Marketing Lessons From A Woman's Magazineby David Leonhardt

It's amazing what you can learn about marketing if you can just find the time to spend in a dentist's waiting room. I was reading a certain woman's magazine, which will remain nameless because of my allergy to lawsuits. The magazine obviously has figured out what sells well, given that it operates on a consistent formula. <BR><BR>For instance, one cover proclaims: "3 sizes slimmer by Memorial Day". Then, in one corner is a picture of "Cookies 'n Cream Cake", while in another corner is a picture of "'Lollipups' to brighten someone's day". <BR><BR>On another cover, the main headline is: "Lose that BELLY FAT!", while a secondary headline asks, "Can't stop binging?" Just to make sure that readers can answer, "Yes", there is a nice picture in the corner of a "Banana Split Cookie Cake" labeled "Yum!", and the promise of "Family-pleasing Pasta dinners" inside. <BR><BR>See a pattern? Let's try one more. The big headline reads: "Lose 28 lbs by Thanksgiving". How? Perhaps the big picture of a "Oreo Cookie Cheesecake" labeled "Yum!" will give us a hint. Or the promise of "Best-ever Potluck recipes". <BR><BR>OK. By now I am sure you see the pattern. That's right – poor grammar, punctuation and capitalization. <BR><BR>The other pattern is, of course, the secret success formula: <BR>