Puddinghead...

"The proof is in the pudding"

Where does a phrase like that come from? It first appeared as "The proof of pudding is in the eating" in Cervantes 1615 comic novel Don Quixote. Today, our version means "what counts are the results".

Nowhere is that more true than in advertising. In advertising, it's what drives sales that counts.

Years ago, a trade journal publisher lent me his confidential Reader Service Card (RSC) log to study successful ads. My goal was to find the best "pudding recipe" to increase ad effectiveness.

My premise: the best real-world measure of an ad's results is inquiries. The more leads, the more effective the ad. You may believe sales is a better measure, but closing leads is not an ad's job.

So, I studied the top ads -- the ones that generated the most RSCs. At first, there was no obvious pattern. Size didn't matter. Color's influence was slight. The page placement was insignificant. I was stumped.

Then I closely looked at each ad itself. The biggest difference was in the smallest details. It was in the headline, the message, the offer, and the call-to-action. The best ads communicated focused and meaningful unique selling message. The design made the message clearer. The design drew attention without being distracting. The writing and creativity made the brand and selling point memorable.

Today I still use the techniques I learned to design results-driven ads. Want my secret recipe?

Come on. What smart chef would give you his secret, prize-winning pudding recipe. If you want to sample the results, you'll have to come to my restaurant. Try my services. Measure the results. Judge for yourself.

After all the proof is in the pudding.

- Phil Sasso