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-   -   "How a Successful Direct Marketing Business Was Destroyed" (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10304)

Dien Rice February 24, 2019 04:12 AM

"How a Successful Direct Marketing Business Was Destroyed"
 
This is a great piece by Denny Hatch... How he (as a green junior copywriter) started a children's book club, which at the initial test, was a big success!

Management tinkered with it, to turn it into a failure...! (And they didn't even go back to the proven, winning formula...)

What I like about this is, I believe, a similar business could succeed today.

They took public domain children's books for free, and added colored illustrations (many which also seemed to be historical public domain illustrations).

The reason why I feel this could work today is, although many people now buy ebooks, one of the classes of books where people still like to buy printed copies are children's books. There's something better about the experience of a child holding a book and reading it, seeing the colored pictures in natural light, and turning the pages, compared to squinting at everything in the blue-light stare of an electronic screen...

Worth a read, in my opinion!

How a Successful Direct Marketing Business Was Destroyed, by Denny Hatch
http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2019/...marketing.html

Best wishes,

Dien

GordonJ February 24, 2019 11:26 AM

Re: "How a Successful Direct Marketing Business Was Destroyed"
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Dien Rice (Post 39635)
This is a great piece by Denny Hatch... How he (as a green junior copywriter) started a children's book club, which at the initial test, was a big success!

Management tinkered with it, to turn it into a failure...! (And they didn't even go back to the proven, winning formula...)

What I like about this is, I believe, a similar business could succeed today.

They took public domain children's books for free, and added colored illustrations (many which also seemed to be historical public domain illustrations).

The reason why I feel this could work today is, although many people now buy ebooks, one of the classes of books where people still like to buy printed copies are children's books. There's something better about the experience of a child holding a book and reading it, seeing the colored pictures in natural light, and turning the pages, compared to squinting at everything in the blue-light stare of an electronic screen...

Worth a read, in my opinion!

How a Successful Direct Marketing Business Was Destroyed, by Denny Hatch
http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2019/...marketing.html

Best wishes,

Dien


Thanks Dien,

High wind has knocked me off line, we'll see how long it lasts before we get knocked down again.

Remind me, to tell the story of how Denny Hatch was considered an ENEMY of the state of North Canton Remote Direct Marketing Cabal.

I love the guy, if for no other reason than his take on Gary Halbert.

Anyhow, lots of lessons there, and since we recently discussed the release of 1923 copyrights, could be an excellent opportunity. While at SCI one of my colleague's wife worked for Scholastic, and the subscription model they used was insane, going a couple years in the red, before cashing in, albeit, with a long lifetime value, they were pre Internet, a successful publisher.

You should contact Denny, maybe do an interview with him, I think he is (SOMEWHAT) of a hidden treasure in the world of hype filled West Coast style copywriters. Probably because he speaks the truth about the so-called legends.

Gordon

Rob43 February 25, 2019 09:57 AM

Re: "How a Successful Direct Marketing Business Was Destroyed"
 
Very interesting book. I read in 2 days. I agree with you that online marketing is becoming more and more popular every day. This is a very good business move.


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