Being a serial direct marketer comes with lots of responsibility.
It means that there are various forms of marketing and advertising that for the most part I avoid like the plague:
- Publicity
- Public relations
- Brand advertising
- Image advertising
Basically, anything that is not measurable, has no obvious return on investment or has little or no accountability, in the words of Mark Cuban of Shark Tank, “I’m out.”
I wrote about this dilemma in one of my earliest posts, “Branding without getting hives.” It talks about a “branding” initiative from my past that had accountability…so there are exceptions.
Read it here if you wish. It’s an interesting tale.
But for the most part, nothing has changed for me on this topic over my 4+ decades in direct response marketing.
If you can’t measure it…and act upon it…I’m generally not interested.
However, today I want to talk about another exception because of a miracle of a man who turned “publicity” into an accountable and measurable medium.
My buddy Ben Settle spoke about him in a recent email which reminded me to share his story with you.
Ben wrote:
A couple months ago I wrote an email with the subject line:
“The greatest copywriting course no longer sold”
And it talked about a long-discontinued “Million Dollar Publicity” course which is one of the single best “copywriting” and “email” courses I have ever gone through, due to [a unique] approach to writing press releases:
Here are a few reasons why:
- Tighter writing — much like why writing screenplays is a powerful way to write copy, press releases have strict formatting rules that FORCE you to write in a tight, pithy, and direct way while still being persuasive
- Storytelling — instead of taking paragraphs or pages to tell your story you learn to do it in 1-2 sentences (it’s how you start them off).
- Podcasters love it — my press releases got me booked on shows when I had zero credentials, as the press releases [I learned to write from this course] honed my ability to use curiosity like nothing else.
- Multiple uses — when you learn press release writing you can use that skill to get yourself or clients booked not just on media interviews and podcasts but also any other places that are starved for speakers and content.
- Sharpen your persuasive communication skills — few things can make you a more persuasive & influential communicator like getting booked on lots and lots and lots of shows, podcasts, speaking events, etc where you do your thing without a net (and, even better, live).
But that ain’t all.
Media publicity acquired via the wise use of press releases can also be a source of hot, ready-to-buy leads, as well, depending on what you sell.
Paul Hartunian is “the guy” when it comes to this skill.
But his course has been discontinued for a while.
A “publicity course” that teaches direct marketing principles like those above?
That’s what sold me on Paul Hartunian, the creator of that course, as well.
And Ben’s endorsement clinches the deal. 🙂
Paul Hartunian, like Gene Schwartz (and precious few others in the world of direct response) is a “Renaissance Man” of marketing…because he is so much more than just a marketer.
It begins and ends with his insatiable curiosity…a trait that every great marketer and copywriter must possess to become great.
Sure, he developed the gold standard program on publicity described by Ben.
And he also taught thousands how to sell on eBay long before eBay was embedded in our marketing culture.
But he also…
- …taught medical school (based on his academic training)
- …appeared in many Broadway shows (and the story how he got to do this is marketing and copywriting genius)
- …attended law school specifically to get involved in The Innocence Project
- … became a roller derby referee (in his spare time)
- …founded Aunt Mary’s Doghouse, which supports overcrowding in shelters by housing unwanted dogs on a farm and then placing hundreds of dogs who are at risk.
However, at his core, Paul is a marketer…and at a Titans Mastermind meeting a few years ago, he decided to make his final presentation after 55 years in the marketing world.
Lucky us.
And now, lucky you.
He spoke about How to Create a Powerful, Profitable Talk in 4 Easy Steps (see the P.S. for a free PDF of that).
On my request, he also gave us the game plan to run a six-figure business on eBay for less than two hours a day which was mentioned above.
And he also talked about “Publicity” (that gets response and leads to profit…imagine that). It will go down as the final time, on video, that he outlined the core principles of his “Million Dollar Publicity” course.
I guess you can say he’s got a lot to share.
There was even a lesson on how he loves direct mail, still uses it regularly (and successfully), further dispelling the notion that it is dead.
Having this final presentation from Titans Mastermind safely deposited in what we call the “Titans Vault” is something I am especially proud of.
And there is an offer in the P.P.S. for you to access it for deposit into your own vault.
I met Paul in January of 2000 at an event called the “Billion Dollar Internet Strategy Setting Summit and Custom Marketing Makeover Process”.
Quite a title and claim…but it wasn’t hype.
The information that was shared and adapted from that event has exceeded a billion dollars a few times over the past quarter century.
It was hosted by the late Audri and Jim Lanford, marketing superstars I wrote about in, What are your non-negotiables.
Their loss was way too premature, but they left us so much from that event and from their pioneering work in the areas of testing and marketing metrics.
My mentor, Jay Abraham, who wrote the foreword to my book, Overdeliver, was also a host at that event and he is still rocking and rolling in marketing circles today as much as ever.
Spoiler alert: He will also be featured at my upcoming live event I will be hosting in the New York City area in October (mark your calendars for October 28th and 29th)…details are coming soon (intentional open loop). 🙂
The “Billion Dollar Summit” was also the first big event of the new millennium, and it was clear proof that the world didn’t end on January 1, 2000…and more importantly that this “Internet thing” was worth taking a closer look at.
Paul was my favorite speaker at that event, and I made it my business to meet him which was the beginning of what is now a 25-year friendship…that eventually led to his “farewell to marketing presentation” at Titans Mastermind.
There were many other web pioneers speaking at the “Billion Dollar Summit” over 4+ days (who also became favorites of mine too).
Whether you have heard of these people or not, I dare say that you owe them a debt of gratitude for many of the techniques you employ today.
Speakers included:
Andy Bourland, Dana Blankenhorn, Declan Dunn, Ken Evoy, Rob Frankel, Cliff Kurtzman, Jakob Nielsen, Eva Rosenberg, Corey Rudl, Jim Sterne, and Ralph Wilson.
Not household names today among online marketers…these were the unknown pioneers of Internet Marketing…but I encourage you to Google some or all of them (and not just for a stroll down memory lane).
You may have to dig a little to get to the right person…I suggest you add “marketing” or “Internet” or “World Wide Web” after their name in your search.
For example, I found an English soccer player in my search for “Declan Dunn”. 🙂
Paul did two sessions at that event…one was what I mentioned earlier on how to make a living on eBay working 2 hours a day (in his case from his RV).
The other session was how he sold The Brooklyn Bridge–literally.
I want to tell you this story to illustrate how a world class marketer’s mind works…how yours can work like this too…when you believe ideas are everywhere and you are mindful to your surroundings and paying attention all the time.
In 1983, when The Brooklyn Bridge was celebrating its 100th anniversary, Paul was watching TV and saw a report on the news that the walkway of the bridge was being torn up and being replaced.
He also noticed piles of discarded wood being placed next to a truck that had a readable phone number on it–so he dialed the number and asked what he knew was a multi-million-dollar question:
“What are you planning on doing with that wood?”
The response was that it was being discarded…to which Paul told them he would give them $500 for all of it.
The guys with the wood were so happy…they even offered to deliver it to him.
A shining example of one man’s junk being another man’s treasure.
That wooden walkway is the gift that keeps on giving.
Paul cut the wood up into small 1-inch squares, attached them to collectible certificates designating that these were pieces of the original bridge, and he has sold, and is still selling, thousands of them.
In addition, Paul used his publicity skills to get on shows like To Tell the Truth and to have his “Man Sells the Brooklyn Bridge” press release read on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
You can’t pay for that kind of exposure…and Paul didn’t pay a dime…but got it. And it led to lots of orders with virtually a 100% ROI.
Now that’s publicity that pays out.
Then, 25 years later, he celebrated the “25th Anniversary of the Sale of The Brooklyn Bridge” (an event he initially created!) by issuing a limited number of these:
Paul admits that he’s had many terrible ideas…but he also believes that it only takes one good one to make up for dozens of terrible ones.
This was clearly one of the good ones…and he’s had many more than just this one.
Selling the Brooklyn Bridge one square inch at a time, like so many other “good ones,” happened because he is always paying attention.
In the words of Gene Schwartz, when he defined Mass Desire:
It is the public spread of a private want
On that day in 1983 did people get up in the morning and say, “I want to buy The Brooklyn Bridge?”
Doubtful.
But once you know there may be an element of mass desire in the marketplace, you must then go to the State of Awareness of prospective buyers (i.e. and the way buying the Brooklyn Bridge would satisfy that desire).
And then determine the Level of Sophistication (i.e. how many times has The Brooklyn Bridge been offered to them before, mostly by charlatans), and without satisfaction.
“This time it’s for real” was a core premise of Paul’s approach to create satisfaction.
I’m only scratching the surface from the first three chapters of Breakthrough Advertising and how it applies here; but Paul knew these principles well (and a whole lot more).
[NOTE: I will be hosting the 8th “Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp” beginning on May 6th…put your name on the alert list here so you will be given first crack at one of the coveted seats. Don’t you want to get this kind of thinking into your marketing and copywriting? :-)]
This is just another reason to compare Paul Hartunian to Gene Schwartz…and the student becoming the teacher.
And how a publicity hound could never give me hives. 🙂
More importantly than how he did what he did, Paul’s eclectic interests were part of his success formula too (much like Gene).
Knowing a lot about a lot, reading everything, always asking questions.
He is multi-faceted, loves humanity, and in turn, humanity loves him.
And he always had fun with all he did, and will do, in the future.
Can’t you just tell he’s a fun guy?
What a way to make money, find happiness and enjoy life.
Warmly,
Brian
P.S. How To Create a Powerful, Profitable Talk in 4 Easy Steps is a handout that Paul gave out at Titans Mastermind and I’d like to share it with you here.
It’s got an overview of the system he uses and then the versions he created.
I hope it’s helpful to you when you prepare your next talk.
And note that hidden in plain sight are copywriting secrets that are not really secrets…unless you are unaware of them. 🙂
P.P.S. In addition to the amazing benefits, bonuses, engagement, community, information and inspiration you will receive by joining my virtual (and incredibly affordable) Titans Xcelerator Mastermind…if you join as a result of this email…I will include Paul Hartunian’s “Farewell to Marketing” presentation from the “Titans Vault.”
Check out Titans Xcelerator here.
I promise that you will never get hives from non-actionable or non-accountable information…from Paul’s presentation or from your membership in Titans Xcelerator.
Actually, I guarantee it. 🙂