Think of your copy in terms of one individual.
Think of one man or one woman.
Think of a man sitting on the bank of a creek fishing for bull-heads.
Think of the woman knitting or rocking, or busily bustling about a store.
Think of that mans thoughts.
Think of that womans thoughts.
Think of the remembrance of the product you are writing about flashing through their minds.
Think of that momentary flash followed by a warm feeling of approval.
It comesit goesbut it has registered. That friendly thought is stored away in the brain cells. It will rise to the surface when occasion arises. There is a predisposition there in favor of the producta preference which may even amount to a prejudice.
When you have gotten thus far, set your own mind at work. Ask yourself if it is possible to create such a state of mind in the individual. The answer is unmistakably and emphaticallyyes, it is.
How is it done,
By suggestion. By endless and interesting iteration. Because people are human beings. Because they live, move and have their being under the influence of suggestion.
Seldom are those suggestions systematic or scientific. The copy writers job is to determine the basic thought that he wishes to implant, and then to ring the charges on that thought until he literally creates a state of public conviction.
What to write depends on the product, the institution, economic conditions, markets. The copy must be true and human and sincere. It must be reasonable, suggestive and interesting. The people will read it and accept it.
They will even quote words and phrases from the advertising while telling you they do not read advertising. And they are sincere when they say it because suggestive advertising implants thoughts not by force but by infiltration.
Its sole aim is to make a buyer think a predetermined thought, because what a man thinks he will do. That attitude of mind finally settles down into that priceless thing called reputation. And, while reputation may be intangible, it is real, solid, concrete, definite and worth millions of real money.
To create reputation is finally the only aim of advertising copy. Sales will then grow steadily as more people buy.