How the power of good copy launched an empire

In his Business Common Sense newsletter last July, direct marketer Denny Hatch suggested that “exclusivity” is an often overused term. But in a copywriting sense, it conveys the benefits of privilege and privacy (something many people crave in this age of social media proliferation and transparent personal information.) 

One of the best copy examples of exclusivity is the classic International Living letter, which starts out, “You look out your window, past your gardener…” 

The greatest copywriter in the world today

Bill Bonner wrote that copy in 1979, before International Living even existed (if the mailing wasn’t successful, he wouldn’t have published it.) The letter got great results, Agora Publishing was up and running, and today is worth several hundred million dollars. 

Two of Bonner’s websites still masterfully use the idea of exclusivity: www.oxfordclub.com and www.bonnerfamilyoffice.com. They’re worth studying, and if possible, emulating in some way.

Need help? Direct response copywriting of this sort is exactly my specialty. (And I had the privilege of  meeting the master himself last November.)