Before you write any piece of copy, you need to figure out if the idea you’re writing about is any good. If your idea sucks ass, your copy will suck ass…
“A recent study of the advertising now running in our leading magazines shows that less than 20% of the campaigns have a U.S.P.” A U.S.P is a unique selling proposition. It’s something that sets a product or service apart from the competition. But you knew that. And you probably know — deep down — the majority of modern advertising lacks one. Weird thing is: the quote above is not from a creative director lamenting the…
At this time of year, you tend to see every man and his dog laying down their predictions for the year… I find the exercise a bit ‘meh’, to be honest. Predicting how the world will change is a real fool’s errand. Don’t get me wrong… Keeping an eye on how general trends are shifting is worth doing and can help influence your copy to make sure it remains relevant. But trying to predict specific…
One thing that struck me recently is how confused some people are about the kind of copywriting I do. You see I recently sponsored the ProCopywriters Conference in London (#CopyCon17). It was an interesting day, happily spent in the company of 200 or so professional copywriters. You may well have been one of them. If so, you may have even seen me doing my best impersonation of a professional conference attendee, loitering weirdly in the…
If you work in copywriting, there’s probably a copy of The Copywriter’s Handbook somewhere near you… Maybe it’s in that drawer you’ve not checked for a while… or hidden on the shelf between the Ogilvy, Hopkins and Schwartz… heck, it might be right next to you, acting as a coaster. Point is: this book is everywhere. And so it should be. You see, its author Robert W. Bly – or Bob, as he’s better known – is one of the most respected copywriters…
“Sell, or else,” pronounced legendary ad man, David Ogilvy many a decade ago. And, ever since, this unflinching commandment has been passed down from copywriter to copywriter. It’s the great leveller; the simple reminder that whatever the media, your aim remains the same: you sell, my boy, you sell if it’s the last thing you do. But is it the right aim? Or rather, is it the right message? Is the perceived wisdom of ‘a…
It takes a pretty clued-up guy to help turn a tiny spare bedroom start-up into a hugely successful, nine-figure business that employed over 200 people… That said – you and I both know copywriters are pretty clued-up folks, right? US copywriter Brian McLeod certainly proves that. After co-founding one of the most successful product development companies in America, these days he runs FastEffectiveCopy.com, along with his business partner David Garfinkel. I caught up with him…
‘When we tell stories about creativity…we neglect to mention those days when we wanted to quit, when we believed that our problem was impossible. Instead, we skip straight to the breakthrough. We tell the happy ending first. ‘The danger of this scenario is that the act of feeling frustrated is an essential part of the creative process. Before we can find the answer — before we can even know the question — we must be…
I love this… I took this snap on a weekend away in Minehead; a seaside town in the south-west of England. We were walking along the promenade when I spotted this sign planted above a ramshackle bookcase propped up against someone’s front wall. And just look at it… A nice big, bold headline that has an implicit benefit – it’s a book SALE. Then, if the offer enticement of a sale wasn’t strong enough, it…