Transcript Advertising & Copy Development Workshops

Introduction to Copywriting
What exactly is copy?
Some definitions:
• “The text of an ad, commerical or promotion.”
[Bly]
• “Written content in publications, in contrast to
photographs or other elements of layout.”
[Wikipedia]
• “Words in promotions.” [Jordan ]
Four Main Purposes of Ads / Copy
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Sell products directly
Generate sales leads
Build product / company awareness
Build company image / support branding efforts
Copy Objectives
stimulate sales
grab attention
create awareness
establish brand identity
establish/cue brand position and/or image
create mental associations
cue emotional appeal
stimulate interest
provide information/educate
promote understanding of features, benefits, advantages
demonstrate how to use/do something
create brand liking
stimulate brand recognition
stimulate message recall
stimulate brand preference or intention to buy
create conviction or instill belief
stimulate change of opinion, viewpoint or attitude
stimulate behavior (buy, call, click, visit, donate, etc.)
stimulate repeat purchases
build brand loyalty
remind
generate buzz or word of mouth advertising
create advocacy and referrals
increase general category sales/awareness ***
Basic questions for any copy
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What is the client’s real problem?
Can I solve the problem creatively with marketing communications?
Do I know the target audience?
Do I understand and respect the particular cultural nuances of the target?
Do I know how they feel about my product?
Do I know the product features/benefits?
What is the One Thing I can say or show about this product?
How much do I need to say or show? Do I even need copy?
How is this product currently positioned?
How do we want the product to be positioned?
Do I know the competition’s strengths and weaknesses?
What should the tone be?
Execution: Where is your audience?
Conative
Realm of motives.
Ads stimulate or direct
desires.
Purchase
Conviction
Preference
Affective
Realm of emotions.
Ads change attitudes
and feelings
Liking
Knowledge
Cognitive
Realm of thoughts.
Ads provide information
and facts.
Point of purchase
Retail store ads, Deals
“Last-chance” offers
Price appeals, Testimonials
Competitive ads
Argumentative copy
“Image” copy “Transformational
ads”
Status, glamour appeals
Announcements
Descriptive copy
Classified ads
Slogans, jingles, skywriting
Awareness
Teaser campaigns
Originality
When I write copy…
Should I be original?
Or should I re-use what has already worked?
Clever or Straight?
When I write copy…
Should I be clever?
Or should I be straightforward?
Tone
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Finding your voice
Emotional tenor
Look and feel, pace
Does it fit product, message, market, target
audience and “the times”?
• Resonance: Invoking a meaningful emotion in
consumers (“This ad resonates with me…”)
The Creative Brief
Creative Brief
• A creative brief (strategy or work plan) is a
short statement that clearly defines the
audience, how consumers think or feel and
behave, what the communication should
accomplish, and the promise that will create a
bond between the consumer and the brand.
Creative Work Plan
Key observation
Communication objective
Consumer insight
Promise and support
Audience
Mandatories
Sample Creative Brief
Creative Brief
(yet another version from Altstiel and Grow)
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What do we want to accomplish? (objective)
Who are we talking to? (target audience)
What do they think now? (current position)
What do we want them to think? (reinforce position or
reposition)
• Why should they think this? (features/benefits)
• What is our message? (the One Thing and how you say it and
show it including tone)
General Copywriting Principles
Effective Copy is…
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Succint: As short as can be.
Single-Minded: One idea at a time.
Specific: Hones in on what’s important.
Personal: Feels like someone is addressing my needs
and talking directly to me.
Conversational: Uses informal language that sounds
like people talk (well, almost…).
Original: Doesn’t use clichés. No “ad-ese”.
Vivid: Stirs the imagination.
Daring: Ok to occasionally break grammatical rules
Assertive Yet Humble: No “brag-and-boast”.
Art or Science?
• Some aspects of copywriting are formulaic
(science).
– All the guidance you see in the slides, text, etc.
• Other aspects are not formulaic at all (art).
– Creativity
– Strategic rule-breaking
• Copywriting is an ART and a SCIENCE…
Your Goals for This Course
• Find your copywriting “voice”.
• Write better copy than when you started.
• Discover which kinds of copy you write best
(your “copywriting niche”)
• Become more proficient at editing other
people’s copy.
• Learn how to take criticism.
• Overcome your writing fears.
Copywriting … How to
• When you’re not sure how to phrase it, for
starters, write “like a Caveman”. Then add
structure…
• Altstiel/Grow: “Write hot. Edit cold.”
• Every word matters. Order matters. Flow
matters. Edit ruthlessly!
– “Unedited content annoying is very to read.”
Don’t let all the copywriting “rules” drive you crazy.
Just write.