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I spread stories of my fellow storytellers simply because I’m in awe of their art and the only way I can repay them is to share their art with others.

One perfect sentence, by Steve Cone

   The ongoing fight for market share in the erectile dysfunction drug category is a great example of excitement, news, and a compelling call to action compressed into a few well-chosen words. As male Baby Boomers entered their 50s and 60s, they created a huge new market for a product designed to guarantee sexual performance. Pftizer was the first pharmaceutical company to capitalize on this need with the launch of Viagra, a purple miracle pill that would never let men down.

Viagra became an instant hot worldwide, quickly captured 75 percent of the market, and generated billions in annual sales. Products from rival companies soon appeared, but none were able to capture significant market share. Lilly Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Cialis, was particularly vexed because they believed Cialis to be a superior picker- upper. They ran a continuos series of ads for months, with little impact on the market.

Then, much like this miracle product, a marketing phenomenon occurred. Embedded in the fine print required by the FDA for any and all erectile dysfunction drugs was this line: “If an erection lasts more than four hours, you must seek immediate medical attention.” Eureka. With this discovery by a clever copywriter, Cialis changed its television and print advertising and made this line the hero. In print, it was the headline copy you couldn’t miss, and on television, the voice-over ended each spot with the line as it simultaneously appeared on the screen.

Within three months, Cialis gained over 30 percent of the market and later climbed to parity in sales with Viagra. One sentence made the difference. Just one.
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My 2¢:
How can you be creative? Ask “What would people love?”
More often than not, people will respond well to offers that can be summed up into just one sentence.
Yep, a single sentence.