How to Please Your Customers:
Hopkins’ My Life in Advertising Wrap-up

My new boots came in the mail. They were far too small. I felt like a kid again and my feet had grown over the summer.

These boots had everything I wanted. Leather, waterproof, and insulated, I expected to keep them for years. But of course, they had to fit right.

Winter Boots are a necessity around these parts. Image "What's Down There?"by James, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Winter Boots are a necessity around these parts. Image “What’s Down There?”by James, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

Luckily, the online retailer made the exchange simple and free. I mailed the boots in to try a second pair, and I waited.

It was going to be a cold, snowy Thanksgiving in Wisconsin.

Continue reading “How to Please Your Customers: Hopkins’ My Life in Advertising Wrap-up”

Be a Creator of Beauty (My Life in Advertising: Chapters 14 and 15)

I really like buying things. Things I don’t need, things I do need, things I think I’ll need later. A delayed delivery doesn’t stop this — Kickstarter hasn’t been my wallet’s best friend.

Mind the Gap. It's used to pique your interest and direct your behaviour. Image "Mind the Gap" by Larry Johnson, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Mind the Gap. It’s used to pique your interest and direct your behaviour. Image “Mind the Gap” by Larry Johnson, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

We’re all victims of this psychological hook that advertisers use: they create a “gap” in your life. The gap could be the beginning of a story, leaving us hanging. The gap could be a heightened interest in a limited offer. Continue reading “Be a Creator of Beauty (My Life in Advertising: Chapters 14 and 15)”