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Copywriting
How to craft the most interesting and effective copy imaginable
copywriting
copywriting
Howtocraftthemostinteresting andeffectivecopyimaginable
RogerHorberry
PEARSONEDUCATIONLIMITED
EdinburghGate
HarlowCM202JE
Tel: 44(0)1279623623
Fax: 44(0)1279431059
Website:www.pearsoned.co.uk
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2009
©PearsonEducationLimited2009
TherightofRogerHorberrytobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhasbeen assertedbyhiminaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct 1988.
ISBN:978-0-273-72734-7
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
AcatalogrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheLibraryofCongress
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedina retrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withouteithertheprior writtenpermissionofthepublisheroralicencepermittingrestrictedcopying intheUnitedKingdomissuedbytheCopyrightLicensingAgencyLtd,Saffron House,6–10KirbyStreet,LondonEC1N8TS.Thisbookmaynotbelent, resold,hiredoutorotherwisedisposedofbywayoftradeinanyformof bindingorcoverotherthanthatinwhichitispublished,withouttheprior consentofthePublishers.
ThepublisherswouldliketothankMovieMakerMagazineforpermissionto reproducetheextractonpage58.
10987654321 1312111009
IllustrationsbyMarkGravil,sc.sixty5@dsl.pipex.com Typesetin10/14ptPlantinby3
PrintedandboundbyHenryLingLtd,attheDorsetPress,Dorchester,Dorset
Thepublisher’spolicyistousepapermanufacturedfromsustainableforests.
ForLindsay,Lucy,LotteandGeorge.
NowyouknowwhatIdoallday.
Abouttheauthor
I’mRogerHorberry,I’mmarriedwithtwochildrenandIlivein NorthYorkshire.BydayI’mafreelancecopywriterworkingfor variousdesign,brandingandadvertisingagencies.BynightI makewilfullyobscuremusic.Overthelast25yearsI’vereleased tenCDsthattogetherhaveearnedmeliterallyhundredsof pounds. BrilliantCopywriting ismyfirstfull-lengthbook.
Writetomeatroger@rogerhorberry.com.
Acknowledgements
I’dliketoexpressmyconsiderablegratitudetoJohnSimmons forhisendlessencouragementandsupport,mywifeLucy Wilsonforputtingupwithmebeingweirdforweeksatatime, thegoodpeopleatwww.26.org.uk(anot-for-profitwriters’ groupdedicatedtoinspiringagreaterloveofwordsinbusiness andinlife),andmymarvellouscopywriterintervieweesin Part3.Atipo’thehattoyouall.
Howtousethisbook
Readthisbitfirst–it’llhelpyougetthebestfromwhat follows.
Togetafeelforthejobofcopywritingandtoimmerse yourselfinthephilosophyofbeingabrilliantcopywriter, lookatPart1. Itconcentratesonthetheoryofbrilliantcopywriting,althoughthereareplentyofpracticaltipsscattered throughout.
Ifyouwantpracticaltoolstoimproveyourwriting,go straighttoPart2. Itdescribeshands-ontechniquesforbrilliantcopywriting.Itendswithaseriesofworkedexamplesthat showwhatbrilliantcopywritingmeansinpractice.
Finally,foraninsightintohowtopcopywriterswork,goto Part3. Itcontainsanumberofin-depthinterviewswithsuccessfulpractitionersaswellassummariesoftheirmainideas.
Callmeanoldstick-in-the-mud,butstartingatthebeginning andreadingtotheendisprobablythebestwaytodigest Brilliant Copywriting.However,thisbookisdesignedtobereadindifferentwaysbydifferentreaders.Anyonenewtotheworldof copywritingwillgetagoodoverviewfromPart1.Ifyou’rean establishedcopywriterandyou’dliketotopupyourtoolboxof techniquesthengotoPart2.Experiencedwriterscouldstart withtheinterviewsinPart3beforeheadingbackintothebody ofthebook.Basically,howyouuseituptoyou.
Preface
Inthebeginning
Inthelate1890saCanadianMountienamedJohnE.Kennedy hunguphishat,handedinhisgunanddidwhatanyrock-jawed lawenforcementoperativewoulddoinsimilarcircumstances–hegotintoadvertising.Notjustanyadvertising,mind.Kennedy wasconcernedwithcopy.Theadvertisingagenciesofhisday employedplentyofpeoplecalledcopywriters,buttheircraftwas farfromfullydefined.Kennedyhadthoughtlongandhard abouthowwordscouldbemadetoworkharder.Herealisedthe burgeoningadvertisingindustrywasmissingatrickandthathe wasthemantoputthingsright.Sothat’sexactlywhathesetout todo.
Fast-forwardafewyearstoaMayeveningin1904.Kennedyis seatedinaChicagosaloon.Hescribblesabriefnotetothe directorsofanadvertisingagencythatoccupiedtheupperfloors ofthebuilding.Accordingtolegendthenoteread:
Iaminthesaloondownstairs.Icantellyouwhatadvertisingis.I knowyoudon’tknow.Itwillmeanmuchtometohaveyouknow whatitisanditwillmeanmuchtoyou.Ifyouwishtoknowwhat advertisingis,sendtheword‘yes’downbythebellboy.
SomehowthenotemadeittoAlbertLasker,oneoftheagency’s juniorpartners.Laskerwasgettingreadytogohomeforthe eveningbutwassufficientlyintriguedbyitschutzpahtoinvite theimpudentKennedyupstairsforachat.Mostpeoplewould
havewrittenKennedyoffasanover-refreshedpunterandasked securitytohaveaquietword.NotLasker.Tohiscredit(and indeedimmenseenrichment)hesawsomethinginKennedy’s scrawlworthyofinvestigation,andbythetimethetwoofthem partedintheearlyhoursofthenextdaynothingincopywriting wouldbethesameagain.
DuringthatmeetingKennedyrevealedtoLaskerhisbiginsight –thatcopywritingis‘salesmanshipinprint’.Nothingmore, nothingless.Hecomplainedthatadvertsdidn’tneedtobe ‘charmingoramusingornecessarilypleasingtotheeye’but insteadtheyshouldbea‘rational,unadornedinstrumentofselling’.Thecopyshouldtalkneitherdownnoruptoitsreader; insteaditshouldaddresstheminawaythatleftthem‘opento appealsmadebysensiblearguments’.
Allofthissoundseminentlysensibleuntilyoustarttodigalittle deeper.Kennedy’shard-headed‘salesmanshipinprint’isagreat start,butit’sonlyhalfthestory.Takethisapproachtoofarand prettysooncopywritingbecomes coldandunconvincing.Peoplerarely buyforwhollyrationalreasons,and inmanycasescopywritingthatis ‘charmingoramusing’ can outperformitsrationalrelation.Not thatyou’dknowitfromthelacklustrecopyputbeforetoday’s long-sufferingpublic.Thesadfactisthatalthoughsellingand salesmanshipderivemuchoftheirpowerfrombrilliantcopywriting,mostcopywritingisfarfrombrilliant.Infactmostofit doesn’treallywork.Why?Becausenoonereadsit.Why?Because it’sboring.Orbad.Orjustplainirrelevant. Sorry,butit’strue.
Mostcopyisn’twrittenwiththereaderinmind.Itdoesn’t answertheirquestions,speaktheirlanguageortickletheirfancy. Andcopythatisn’twrittenforitsreaderisalmostcertainlydestinedtofail.
Tryingtobrowbeatyouraudience intosubmissionthroughatoxicmix ofdullwritingandendlessrepetitionisadesperate,wasteful strategy.Theansweristo MakeIt Interesting,myhighlypresumptuous updatetoKennedy’sthree-wordformulaforsuccess.Ifthis bookhasonemainmessageit’sthatbrilliantcopywriting almostalwaysappealstoitsreadersforreasonsotherthanpure reason–inotherwordsKennedy’srationalist‘reasonsto believe’approachmustbetemperedwithwhateverittakesto capturethereader’simagination,andthatusuallymeansintroducingsomethingsofter,moreemotional,andaboveall interesting.
rationalisgood; emotionalisbetter brilliantcopywriting almostalwaysappeals toitsreadersforreasons otherthanpurereason
Aboutthisbook
Whoit’sfor
Inthepastcopywritersworkedforadvertisingagencies;today theycropupinallmannerofcreativecompanies.Consequently thisbookisaimedat anyone whouseswordstopersuadeorsell. Youmightworkinadvertising,design,branding,PR,journalism,marketingorsales;equallyyoumightbeamanager interestedinhowcopyworks,astudentwhowantstobreakinto copywriting,orateacherlookingforcoursematerial.Allare welcomehere.Theonlythingthatunitesthemanydifferent tribesforwhomIwrotethisbookisthattheywanttoimprove howtheypersuadeinprint.
Thatlastpointisimportant.ThecopywritingIdescribeisprimarilyforpageandscreen;ifyouneedtoknowaboutthe specialisedtaskofcopywritingforTV,radio,outdoorandso onthereareseveralexcellentbookslistedintheBibliography andFurtherReadingsectionattheback.Thisbookfocuseson whatI’lldescribeasmarketingcopywriting.However,I happentobelievethatwritersworkingindesign,branding, businessandsoonhavemuchtolearnfromourcolleaguesin advertising,ahunchthatIhopeisborneoutinthevarious interviewswithadvertisingpeopletowardstheend.Nogroup hasamonopolyonknowledge;themoreweshare,themore weallbenefit.
What’sinside
Thisbookisdividedintothreeparts:Background,Methodand Interviews.Wherepossibletheemphasisison doing.That’sone ofthegreatthingsaboutcopywriting–you create stuff.Inmy opinionthepleasureofturninginagreatpieceofcopy–anythingfromashortphrasetoalengthythink-piece–canmakeall thedeadends,rejections,delaysandgeneralnonsensethatcome withthejobworthwhile.
Inevitablythisbookcontainsallsortsof,well,not rules,let’scall themprinciplesandmethods.Somefreespiritswillsaysuch thingsactasabrakeonbrilliantcopy.That’saniceidea,butlike manysuchideasit’sbunk.Withoutasoundknowledgeofthe nutsandboltsofbrilliantcopywritingthechancesarethata writer,evenanaturallytalentedone,willproducealoadofselfindulgentpoppycock.It’stheoldsawabouthavingtoknowthe rulesinordertobreakthem.SoifattimesIsoundslightly didacticImakenoapology.
Onbeingbrilliant
Forme,‘brilliantcopy’issimplycopythat works –itgrabsthe reader’sattention,getsitsmessageacrossandpersuadesthemto act–anditdoesallthatwitheconomy,witandstyle.Attheend ofPart2I’veincludedexamplesof justsuchcopy,drawnfromworkI’ve doneovertheyears.Thisisnot–repeat, not –becauseI’mincredibly pleasedwithmyself.Onepeekinto theseethingpitoftormentthatismy creativesoulwouldsoonconvince youotherwise.No,it’ssimplythatthismaterialhelpsmemake thepointsIneedtomakewithoutanywearisomecopyright issues.
brilliantcopywriting grabsthereader’s attention,getsits messageacrossand persuadesthemtoact
Andwhilewe’reonthesubjectofconfessions,let’shaveanother. Canthisbook–anybook– really makeyouabrilliantcopywriter?Itrulydon’tknow.WhatIdoknowisthatwhatfollows willgiveyourcopywritingcareerarocket-assistedlaunch.You’ll learnhowsomereallygreatwritersgoabouttheirbusinessand you’llpickupallsortsoftipsandtricksthatwouldotherwise takeyearstoacquire.Therest–realistically–isuptoyou.That’s fairenough,isn’tit?
PART1
Background
CHAPTER1
Thebasics
Whatexactly is copywriting?
It’sanobviousquestion,butlikemanyobviousquestionsthe answerisn’texactlystraightforward.Onecopywritermightbe workingonascriptforacorporatepresentation,thenextperfectingpackcopyforposhsausages,whileathirdiscraftingaTV campaignforacharity.Soonelegitimateanswertothequestion ‘Whatexactlyiscopywriting?’is‘Marvellouslyvaried’.
Another,slightlymoreobliging,answertotheabovequestionis thatcopywritingisthejobofusingtherightwords,tosaythe rightthing,totherightpeople,toget therightresponse.Those‘right words’canappearinanynumberof places,includingadverts,annual reports,articles,brochures,case studies,companyandproduct names,datasheets,directmailers, flyers,leaflets,letters,newsletters,packaging,posters,presentations,straplines,websitesandplentymorebesides.
copywritingisthejobof usingtherightwords,to saytherightthing,to therightpeople,toget therightresponse
Anotheranswer–touchedonintheanecdoteaboutJohnE. KennedyinthePreface–isthatcopywritingisthebusinessof sellingwithcontent.Iuse‘sell’intheloosestsensebecause copywritingisaboveallabout persuasion.Copywritersaimto convincetheirreadersofthemeritsofaparticularproduct, service,argumentorwhatever,andthengetthemtoact
accordingly.Sometimesthatmeansanovert,‘buyme’-typesell; atothertimesit’saboutgettingthemtobuyintoyourwayof thinkingandseethingsfromaparticularpointofview.This emphasisonpersuasiondoesn’tmeancopywritingisintrinsicallylesssatisfyingthanotherformsofwriting.Onthecontrary, focusingyourthoughtsintoanintensebeamthatignitesyour reader’simaginationandcausesthemtoactinsomewayisevery bitaschallengingaswritingfiction,andthechancesareyou’ll beinworkalotmoreandpaidratherbetter.
Putallthistogetherandformeacopywriterisaprofessional persuaderresponsibleforcreatingaspecificmessagefora specificaudienceforaspecificpurpose.Copywritersneed imaginationtocreateinterestingideas,andcraftskilltocapture thoseideasinaformofwordsthatappealstotheirreaders.It’s thecopywriter’sjobtoanswertheunspoken‘Sowhat?’intheir readers’minds.Ifyoucanmakeyourcaseinawaythatgets throughyouraudience’smentaldefencesthenyou’veachance ofmakingthesaleItalkedaboutearlier.
Somecopywritersholdstaffpositionswhileothersarefreelance, awayofworkingthatmanycopywriterstryatsomepointin theircareer.Itseemstosuitthemisanthropicstreakinourcollectivecharacterandoftenoffersmorevariety(andindeedmore cold,hardcash)thanastaffposition.Ontheotherhand,freelancerstendtotakewhateverworkcomestheirwayregardlessof itsquality,andjobsecurityisthestuffofdreams(andoccasionallynightmares).
Despiteclaimsoframpantindividualismmanycopywriters exhibitcommoncharactertraits.Theseincludeobsessive curiosityaboutallmannerofoddsubjects,amagpie-liketendencytostealshinywordsandphrasesforuseanotherday,a senseofhumour,theabilitytobuckledownandworkhard whentheoccasiondemands,andthehappyknackofthinking visually.
Thislastoneisespeciallyimportantwithinthecontextof advertisinganddesign –a quickflipthroughanyD&AD Annualrevealsthatmanyofthemosteffectiveandsuccessful entriesfeatureverylittlewriting,yettheycommunicatewith theutmostefficacy.It’saclichétosaythat‘sometimesthe bestcopyisnocopyatall’butthatdoesn’tmakeitanyless true.Thecopywriterwhocanthinkvisuallywillalwaysbeable togetthemessageacross,regardlessoftheirparticular medium.
Inanutshell:
● Copywritingisaboutsellingwithcontent.
● It’saboutusingtherightwords,tosaytherightthing,to therightpeople,togettherightresponse.
● Acopywriterisaprofessionalpersuaderresponsiblefor creatingaspecificmessageforaspecificaudiencefora specificpurpose.
Whatcopywritersdoallday
Clearlythere’sacertainamountofstaringintospacetobedone. Likewisetea-makingandchatting.Butintheendmostcopywritersspendmostoftheirdaybehindacomputereither writing,researchingorthinking.
Ifyouworkforanagencyyou’llalsoattendmeetings(both internalandexternal),someofwhichwillactuallybeuseful.If you’reafreelanceryou’llattendfewermeetingsbutmorespeculativeinterviewswhereyoushowyourportfolioorbookto thosetranscendentindividuals(typicallycreativedirectors)who commissionfreelancecopywriting.Butmainlythecopywriter’s dayiscomposedofreading,writingandthinking.Andstaring intospace.
Nowforafewmoreobservationsonthecopywriter’slot.
Assimilationiseverything
givingyourselfsufficient thinkingtimeisan importantpartof creatingbrilliantcopy
Improbableasitmaysound,spacegazing(asmybrother-in-law callsit)isanessentialpartofthecopywriter’sday.Givingyourselfsufficientthinkingtimeisan importantpartofcreatingbrilliant copy.Ideallyyoushouldaimfora 1:1ratiobetweenintake(typically reading,watchingorlistening)and assimilation(typicallythinking, understandingandconnecting),
althoughthat’softenhardtoachieve.I’lltalkabouttheprocess ofhavingideaslaterinthisbook,butfornowI’llleaveitby sayingthatinformationitselfisprettyuseless,it’s understanding –thegildedprogenyofthinkingandassimilation–thatmakes knowledgeuseful.Scrimponthisandyourchancesofwriting brilliantcopyaresorelyreduced.
Gettingthethinkingright
Theprocessofidentifying,improvingandcapturingideasisthe dynamicbehindmuchcopywriting,andit’sherethatcopywritersmakecanmakearealcontributiontothecreative process.Theactofgettingsomethingdownonpaperorscreen forcesthecopywritertoexplorethelimitsoftheidea,totestits integrityandtofixanyproblemsencountered.Ican’toveremphasisehowimportantthisideaof‘gettingthethinkingright’ canbe–ifapieceofcopyisn’tconceptuallyrobustthenitspersuasivemissionisunlikelytosucceed.Getthefoundationsright andwhateverfollowshasatleastafightingchanceoffulfilling thebrief.
Firstin,lastout
Eventhemostbrilliantcopywriterwon’tmakemuchimpactif they’reonlybroughtinatthelastminute.Askingsomepoor copymonkeytoconvertblocksof lorumipsem embeddedin
finisheddesignsintorealwordsisn’thelpinganyone–theresult willinevitablybeunsatisfyingandsuperficial.No,inordertodo theirjobwellacopywriterneedstogetinvolvedatthestartof thecreativeprocessandstayinvolveduntiltheend.
Here’showitworks.Acopywritingprojecttypicallybeginswith oneormoreclientmeetings.Ifthere’sevenahintofchemistry betweenclientandcreativethere’llbeplentyofideasflying about.Atthisearlystageeverythingmatters,eventhemostgruesomeclichés(ofwhichtherewillbeplenty),becausethesmallest remarkorasidemaysaysomethingfundamentalabouthowthe clientviewstheirproduct,theirmarket,theircustomers,their employeesandthemselves.Someoneneedstopanforgoldin thisstreamofconsciousness.Someoneneedstospotthegood stuff,developitandpresentitbacktoeveryoneinvolvedfor furtherrefinement.Inshort,someoneneedsto turntheideasinto words,andnaturallythatsomeoneisthecopywriter.Itmakes sense–wordsarequick,easyandcheaptoworkwith,idealfor whatindustrialdesignersandsoftwareengineerscallrapidprototyping.Onlywheneveryoneinvolvedisvaguelyhappywiththe ideasbeingdiscussedisitappropriatetounleashothercreative personnel,typicallydesignersorartdirectors.
Oncethat’shappenedcopywriterscanprovidealinkbetweenthe thinkingandthedoingphasesofaproject.Writingprovidescontinuityandensurescoherenceinthefinalexecution.Ithelpsmatters enormouslyifaproject’scopywriteristhesamepersonwhocontributedatthethinkingstage,notleastbecausethey’llthenbeable tosellthefinalideatotheclientinawaythatbothassuresand excites.AsIsay,acopywritershouldbefirstinandlastout.
Makingitthroughmeetings
Finally,atiptogetyouthroughyourday(andindeedyourcareer) relativelyunscathed–beyourselfasmuchaspossible.Inparticular don’tworryabouttheimpressionyou’recreatinginmeetings–the
