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Let's talk about secondary messaging
All the primary things are out of the way. You’ve articulated a problem. You’ve presented your product as the perfect solution. You’ve explained its key benefits (and features) and made the case for why it’s different than any other solution on the market today. Now what?
We’re halfway through my 10-point formula for scripts that sell, which means we’re getting into the body of an advertisement. It’s tempting to treat this part of your creative like coastal elites treat “flyover country” — something to get past quickly on your way to the CTA. But that would be a mistake.
Before I explain why, let’s recap. So far we have covered:
The “skeptic’s question” and why you should ask it early (and often)
The three questions you must answer before prospects lose interest
The “Wizard of Oz technique” for setting up and paying off a problem opening
Why emphasizing benefits is much more important than just listing features
However, as mentioned last week, that only gets us about a quarter of the way through the typical DRTV commercial. So what do creators do with the rest of their time? Well, in the ‘middle minute’ we go beyond the core pitch and try to broaden the product’s appeal by showing other uses and connecting with every possible customer.
The founder of our craft, Alvin Eicoff, was big on this. He only had nine items in his formula, but he dedicated one of them to emphasizing this point:
Don’t forget to demonstrate secondary benefits.
“By spelling out these secondary benefits, a product is automatically made more attractive to a wider range of viewers.” - Alvin Eicoff
Incidentally, astute readers will notice that Eicoff wrote “secondary benefits,” not “secondary features.” He’s talking about exactly our topic: making a product appealing to more people, not bewildering them with more features.
OK, that’s not totally fair. Sometimes products do have secondary features that are worth talking about. But talking about too many gets into what I call the ‘Swiss Army knife problem.’ That is, in shorter formats there just isn’t enough time to explain multiple features adequately without creating confusion. And (say it with me) confusion is a sales killer.™
Let’s say you have a normal product. It has some secondary features, but you want your main focus to be secondary benefits. What do you do? To answer that, let’s pick a commercial from the DRMetrix Top 10 and break it down.
Chart Watch👁️
AquaCare
Pitch: “Antimicrobial nozzles...inhibit the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria”
Offer: $29.99 for one with stainless steel hose & low-reach bracket
Marketer: Interlink Products International
Producer: Hutton Miller (🏆 2022 True Top Producer)
This commercial first aired in March of 2021. Two and half years or 132 weeks later, it’s still going strong, coming in at #6 last week.
I didn’t post any comments when I originally added this campaign to The Library of DRTV, but if I know myself I would have been skeptical. Ten years ago, I wrote the following about another showerhead called Power Shower:
I would never green-light a showerhead for DRTV … no matter how great it performed on camera. The category is way too crowded with every option under the sun available at the local big box.
What has changed? Well, a lot actually. For one thing, those big boxes aren’t what they used to be. Indeed, one of the stores I was thinking about back in 2013 (Bed Bath & Beyond) has closed its doors. Related: Amazon has taken over every category — and also the world. That’s bad news for the old DRTV-to-retail model, but clearly good news for products like this one. The shelves may be virtually limitless now, but at least you can get on them and compete for sales.
Of course, the product does have a critical advantage: the industry’s top producer created its commercial. Speaking of which, let’s get back to our topic today and see what the Hutton Miller team did with the ‘middle minute’ of this chart-topping hit.
In the opening quarter of this ad, we get the main selling points targeting the primary prospect. Let’s call her ‘Germaphobe Jane.’
Poor Jane is deeply concerned about her showerhead because the media has convinced her that her shower is breeding “dangerous pathogens” overnight and then blasting her with them in the morning! Wizard of Oz technique, splash of water transition graphic (nice) and — suddenly Jane is decades younger and in fully saturated, germ-free color!
Strong benefits in the first 30 seconds that will appeal to poor Jane are “antimicrobial nozzles” that deliver a “clean, luxurious shower every time.” Then we get to the “here’s how it works” section (more on this next week) and the body of the spot. By then, HM has already explained and demonstrated the product. They’ve already appealed to Jane, showing her what her life could be like if only she bought the product.
What’s left? How about secondary benefits such as:
Installs easily in minutes with no tools needed
Stays “clog free” to maintain strong water pressure, yet also
Saves water with just a twist (“pause mode”)
Features eight settings, including a muscle-soothing “pulsating massage” and
Can even clean your tile and grout with a “power clean” nozzle on the back
That’s right: This thing does it all, and this creative covers it all. Notice also that the production team avoided the ‘Swiss Army knife problem’ by not meticulously calling out all eight settings. They only highlighted the ones that brought secondary benefits to life. Of course, they also broadened the product’s appeal by showing men using the product and even appealed to pet owners with a clever additional use for the “power wash” feature.
All in all, this is a great example of what Eicoff was driving at.
Watch it. Study it. Apply it.
Recent Tests
Inscents Voodoo
Pitch: “Reduce stress, anxiety and get deep healing sleep while bringing in the Halloween season”
Offer: $19.95 for one with 50 free cones
Marketer: Catch Creation
This is a holiday-themed sequel to Inscents Waterfall. It’s … bizarre. A strange clash of concepts. I’m not sure anyone finds the idea of a voodoo doll relaxing? And aren’t voodoo dolls the opposite of “healing”? Also, why would anyone want their Halloween decorations to release an “amazing scent”? Inquiring minds want to know.
Pocket Hose Grow Steel
Pitch: “Expandable stainless-steel sleeve can bend and grow to twice its size”
Offer: $29.99 for the 25-foot hose
Brand: Pocket Hose
Marketer: BulbHead
Producer: Kerrmercials
This is the ninth Pocket Hose tested since the original became a hit a decade ago. The latest success in the line is Pocket Hose Copper Bullet, which has a first-rate commercial that I broke down in June of this year.
This projects seems to be designed to compete with Emson’s Hydro Steel Pro, which challenged Copper Bullet in the Top 10 this year. Looking at the DRMetrix on this fall day, I see Copper Bullet has dropped to the bottom of the Top 50 and Hydro Steel no longer makes the Top 50 cutoff.
We’ll see what happens in the spring of next year. Maybe Copper Bullet will return and/or this project will be in rollout.
The Formula for Scripts That Sell
Start with a painful problem
(Article: Ask the ‘Skeptic's Question’ to Check & Fix Your Opening Pitch)Introduce the product and describe it
(Article: Answer These 3 Questions Before Prospects Lose Interest)Explain how the product solves the opening problem
(Article: Pay Off the Problem Opening to Powerfully Position Your Product)Describe the product’s key features and benefits
(Article: Don't Be Misled By the Order of Things)Briefly list all of the key uses for the product
(Article: This Space Intentionally Left Blank)Explain how the product works
(Article: Here’s How 'Here’s How it Works' Works)Set up a value comparison and introduce the offer
(Article: The Incomparable Value Comparison)Introduce a bonus and describe it
(Article: Instantly Boost Sales by Leveraging the ‘Mooch Factor’)Recap the entire offer
(Article: The Department of Redundancy Department)Create a sense of urgency and ask for the order
(Article: The Simple Secret to Closing More Sales)