Category Archives for Ethics

The Bridge-Building Business

Every business owner is in the bridge-building business: one project (or sale) often leads to another. Think of every client not in terms of what you make today, but rather what you might make in the future as a result of that client’s testimonial and referrals. Clients are the bridge between your present and your future. […]

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‘Tis the Season to Tell Lies?

Do you have kids? If you do, then you’ve probably already faced the age-old moral dilemma of what you tell your kids about Santa Claus. In my experience, most parents choose to tell their kids that Santa Claus is real, and that he really does travel around the world in a sleigh pulled by reindeer […]

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John Caples Ad

How Far Is Too Far in Advertising?

There is a huge dichotomy in advertising. On the one hand you’ve got the pressure to perform: to make your advertising as profitable as you possibly can. On the other hand you’ve got the pressure to be ethical: to be as honest as possible in your advertising. Last week I raised the issue of using […]

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How Should You Respond to Dishonest Clients?

So here’s a difficult question I’ve been pondering for… oh… about the last four years. Where does a copywriter’s responsibility end and a client’s responsibility begin? In other words, how responsible am I for the things I write to sell a client’s product? Here’s the thing… As a freelance copywriter, I’m largely dependent on clients […]

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Sidewiki: The Great Wall of Google

First there was the Great Wall of China. And now there is the Great Wall of Google. China built its wall specifically to keep out the invading Mongol hordes. Google, on the other hand, seems to have built its wall for nothing more than graffiti. The “wall” is called Sidewiki. Sidewiki puts a frame around […]

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