God bless Johnny Mercer. However, like most copywriters, Mercer never enjoyed the same fame as his creations. So he just wouldn’t have worked that well as a cultural allusion/reference. Know what I mean?

But I’m glad your comment has given the man his due. Thanks for setting me straight.

-Jeff

Thanks for offering up additional context and food for thought. In general, I totally agree, both about the timing and the Coors campaign. Although, I’d say that, when done right, the downside can be brought up to begin with when it is used to qualify the prospect. Eugene Schwartz talks about this at the end of his book, Breakthrough Advertising, and Roy Williams mentions this also when he advises ad writers to “choose whom to lose”

An example of such a move was actually provided by Roy in spectacular Monday Morning Memo on Targeting Through Ad Copy. Here’s the opening line of his faux ad:

“If the lowest price is all you’re after, this isn’t the camera for you.”

- Jeff

But not just at any point.

It follows a sequence, as we outline in the Brain Audit. And that sequence is important to follow. Bring up the downside too early, and you’ve scared off the customer. Bring it up too late, and you’ve got the client all cynical.

The downside is of course, the objection. And the objection means that the client goes through a process. The process is simply:
1) Is this for me? Am I the target?
2) Is it solving a problem for me?
3) Does it have a relevant solution (for me?)

And then only once this analysis is done (often in a matter of seconds), does the client start looking for the downside or something to object about.

Understanding this factor of timing is vital. And while Coors is a good example of ‘advertising gone right without realising it’, it shows that the concept wasn’t part of the strategy after all.

If it were, they’d never put out an add without Coors being chilled at all times. In fact, just like Volvo and safety, Coors and chilled would go together.

The downside is important.
But knowing that it’s part of the strategy is just as important.
And knowing the exact time when to insert in in your message is absolutely critical, or you’ll have egg in your face, and pesos in the bank.

Sean
http://www.psychotactics.com

We do not compromise on prices for our services and leverage this to highlight that we have a similar no-compromise policy for our service quality too.

Very good post!

Thanks for the comment; I totally agree that more context would be helpful. Here’s a nice summary of the referenced portion of Cialdini’s book: http://www.internetinfluencemagic.com/general/when_doubling_your_prices_can_double_your_sales/

Though I will say that my initial link was aimed at directing people straight to the source so that they could treat themselves to one of the best books on persuasion to have ever been penned.

Thanks again.

-Jeff