Description

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Scientific Advertising is a book written by Claude C Hopkins in 1923 and is cited by many advertising and marketing personalities (such as David Ogilvy, Gary Halbert and Jay Abraham) as a "must-read" book. David Ogilvy is widely quoted as saying that "Nobody, at any level, should be allowed to have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book seven times". The book is cited as being the original description of the process of split testing and of coupon based customer tracking and loyalty schemes. In the book, Hopkins outlines an advertising approach based on testing and measuring. In this way losses from unsuccessful ads are kept to a safe level while gains from profitable ads are multiplied. Or, as Hopkins wrote, the advertiser is "playing on the safe side of a hundred to one shot". "The book also contains information on how to write advertising that sells: Salesmanship in print.

About the Author

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Claude C. Hopkins (1866-1932) was one of the great advertising pioneers. He believed advertising existed only to sell something and should be measurable and justify the results that it produced. He worked for various advertisers, including Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company, Swift & Company and Dr. Shoop's patent medicine company. At the age of 41, he was hired by Albert Lasker owner of Lord & Thomas advertising in 1907 at a salary of $185,000 a year, Hopkins insisted copywriters researched their client products and produce "reason-why" copy. He believed that a good product was often its own best salesperson, and as such he was a great believer in sampling. To track the results of his advertising, he used key coded coupons and then tested headlines, offers and propositions against one another. He used the analysis of these measurements to continually improve his ad results, driving responses and the cost effectiveness of his clients advertising spend. His classic book, "Scientific Advertising," was published in 1923, following his retirement from Lord & Thomas, where he finished his career as president and chairman. He died in 1932. Charles Duhigg credits Hopkins with popularizing tooth brushing, as a result of Hopkins' campaigns for Pepsodent.