3 Ogilvy commandments that apply to B2B communications

I finally got round to reading David Ogilvy's Confessions of an Advertising Man. Published in 1963, I expected it to be a quaint look into the Mad Men era. In fact most of what I read not only still stands, but seems more relevant than a lot of present-day articles that focus on brand at the expense of sales.

I was also astonished at just how much of what Ogilvy writes about mass advertising of detergents and cars is equally true for B2B communications. His comment that agencies are infested with people who regard their work as an avant-garde art form, and are more interested in winning awards than selling products for their clients, for example, rings depressingly true. But the book also includes positive tips to improve your own work. Here are my top three, and how I think they apply to B2B comms:

1.    Your most important job is to decide what benefit you are going to promise

Appealing to the reader's interest is key to success. This is equally true in a brochure selling engineering services (where readers may be keen to "avoid factory shutdowns" - so interested in services that guarantee machine performance) as it is for a TV ad for a face cream that "cleans deep into pores" or washing powder that "washes whites whiter". Describing the end result for the user outguns describing the product itself. This can also impact the structure of your offer, as it makes you think about what the client is actually buying.

2. Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating

This might seem self evident, but is often not observed in B2B communications. The first draft of text describing complicated products and services is often produced by the specialist, and little changed by the copywriter, who finds it difficult to understand and is worried about looking stupid in front of their client. But nothing is too complicated to be explained simply, and in an engaging way. The key to this is asking your client very basic questions, and making sure you pin them down on a clear answer. Contrary to what you think, clients tend to like this, and will think you are thorough, not stupid.

3. Search all the parks in all the cities; you'll find no statues of committees

To work well, communications need to have a limited number of clear messages. Numerous people involved, with different, sometimes conflicting objectives, gets in the way of this. Avoid sign-off by committee: invite input from several people by all means, but be clear that not all comments will be incorporated. This depends to a large extent on your internal client, but you can start by explaining why it's important and suggesting an approval process that is less likely to lead to death by a thousand cuts.