The internet is an amazing resource, but as with most things, you can’t believe everything you read. For instance, I was pulling together some inspiring quotes recently when I came across the following:
“Kodak sells film, but they don’t advertise film. They advertise memories.”
Great quote, which time and again on the internet is attributed to Theodore Parker. But a quick check on Mr Parker’s background shows that he was an American Minister who died in 1860 - which is 28 years before Kodak even came on the scene. And, of course, a minister is highly unlikely to be talking about the wonders of Kodak in terms of advertising.
Further research shows that the quote is far more likely to be that of Theodore Levitt, an American economist who died in 2006 and who proposed the following definition for ‘corporate purpose’ - rather than merely making money, it is to create and keep a customer.
Other errors I’ve come across include one in a map of Berlin which I discovered when I visited the city a few years ago. I had with me a guide book and a map I’d printed off the internet. And on arrival discovered that a road clearly marked on both maps simply didn’t exist – and never had!
The internet in particular is rife with errors. It’s such an accessible resource that many people seem to copy everyone else. And that’s definitely NOT what ‘copy’writing is all about! So if you want to stand out, be original and double check your facts and sources.
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