Kranz On Copy: Insights and answers on copywriting and writing copy

Just this morning I heard an interesting piece on NPR about the first hydrogen-powered car to be fully used and tested by a consumer.

For us writers/marketers, there were a few things of even greater interest than the content. First, the "frame" of the piece: on the radio, the lead-in (and the close, too) talked about "the million dollar car." Brilliant! Lead with another story about an energy-saving car and all you'll get is yawns, but introduce a "million dollar" car and everyone wants to know all about it.

(An aside: Big round numbers can be crucial. I once read about a high-end stereo speaker manufacturer who struggled to sell it's $60,000 speakers. They turned to a marketing consultant who offered one piece of advice -- raise the price by $40,000 to $100,000. They did, and they enjoyed record sales. Why? Because a $60,000 pair of speakers is merely expensive; a $100,000 pair of speakers is a story.)

Then there was this tidbit: the actual driver didn't pay $1,000,000; he was leasing the car for $500/month as part of a test program. Why not just let him drive it for free? Because the company (Honda) thinks it will get better feedback from someone who's paying for the car.

Again, bravo! Too much market research is undermined by fundamental flaws in either the researcher's assumptions or in the way the data is gathered. Here, the psychology is spot on. People don't like to look gift horses in the mouth, but they're damned keen on finding and reporting flaws in the rides they pay for.

One last thing worth noting. While the radio spot emphasized the "million dollar" angle and the back story behind the research, the written article on the NPR website downplays both (describing, for example, the $500 lease as a "discounted" price in exchange for the feedback). The article is competent yet journeyman's work; the radio spot reflects the intelligence of an editor who really understands audience.