In publishing, there’s something called “the underground test” in which the publishers are asked a very simple question:

“Will people feel comfortable reading this book on the London underground?”

If the answer is no, for whatever reason, then the book’s title, cover or content needs a rethink.

As a copywriter, my first question was: “How does this apply to marketing?”

(Full disclosure – this is usually called “the subway test” but I’m British and there’s not an ice cube’s chance in Hell I’m writing an article in which I constantly reference the “subway.”

“The underground” is a much better phrase – makes me feel a bit like a womble).

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What would stop you reading a book on the underground?

Imagine this:

It’s 5:23 pm and you’re sat in crowded tube carriage.

People are crammed in, everyone eying each other nervously, wondering which of us is the pick pocket.

What if the cover was adorned with the sort of images you might find in a Playboy magazine?

You see the point of the “London Underground test” now, don’t you?

How does this apply to marketing?

Simply put, if your brand or the products you sell are taboo – you’re going to struggle to sell them.

If they’re embarrassing to own or cringy or awkward – you’re going to have problems.

Consider not just the utility of the product – because it may indeed be useful – but also the look, the smell, and the status it imposes on the one who buys it.

Think about the product positioning, the mythology behind it, the story you are going to tell.

In short, if you’re a marketer and you are worried that the product you’re selling doesn’t pass the underground test you need to do two things.

Change the product, or change your marketing strategy.

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