Top copywriters in every niche — 113,597 in all — were queried in this worldwide study of reading preference. Three leading research organizations made the survey. The gist of the query was — Which newsletters do you read, Mr. Copywriter?
The newsletter named most was the John Bejakovic Letter!
The rich, subtle insights and cool tone of my newsletter’s superb blend of unexpected topics seem to have the same appeal to the reading tastes of top copywriters as to a good many other readers. If you’ve been reading my newsletter for a while, this preference among top copywriters will hardly surprise you. If you only recently joined my list — well, keep reading now.
Yes, keep reading… so I can tell you the following story:
In 1946, the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company launched a powerful new advertising campaign.
It was a series of ads with the headline, “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.”
The ads were based on a survey by “three leading research organizations,” all three of which turned out to be RJ Reynolds’ advertising agency, the William Esty Company.
Plus, it appears William Esty surveyed most doctors about their preferred cigarette brand right after giving them free cartons of Camels.
“That’s horrible,” I hear you saying. “Those dastardly tobacco companies. Good thing we’ve learned our lesson, and nothing like that could happen today.”
Well, about that…
I happen to be both my own product and my own advertising agency.
And so I have to admit that the “three leading research organizations” I hired to perform the survey about my superior newsletter… well, all three of those research organizations were me, me, and me.
(And in confidence, I’ll also tell you I’m a very sloppy survey conductor who likes to cut corners. Maybe it wasn’t quite 113,597 copywriters that I polled.)
But there’s a second and more serious point I want to make. It might be eye-opening for you, more so than the idea that facts can be cheap. But I’ll save that for tomorrow, since this email is getting long already. You can sign up here if you want to read that email tomorrow.
For now, if you’d like to see a bit of advertising history, and maybe learn a few things that could help you advertise your own products or services, take a look at this warm, impartial, and helpful ad: