Mad Men is a periodic drama series set in the 1960s about a thriving Manhattan advertising firm, and as it’s based upon advertisement firm, it’s a must-watch for marketing nerds. Don Draper is a brilliant copywriter and Marketer, and I still remember the very first episode when he comes up with the phrase “It’s Toasted” for his Client selling cigarettes.
Advertising is based on one thing, happiness. And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of the road that screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay.
Mad Men is inspired by David Ogilvy’s Confessions of an Advertising Man and filled with the moments worth watching for Marketing and Copywriting professionals. Just watch the opening scene of the very first episode, which gives us a glimpse of the market research survey.
Mad Men ran for seven seasons and just imagined how much to learn is there for a marketing geek like me because we are also in the same business, Marketing. Whether TransRentals or Cre8r or EcomMarkt, we are just doing one thing, and that is helping our clients to sell their products. So the first marketing lesson is about helping your clients.
1. Help your clients.
Don draper believes in selling the products, not the marketing. He genuinely believes in helping his clients to sell the products, and that’s why he is the best. When you are running a Sales and Marketing Agency, your growth depends upon the growth of your clients. The Marketer can not grow in the long run without delivering the results. There is a saying, “Aim To build with your clients, not at their expense! “.
Watch this part, and you will get the idea of how Don Draper helps his clients to be different.
2. Understand your audience.
You are the product. You, feeling something, that’s what sells. … Not sex.
Don Draper understands his audience, and he knows how to invoke their emotions. Let’s picture this your Client wants to sell products, and you are helping your Client to sell it to a target audience, but what if you are targeting the wrong customers? What if they don’t want your product even though they like it. Buying is an emotional decision, and if your copywriting does not invoke the right emotions, you won’t be able to sell anything. Focus on what customers want and use the language they understand, the by-product will be profit.
3. Advertising is based on one thing: Happiness
In the very first episodes, don says it and reminds us that we as a Marketer and Copywriter are always trying to convince the target customers that our product will make them happy, they will make their life better, Isn’t it?. So a good marketer not only explains the product, he will show them what the outcome will do to them.
Advertising is based on one thing: happiness. And do you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of a road that screams with reassurance that whatever you’re doing is OK. You are OK.
4. Change is neither good or bad; it simply is.
The time I am writing this, the whole world is locked down. Everything is stopped, Who have imagined this right?. Who would have thought that work from home will become a thing suddenly?. That’s a change; it is what it is, accepts it, and, most importantly, changes the methods too. When mobile came, it killed wired phones when digital cameras arrived, they killed Kodak, and the list is never-ending. Change is inevitable, and it is neither good nor bad.
5. Tell a story.
I want people to say, ‘What’s happening in the story right now?
We all like stories, don’t we? But Why? Because we can connect with them. In today’s world full of marketing channels and consumers, we still remember some of the great marketing campaigns just because it has a story in it. Watch any Nike Advertisements, they are full of stories, who can forget the iconic commercial by Apple “Think Different,” and the “Men will be Men” by Imperial Blue. The thing which is shared here is a story, and some are so good that we don’t even get that it’s an advertisement.
Don draper believes in storytelling, just see for yourself.
Last but not least, some quotes worth mentioning.
“If you don’t like what is being said, then change the conversation.” – Don Draper
“What’s happiness? It’s a moment before you need more happiness.” – Don Draper
“I have a life, and it only goes in one direction – forward.” – Don Draper
“The reason you haven’t felt it is that it doesn’t exist. What you call ‘love’ was invented by guys like me – to sell Nylons.” – Don Draper
“It wasn’t a lie, and it was ineptitude with insufficient cover.” – Don Draper
“I’m glad this is an environment where you feel free to fail.” – Don Draper
“Success comes from standing out, not fitting in.” – Don Draper
