It because all other marketing ideas have been exhausted!

Does it help? Who knows, and nobody really will know unless some sort of peer reviewed research is conducted. First pass nothing, second pass with red hook, bingo. Doesnt really mean much, maybe some other more important variable changed slightly, some variable that humans cant detect. There are way too many variables for when and why fish bite, and its been proven that the human brain can only process x number of variables at one time, beyond that we just cant do it.

Presentation, timing, knowledge, and confidence is what puts fish in the boat. And if you have confidence in red hooks, then use them. If you truly believe a red hook will increase bites, you have great confidence when throwing them, you fish better, the results are better and for most the end result is that it was the red hook, not the other things. I do have red hooks, only cause they were given to me free, and I do use them and I do catch fish on them. But I really think that any positive effect from them is miniscule compared to the other variables involved.

PS: while sitting on the couch bored, I found a beer bottle cap in the couch. I got to fiddling with it and by the end of the night I had what looked like a good spoon. First cast I caught a brown trout, Im gonna market this thing and get rich. You all know what Im talking bout.