that drove purchases thousands of years ago still do. Marketing legend Ted Nicholas once noted, "Ads from decades ago often outperform those today. Human emotions never change."
Marketing pioneers not only created brilliant ads but also wrote influential books. Lasker encouraged Kennedy to compile his principles into "The Book of Advertising Tests," which became a bedrock for training copywriters in New York. In 1912, it was published as "Reason Why Advertising."
Kennedy eventually left, leaving a void that Lasker filled by hiring the ingenious Claude C. Hopkins, whose 1927 work "Scientific Advertising" further revolutionized the industry.
A Lasting Legacy
The Old Masters have much to teach modern marketers. Is your advertising truly "salesmanship in print"? Learn from history's legends to enhance your approach today.
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