Then, reverse engineer it.

By reverse engineering, I mean try to figure out reasoning behind every decision. Why this envelope? Why this headline? Why this message to this recipient?

That's great thing about marketing - there are no secrets. If it works, it's out there getting in all our faces. If it doesn't, you won't see it... at least, not twice.

Try to get in habit of reverse engineering all marketing messages that hit you throughout day. Each of those messages cost someone money - they weren't taking potshots.

That's not to suggest that it's all good. Actually, you can learn as much from bad or inept marketing as from good stuff, so don't dismiss schlock too quickly.

If marketing is second language of Western world, then speaking it fluently is just a matter of developing some good listening skills. As with any language, there's a science behind art. Master underlying structure, and all power-packed headlines and spiffy taglines will follow.