The Sole Purpose of a Headline Is…

…to get you to read the next sentence.

And the sole purpose of this sentence is to get you to read the next.

This axiom was made famous in direct marketing circles by Eugene Schwartz.

It’s the same with wine. The point of getting someone to buy your wine today isn’t so that you can count your cash and call it a day. It’s to get them to purchase another bottle of wine in the future.

The ReThink blog has a good post up about conditioning your mailing list customers to buy more wine after receiving their wine club shipment.

I made an argument about direct package design based on this principal in the latest issue of Wines and Vines. Delight your customers into purchasing the next bottle, and there will be Good Times.

Wine Marketing

5 Comments → “The Sole Purpose of a Headline Is…”

Daniel Errante 4 years ago
You got my attention from the headline. It worked!
Paul Mabray 4 years ago
Thanks Josh – we are almost done with our first chapter in our “Roadmap” for succeeding with direct sales – as each chapter comes available I’ll make sure you get a copy.
Inertia – Powering the Wine Revolution
—Paul Mabray – CEO
el jefe 4 years ago
Truer words have not been spoken. The rubber chicken is a bait and switch!
Alan 4 years ago
Close your eyes and step in the door. Smell the aroma of sauteing garlic and butter as it penetrates your nostrils stimulating your salivary glands. Once your gotem you have to keepem. Great post!!
Lar 4 years ago
Read your piece on packaging. Excellent article. I work in a “user experience” company and understand how important the visceral or “first impression, lasts” is. By creating truly memorable experiences for your customers, you’re potentially creating a lifelong or at least a long term customer. More importantly, though, you’re creating a word of mouth marketeer who will work on your behalf tirelessly for FREE!
Apple get this and have got it for years, the experience starts with the packaging, and follows through with the use, creating legions of fans nay zealots who would nearly take a bullet for SJ.
P.S. Thanks for the follow on Twitter (smallsips = me)