Friday, February 13, 2009

Watch out Estee Lauder



An e-mail newsletter from egenerations (a Web site I must look around one of these days) popped into my inbox containing a long column of banner ads. One of these was for Ageless skin care. The packaging looked a bit like a Dove product (that is my excuse) so I clicked to the landing site and found a little masterpiece in “off the web” selling.

First thing is the model/actress of indeterminate age selling the qualities of the product - then there is the countdown number of bottles left in the right-hand corner to create urgency - then there is the “Rush me free my trial” handle – of course it is only free if you don’t cancel your credit card payment - then there is the “green hook” that the product “Contains extracts from 12 of the world’s richest fruit and vegetables” - then there is the credibility by association with logos of abcNews, Vogue and the New York Times – none of these organisations mention the product but have quotes about ageing - then there is the award “Best skin product of 2008” from an unknown award giver and then finally there is the statement “clinically tested at major universities” – no names.

In a macabre way I really admire the site – it uses all of the basic tools of direct TV selling in an unashamed in your face way.

Heavens knows if the product is any good – who knows if any of these products work. The one thing I can guarantee is that you will no find a site that uses more of the basic tools of selling in one place. Dick Stroud

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