Still relevant marketing tips

In marketing circles there's a lot of talk about 21st century marketing. You'll hear warnings about using methods from yesteryear: 'The tactics you used 10 or 15 years ago don't work in our digital age. The Johnson Box spells failure today. Long copy went the way of the dinosaur--try postcards!' While much of the updated information is true and relevant, keep in mind a lot of it comes from people who have books to sell. Following are tips that were spoken years ago by industry leaders. I believe that each is still true and meaningful today. Following these ideas can only lead to more effective marketing communications.

“Direct mail’s greatest asset: the creation of an exclusive environment that allows the seller to present the appropriate reasons for buying.”
  - Martin Gross

“Even the automakers are changing. Now instead of blonds in sequins draped over the fenders of the latest cars, flashing come-hither smiles, they wear prim tailored suits, and talk to customers about torque, transmissions and safety benefits.”
- Anonymous (overhead at a recent seminar)

“The fundamentals of persuasive communications stay the same in any medium.”
- Lester Wunderman

"Every effort should be made to get in step with the prospect’s needs and desires. What's important and relevant to the customer must be the focus of both agency and client."
- Emily Soell

“...clothe your advertising in an easily understood and clearly seen message that makes getting a response the driving imperative.”
  - Stan Rapp

"Copywriters who believe they can tease readers into an advertisement are throwing money away. Blind headlines that require reading of the copy to decipher them don't work. Some copywriters write tricky headlines. This is a sin. Go straight to the point. Be specific and factual."
- David Ogilvy

"No idea is so complex that it can't be explained simply."
- Albert Einstein

(Okay, Albert Einstein may not have been a master marketer, but he still had a good idea or two.)