Originally posted June 27, 2008.  Original post became Lost in Cyberspace when I changed web hosts …

Recently, I reread Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins.

I’m one of those copywriters who learns something new every time I read it. This time, I saw more clearly the parallels between marketing and testing a scientific hypothesis or theory.

Successful advertising and marketing is essentially the scientific method in action.

A marketer starts with a premise, such as the Widget 4500 can be sold on a website with such and such copy. So, she puts up the website and sees what happens. In scientific terms, she makes a hypothesis her site will be successful.

She has created a marketing version of an experiment to test that hypothesis.

Following the results, she can make adjustments and tweak the site. In other words, change the experiment.

With today’s Internet tools, her webmaster can even set up a split test, testing variables such as two different headlines. Or different pictures of the Widget 4500.

And if it’s not successful, that doesn’t mean failure. Rather, the results may show what doesn’t work, or more optimistically what works partially or less than optimally.

Which reminds me of a story attributed to Thomas Edison. When asked if he was discouraged about failing to develop a light bulb, he allegedly replied,

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.“

Thinking of marketing as a process, not a one-time action is part of the marketing mindset. Or in the 1980’s and 1990’s business vernacular, a paradigm shift. It’s also a more optimistic view of marketing and the marketing process.

I’m all for a positive mindset.

Consider also this quote from Thomas A. Edison:

“I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun.”

Amen.