Bob Stone, Direct Mail Legend: In Appreciation
By Roberta Rosenberg on Mar 1, 2007 in Occasional Rantings
While preparing another post, I discovered that one of the genuine legends of the direct marketing industry, Bob Stone, had passed away yesterday. He was 88 years old.
He and his book made me look smarter and more knowledgeable than I actually was.
Bob and I had never met in person, but his book, Successful Direct Marketing Methods, was my bible and guide to learning and understanding the fundamentals of what was to become my now 25-year career in direct marketing.
When I started as a Junior Copywriter "back in the day", there were very few opportunities to learn the DM craft. You learned on-the-job mostly. Read the few industry trades available. Occasionally, if you had a boss willing to spend $$$ on your continuing education, you might attend an association workshop.
But mostly, there was just Successful Direct Marketing Methods, and thank G-d for it, too. I’m sure in the first five years of my career, I read the book cover-to-cover at least two dozen times, and I referred to specific sections weekly. I learned about copywriting, list selection, testing, design, print production, the whole shebang.
Since I was the only DM wunderkind on staff, Bob’s book was my mainstay and never left my desk. It was always out and papered with my post-its and bookmarks.
Today, there are many terrific DM gurus out there. There are many books, blogs, courses and opportunities to learn and grow in this still challenging, evolving industry.
But Bob Stone was there first. He and a handful of other DM pioneers helped chart a strong course for an industry that continues to thrive.
Thank you, Mr. Stone, for helping me get started in this great business.
For more about Bob Stone:
To learn more about "The Book that Made the Maven",see Successful Direct Marketing Methods, Seventh Ed.
Connie Reece | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
Roberta, we must have started down the DM copywriting path about the same time. I also had a Post-it-covered, heavily highlighted and underlined copy of Stone’s book on my desk. And I paid for my own membership in the Direct Marketing Association of North Texas. Thanks for bringing back some good memories.
Tom Chandler/Copywriter Underground | Jun 16, 2008 | Reply
Not only was he a pioneer, but his willingness to put it all down on paper was tremendous help to copywriters looking to improve their B2B direct response work.
Today, measurement is taken for granted (in fact, it’s unavoidable), but prior to the Internet, damned few agencies or corporate clients were willing to measure the results of corporate work, fearing they’d look bad.
I’d sneak off and page through Stone’s textbook-like book, finding a few scrap I could use in order to make the most of my campaigns.
And when I did find a client willing to test, Stone’s book prevented me from reinventing the wheel.
Tom Chandler/Copywriter Underground’s last blog post..For $10/Hour, You Should Write “Perfect” Copy, and Lots Of It