TheHowardGossageFourPointProgram.

FourSimpleStepsforBetterAdvertising,aBetterWorld,andaBetterLife.
ByBruceBendinger
IwasrecentlyaskedwhenIreallyunderstoodHowardGossage.
Ithoughtforamoment.AboutthreeyearsafterwepublishedTheBookofGossage.
Itwas,perhaps,nottheansweranyoneexpected,includingme,butitwasthetruth.
KimRotzollandJeffGoodbyputmeontheroadtounderstanding,butittookawhile.
AndeventhoughHowardGossagemayhavealottoteachus,thelessonsarentobvious.
Youhavetospendalittletimethinkingaboutit.Youmustalsoinvestinafewlate
eveningsinenjoyablediscussionswithinterestingcompanions,andthen,eventually,it
comestoyou.
Tohelpyoustartthinking(andliving)intherightdirection,wevepreparedHowards
FourPointProgram.
However,forthoseofyouexpectingFourWaystoaBetterHeadlineorHowtoGeta
JobinSanFrancisco,youmaybedisappointed.Itinvolvesaagreatdealmorethan
cleverwaystowininthenarrowworldofadvertisingithelpsyouunderstandabit
moreaboutthelargerworldofbusinessand,mostimportant,bestpracticesforthe
businessoflife,onethatHowardfeltshouldbelivedtothefullest.
Withthatinmind,hereareTheFourPoints.Feelfreetotakenotes.
1. LeaveRoomfortheMouse.ThiswasafavoritelineofHowardsand,Ithink,
thekeytounderstandinghowhemadehisadvertisinginteractivedecadesbefore
therewasanInternet.Howardhadhistrickstheamusingcontest,thesemi
seriouspronouncement,and,ofcourse,thecouponaskingyoutosendinabitof
yourselfalongwithyournameandaddress.Itallworkedinaquietlyspectacular
way.(Howard,elitistthathewas,alsotendedtorunhisadsinTheNewYorker,a
magazinewithreadersHowardcouldrelatetoandtheydid.)Responsesto
Howardscouponsandcontestswereturnedintobooksyes,bookscreated
fromresponsestohisadvertising.Howardunderstoodtheimportanceofbeing
interestingandinvolvingandhedidit,notbyfillingeverynookandcrannywith
hisowncreativityandcleverness,butbyhavingthegenerosityofspirittoinvite
theconsumertomaketheirowncontributionanofferthatwasoftenaccepted.
2. TaketheExtraEnvironmentalView.OK,nextbigpoint.Thisisathought
containedinoneofHowardsbestlines,whichhewentandattributedtosomeone
elseWedontknowwhodiscoveredwater,butwereprettysureitwasnta
fish.Howardsadsworkedbecausehewasfarbetteratunderstandingthegame
behindthegametheworldofmediathewaterallourlittleadsswimin.The
leverageofthatextraperspectivegaveGossageatremendouscompetitive
advantage.Howardsworkresonatedonalargerstagejustashiswritingswere
asapttoappearinHarpersasAdvertisingAge.Howardsawthebehindthe

scenesconnectionsandheknewhowtoworkthem.Inthevaudevilleactof
advertising,hepaidattentiontotheventriloquistnotthedummy.
3. StandUpandBeCounted.ThiswasmorethanaheadlineforIrishWhiskey,it
wasarocksolidbelief.Howardbelievedthatthepowerwehavetocommunicate
andpersuadewasalsoaresponsibilityonewithahigherpurpose.Arewetobe
knownonlyfortheproductswesoartfullypromote?Morecleverthumbtacksfor
thebilliondollarhammer?HowaboutsavingtheplanetwithFriendsofthe
Earth?Howarddidthat.TryingtostopawarHowardwasattheforefrontofthe
antiwarmovement,whateverthebusinessconsequence.HesupportedRamparts
magazineandawiderangeofprotestactions.WithRovercars,heworkedtoget
peopletowearseatbeltsdecadesbeforeDetroitfactoredsavinglivesintotheir
businessequation.Evenhissmallgooddeedshadsizableconsequences.He
helpedalittleclassicalradiostationstayinbusinessbyinventingtheBeethoven
sweatshirtaperfectfitforhisRainierAleaccount.Heworriedaboutbeing
rememberedforthat.
4. Flahoolick.Thisisourfourthandfinalpoint.ItsanIrishwordHoward
discovered(orinvented,youneverquiteknewwithHoward).Itdescribes
princelyexuberance.Itisthatcertainsomethingthatmakeseverypartya
celebrationoflife,everylunchanddinneracelebrationofcompanionshipand
connection,andeverymoment,everyday,oneworthseizing.Howardlivedthat
way.Hebelievedeverymanshouldbecomfortablewhileengaginginthe
necessarybusinessofrescuingtheworld.AndHowardwantsyoutomakeitpart
ofyouroperatingsystem.Youcandothis.Enjoyalonglunchwithgoodfriends.
Puttogetheradinnerwiththefinestmindsyoucanfitaroundatableandsee
wheretheeveninggoes.Rediscoverthejoyofwritingletters.Writesomething
worthputtingastampon.Sendit.Andseewhathappens.ThatshowHoward
becamebestfriendswithJohnSteinbeck.Thesethingsareavailabletoallofus
waitingtoenrichourlivesandthelivesofthosearoundus.Anddontholdback
forsomesillyreasonlikenoonespayingforit.Yet.
Andthatsit.Inabusinessthathasahardenoughtimegettingyourattentionforthirty
seconds,wehonorsomeonewhoselegacyhaslastedoverthirtyyears.AndIthink
Howardwouldapprovethatthesesomewhatlargethoughtsappearonthedeceptively
smallstageofanAAAAcademicnewsletter.Remember,HowardleftSanFranciscoto
spendarathersingularsemesterlecturingatPennState.Heunderstoodthateducation
thatreachingforahighermeaningandahigherpurposewassomethingthatevenan
advertisingpersoncoulddo.Hesendsyouhisbestandhopesthathislessonscanenrich
yourlivesandthelivesofthoseyouteach.
AmuchlessarticulateversionofthismessagewasserveduptotheLosAngelesCreative
ClubonSeptember23,2004,whenBruceBendingerandJeffGoodbypresentedHoward

GossagesCertificatenaminghimtoTheCopywritersHallofFame.Thecertificatehad
originallybeenacceptedposthumouslybyHowardsgoodfriend,KimRotzoll.