The Copywriter’s Handbook- Chapter 6

Writing Print Advertisements

Different techniques for different mediums

magazines vs. newspapers, mail order vs. image, business vs. consumer

Basics of good print advertising are basically the same no matter what you are writing for.

1. Headline contains important consumer benefit.

2. Visual illustrates the main benefit stated in the headline.

3. Lead- Expand the theme of the headline.

4. Layout draws readers into the ad and invites them to read the body copy.

5. Body copy covers all important sales points in a logical sequence.

6. Copy provides the info needed to convince the greatest number of qualified prospects to take the next step in the buying process.

7. The copy is interesting to read.

8. The copy is believable.

9. The ad asks for action.

Slogans build consumer awareness of brand-name products.

• Pithy
• Memorable
• Sum of nature of the product or service
• Don’t force-fit a slogan

Only use a slogan if the product’s key selling proposition or its nature can be summed up in a single, catchy statement.

Small classified ads work differently than larger ads (ex. full page ads in magazines or newspapers)

Classified ads should not ask directly for an order. there is not enough copy to complete a sale.

Two-step process: 1. run a small classified ad to generate inquiries (a request for more information)

2. Once requested send an inquiry fulfillment kit (a sales package promoting your product)

An inquiry kit usually has: outer envelope, sales letter, circular or brochure, order form and reply envelope.

Successful kits usually attract 10 to 15 percent of original inquiries to orders.

Recent Ads

I just wanted to blog about a few ads I’ve seen recently. On my way to Manhattan a few weeks ago, I walked past a poster ad hanging on one of the walls on the Staten Island Ferry.  I don’t know what made me look at it but the advertisement was for Nicotra’s at the SI Hilton.  They were advertising the “perfect” wedding on beautifully manicured lawns and gardens, an outdoor gazebo and a banquet hall for the reception. There was one large background photo and several (three, I think) smaller photos in a column on the right side of the ad. The larger photo showed the lawn with the gazebo in the background and a bride in her wedding dress. The other photos were of the banquet hall, the food and a wedding cake I think. The bride appeared in one of these smaller photos. As soon as I saw this ad, I wondered…hmmm a perfect wedding, yet the groom is no where in sight! It was on the bride shown.

Another form of advertising I’ve noticed is on sporting events on cable television., specifically the channels FSN and MSG. About a month before the movie “Ghost Rider” came out, both networks began shameless promos DURING the action for this movie. A graphic taking up a major portion of the screen would appear about Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider and the play-by-play announcer would say “Only XX days until Ghost Rider is in theaters.” After numerous times per game and watching this every single game I couldn’t wait for the movie to come out! No, not because I would be first in line at the theater but so I could stop hearing this stupid advertisement during the game.

The Copywriter’s Handbook- Chapter 5

Getting Ready to Write

Preparing for a Copywriting Assignment

1. Get all previously published material on the product

Examples- tear sheets of previous ads, brochures, annual reports, catalogs, article reprints, technical papers, copies of speeches and presentations, audiovisual scripts, press kits, market research, advertising plans, web sites, letters from users of the product, back issues of promotional newsletters and e-zines, files of competitors’ ads and literature.

If the product is new, you can still get background material. Examples- internal memos, letters of technical information, product specifications, blueprints, plans, illustrations and photos of product phototypes, engineering drawings, business and market plans, reports, proposals.

2. Ask questions about the product

What are its features, benefits, price? How is it different? How does it work? What are the applications of the product? etc.

3. Ask Questions about your audience

Who will buy it? What does it do for them? What motivates the buyer? What type of person is the product being sold to? etc.

4. Determine the Objective of Your Copy

To generate inquiries

To generate sales

To answer inquiries

To qualify prospects

To generate store traffic

To introduce a new product or an improvement of an old product

To keep in touch with prospects and customers

Technique for Producing Profitable Advertising Ideas

1. Identify the problem

2. Assemble pertinent facts

3. Gather general knowledge

4. Look for combinations

5. Sleep on it

6. Use a checklist

7. Get feedback

8. Team up

9. Give new ideas a chance

The Copywriter’s Handbook- Chapter 4

Writing to Sell

Write about benefits and not about features.

Know how to translate a product’s features into benefits.

 Copy Formulas

AIDA- Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

ACCA- Awareness, Comprehension, Conviction (Convincing), Action

4P’s- Picture, Promise, Prove, Push (Take Action)

All three formulas  stress ACTION as the last step.  This reiterats that the point of advertising is to SELL the product.

Unique Selling Proposition 

example- M&M’s- “melts in your mouth, not in your hand”

No other company can now say this about their chocolate candy product. It’s unique to M&M’s.

1. Stress an underpublicized, little known benefit.

2. Dramatize a known benefit in a compelling fashion.

3. Dramatize the product name or package.

4. Build long-term brand personalities.

Secondary Promise 

If your ad states a large promise or reward for buying the product, add a smaller, secondary promise for those who doubt the bigger one.

Know Your Customer

Understand the needs of the marketplace.

What is their motivation for buying the product?

Observe consumers and be an active student in the marketplace.

BFD Formula 

Reach your prospects on all three levels- Intellectual, Emotional and Personal

Beliefs- what does your audience believe? What is their attitude towards your product and the problems or issues it addresses?

Feelings- How do they feel? Are they confident and brash? Nervous and fearful? What do they feel about the major issues in their lives, businesses, or industries?

Desires- What do they want? What are their goals? What change do they want in their lives that your product can help them achieve?

Positioning- Comparing the product to a familiar brand.

Examples- 7-Up, “the Un-Cola”

Avis- “we’re number 2 so we try harder.”

Alienation in American Society- Edited

Alienation in American Society

I agree that man’s alienation from himself, alienation from fellow man and alienation from the world in which he lives exist in the world today.

“He is alienated from the situation in which he is involved and, at the same time, alienated from himself,” the article says, because “when he witnesses the agony of a dying man, can only think of taking a picture, it shows the cleavage between prize-seeking photographer and the human being in him.” Taking a photograph doesn’t mean he is alienated from the situation. If he were a doctor and could have helped the man but he stopped just to take a photo then I think there would be a problem there. However, since he had no medical training to help the dying man, he used his skill in photography to capture the moment.

The article says how the examples illustrate how far indifference toward others has gone and how alienated the man of our time is. The examples about the segregated church and the attack in Kew Gardens show that people would rather have other people act first than to act themselves. I’m sure everyone who overheard the screams of the victim thought that someone else would call the police, therefore they didn’t have to. Is this alienation or just plain laziness or lack of initiative?

The Copywriter’s Handbook- chapter 3

Writing to Communicate

 Causes of confusing copy

“Borrowed Interest”

Lengthy Sentences

Cliches

Big Words

Not Getting to the Point

Technical Jargon

Lack of Specifics

Poor Organization

Ways to Write Clear Copy 

1. Put the reader first

2. Carefully organize your selling points

3. Break the writing into short sections

4. Use short sentences

5. Use simple words

6. Avoid technical jargon

7. Be concise

8. Be specific

9. Go straight to the point

10. Write in a friendly, conversational style

11. Avoid sexist language

Use Graphic Techniques to Emphasize Words or Phrases in the Copy 

• highlight
• Underline
• Bold

Questions to ask when you read your copy 
Does the copy fulfill the promise of the headline? Is it interesting? Is it easy to read? Is it believable? Is it persuasive? Is it specific? Is it concise? Is it relevent? Does it flow smoothly? Does it call for action?

The Copywriter’s Handbook- Chapters 1 and 2

An Introduction to Copywriting

Copywriting’s MOST important component is SALES.

Ads that are entertaining, funny, provocative or aesthetically pleasing are sometimes liked by people but these people do not necessarily buy the product.

In order to convince consumers, the product should:

1. Get Attention

2. Communicate

3. Persuade

Internet Copywriting

Largely the same as print

1. Remember to omit needless words

2. Make copy relevant to the reader

3. Respect intelligence, don’t talk down, and convey valuable infomation

4. Convenience and speed of delivery

5. Option of online, print or combination of the two.

 Writing to Get Attention-The Headline

Headline- First Impressions- Most Important Element

5x as many people read the headline as the body text.

Put sales appeal in Headline

1. Self Interest

2. Appeal to Needs

3. Question

Offer benefits to the consumers. Give specific, helpful information.

Headline Can Perform 4 Different Tasks

1. Get Attention

2. Select the Audience

3. Deliver a Complete Message

4. Draw the reader into the Body Copy

GOOD HEADLINE WORDS 

NEW, DISCOVER, INTRODUCING, ANNOUNCING, NOW, IT’S HERE, AT LAST, JUST ARRIVED, FREE

Other Powerful Headline Words

WHY, QUICK, EASY, BARGAIN, LAST CHANCE, RESULTS, GUARANTEE

Attention getting for the skate of attention getting rarely results in SALES.  It may attract people but few are serious customers.

Clear, Bold, Dramatic style for Headlines that show important customer benefits

Select the Right Audience. Deliver a Complete Message- Use a complete statement in the headline sinc emost people don’t read beyond it. Include selling promise and brand name in the headline. Draw the reader into the body copy. Arouse reader’s curiosity.

Four U’s Formula for Writing Effective Headlines

1. Urgent- give the readers a reason to act NOW

2. Unique- Say something new or say it in a new and fresh way.

3. Ultra-Specific

4. Useful- Self-Interest- offer benefit

Remember: Who is the customer? What are the most important product features? Why will the customer want to buy the product?

Swipe File- A collection of promotions that you turn to for reference when creating your own marketing materials.

Alienation in American Society

Alienation in American Society

I agree that there are three different types of alienation. Man’s alienation from himself, alienation from fellow man and alienation from the world in which he lives.

I don’t necessarily agree with the example related about the photographer. “He is alienated from the situation in which he is involved and, at the same time, alienated from himself,” the article says because, “when he witnesses the agony of a dying man, can only think of taking a picture, it shows the cleavage between prize-seeking photographer and the human being in him.” Just because he took a photograph of the man doesn’t mean he is alienated from the situation. If he were a doctor and could have helped the man and he stopped just to take a photo then I think there would be a problem there. However, since he probably had no way of helping the dying man he used his skill in photography to capture the moment.

The article says how the examples illustrate how far indifference toward others has gone and how alienated the man of our time is. I think the examples about the segregated church and the attack in Kew Gardens shows that people would rather have other people act first than to act themselves. I’m sure everyone who overheard the screams of the victim thought that someone else would call the police therefore they didn’t have to. Is this alienation or just plain laziness or lack of initiative?

Advertisements

The NHL suffered a PR nightmare in the 2004-2005 season when the entire season was lost to a lockout. In order to regain the support of the fans who were upset about the loss of the entire season, they started a ‘My NHL’ campaign with advertisements on television and in print. The ads from this season (2006-2007) all focus around a superstar player and show him in a situation everyday fans would find themselves in. The tag line at the end if “NHL players are just like me and you… Plus they’re really good at hockey.”

In the first commercial two players from the Tampa Bay Lightning are at home playing a video game. Brad Richards argues that Vinny Lecavalier is cheating and then he gets up, knocks the remote from his hand, and storms off.

The second commercial features many of the stars from throughout the leagu. This was filmed during the All Star weekend. It shows the players in a hotel. We first see Alexander Ovechkin on the phone ordering room service for one person- but he orders enough for 30. It cuts to other scenes of players- some throwing water balloons off a balcony, others playing hockey with miniature sticks and breaking a vase, others racing in the hallways on luggage carts, others scratching a sleeping player with a feather after putting shaving cream in his hands. The commercial ends with Ovechkin telling the room service operator that his name is Sidney Crosby and we then hear a knock at the door. Crosby opens the door to find room service at his door with all of the food Ovechkin ordered.

The third commercial features Ovechkin once again. This time he is alone in a hockey rink. He stops at a vending machine to get some chips but it gets stuck. He tries shaking the machine, kicking it, putting his stick up the hole, and even gets the owner of the team to help him get his chips.

The fourth commercial featured Joe Thronton reading the paper at breakfast. A plate of toast is in front of him and he tries to butter it. The toast is burnt and the butter won’t spread without breaking the bread. He tries another batch but he can’t get the toaster to work.

The fifth commercial features twin brothers who play for the Vancouver Canucks, Henrik and Daniel Sedin. We first see a hotel room with guys sitting around watching tv, playing poker and talking at a bachelor party. They are excited because “Swedish twins are coming.” They all get themselves ready- fixing their hair, unbuttoning the top button on their shirt, etc. A knock is heard at the door and they open it to find the two hockey players dressed in full uniform- the Swedish twins. Not exactly what they were expecting. One of the guys puts music on and the players begin dancing.

Each of these commercials ends with the “NHL players are just like me and you…plus they’re really good at hockey.” The commercials aren’t shown that often except during games but the fans appreciate them. They are basically shown not to get new fans but to reinforce the NHL among thepeople who are already fans of the league.

Everyone can definitely relate to most of them, especially the one with Alexander Ovechkin and the vending machine. It brings the players to a level attainable to the fans who watch them and makes them more real.

Here are the links to watch them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZUTiEdhL30

(LeCavalier and Richards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OMk1s9s8K8&mode=related&search=

(All Star Road Trip)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=M2dlS47aync

(Ovechkin)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zKH8TZdWRdw

(Thornton)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Iw7xpdwmSE4

(Henrik and Daniel Sedin)

Massa, Come Home

Assignment #3

As I was reading Mark Crispin Miller’s article I was amazed at the attention to detail in the commercials he wrote about. For the Come to Jamaica commercial, Miller analyzed every little aspect of the thirty-second advertisement.
The second part of this article (Getting Dirty) surprised me the most. As I was reading it, I could not believe that every little placement of an object was manipulated for a specific reason (the name of the wife, the man looking down from the window, the flower pot placed over his groin, etc.). I know that in films, television shows, and commercials many things are well-thought out about placement and color and things like that, but this article made every little object that appeared in the commercial a matter of great importance. I have a hard time believing that this is true and no object is just set-up without great analysis of what it means in that particular position.
“Of course, most of what we see in a good commercial was probably calculated by its makers, who are quite sophisticated, and who spend immense amounts of time and money on each thirty- or sixty-second bit. Nevertheless, some of these nuances might have been unconsciously intended, details that just “seemed right” as part of the commercial’s general drift.” (Page 32)

I believe that this has more truth to it than every little detail being overanalyzed by numerous people to manipulate the audience to think a certain way about the place being advertised. Even if everything was analyzed as closely as the article says, I don’t think the majority of people give great thought to these advertisements like the writer has done.