Daily Lab: Don’t try to convince

Marketing gets into trouble when it tries to convince people of things. When it papers over flaws or embellishes facts.

But the truth is, people are going to find out eventually how the product actually works. How the service actually performs.

The truth is, they’re going to find out the truth.

Mid-century “Mad Man” David Ogilvy said the trick to writing great ads was to “Tell the truth and make it interesting.”

But what if the product isn’t good enough yet?

Turn-of-the-20th-century advertiser John E. Powers made it plain. He said, “If the truth isn’t tellable, fix it so it is.”

Fixing the product is a lot easier than trying to get the marketing to make up for it.

So don’t try to convince.

Just demonstrate.

Read more: “Don't persuade, permit.”