Upload
anil-saini
View
61
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Copywriting
MODULE Outline
I. Chapter Key Points
II. Copywriting: The Language of Advertising
III. Copywriting for Print
IV. How to Write Radio Copy
V. How to Write Television Copy
VI. Writing for the Web
VII. Copywriting in a Global Environment
13 - 3
Key Points
• Explain the basic style used for advertising copy
• Describe the various elements of a print ad
• Explain the message characteristics and tools of radio advertising
• Discuss the major elements of television commercials
• Discuss how Web advertising is written
13 - 4
Copywriting: The Language of Advertising
• Four types of ads in which words are crucial1. If the message is complicated
2. If the ad is for a high-involvement product
3. Information that needs definition and explanation
4. If a message tries to convey abstract qualities
• Copywriter– The person who shapes and sculpts the words in
an ad
13 - 5
Advertising Writing Style
• Copy should be as simple as possible
• Should have a clear focus and try to convey only one selling point
• Every word counts; space and time are expensive
Practical Tips• Be succinct• Be single-minded• Be specific• Get personal• Keep a single focus• Be controversial• Be original• Use variety• Use imaginative
description
13 - 6
Advertising Writing Style
• Tone of voice– To develop the right tone of voice, copywriters write to the
target audience as if they were in a conversation
• Grammar– Copywriters must know the rules of grammar, syntax, and
spelling, though they will play with a word or phrase to create an effect
• Adese– Formulaic advertising copy
– Brag-and-boast copy
13 - 7
Copywriting for Print
• Display copy– Elements readers see in
their initial scanning
• Body copy– Elements that are
designed to be read and absorbed
The Headline• Key element in print
advertising• Conveys the main
message• Works with the visual to
get attention and communicate creative concept
13 - 8
How to Write Headlines
• A good headline will attract those who are prospects
• The headline must work in combination with the visual to stop and grab the reader’s attention
• The headline must identify the product and brand, and start the sale
• The headline should lead readers into the body copy – Direct-action headlines
– Indirect-action headlines
13 - 9
How to Write Other Display Copy
• Captions– Have the second-highest readership and serve an
information function
• Subheads– Sectional headlines used to break up a large block
of copy
• Taglines– Short, catchy, memorable phrases used at the end
of an ad to complete the creative idea
13 - 10
How to Write Other Display Copy
• Slogans– Repeated from ad to ad
as part of a campaign or long-term brand identity effort
– Can also be used as taglines
Slogan Techniques• Direct address• A startling or
unexpected phrase• Rhyme, rhythm,
alliteration• Parallel construction• Cue for the product• Music
13 - 11
How to Write Body Copy
• Body copy– The text of the ad– Primary role is to maintain the interest of the reader
• Lead paragraph– The first paragraph of the body copy– Where people test the message and see if they want to read
it
• Closing paragraph– Refers back to the creative concept and wraps up the Big
Idea– Call to action
13 - 12
Print Media Requirements
• All media in the print category all use the same copy elements
• The way these elements are used varies with the objective for using the medium
Newspapers• Copy does not have to
work as hard to catch audience’s attention
• Straightforward and informative
• Writing is brief
13 - 13
Print Media Requirements
Magazines• Better quality ad
production• Ads can be more
informative and carry longer copy
Directories• Use a headline that
focuses on the service or store’s personality
• Little space for explanations
13 - 14
Print Media Requirements
Posters and Outdoor• Primarily visual• Words try to catch the
consumer’s attention and lock in ideas
• An effective poster marries words with visuals
Product Literature• Also called collateral• Used in support of an ad
campaign• Typically a heavy copy
format
13 - 15
How to Write Radio Copy
• Must be simple enough for consumers to grasp, but intriguing enough to prevent them from switching the station
• Ability of the listener to remember facts is difficult
• Theater of the mind– The story is visualized in the listener’s imagination
13 - 16
How to Write Radio Copy
• Voice• Music• Sound effects
Radio Guidelines• Keep it personal• Speak to listener’s
interests• Wake up the
inattentive• Make it memorable• Include call to action• Create image transfer
13 - 17
How to Write Television Copy
• Moving action makes television so much more engaging than print
• The challenge is to fuse the images with the words to present a creative concept and a story
• Storytelling is one way copywriters can present action in a television commercial more powerfully than in other media
13 - 18
Tools of Television Copywriting
• Video• Audio• Voice-over• Off camera• Other TV Tools• The copywriter must
describe all of these in the TV script
Talent• Announcers• Spokespersons• Character types• Celebrities
13 - 19
Planning the TV Commercial
• What’s the Big Idea• What’s the benefit• How can you turn that benefit into a visual
element• Gain the viewer’s interest• Focus on a key visual• Be single minded• Observe rules of good editing• Try to show the product
13 - 20
Planning the TV Commercial
• Copywriters must plan– Length of the commercial– Shots in each scene– Key visual– Where and how to shoot the commercial
• Scenes– Segments of action that occur in a single location
• Key frames– The visual that sticks in one’s mind
13 - 21
Scripts and Storyboards
• Script– The written version of the commercial’s plan– Prepared by the copywriter
• Storyboard– The visual plan or layout of the commercial– Prepared by the art director
13 - 22
Writing for the Web
• More interactive than any other mass medium
• Copywriter challenged to attract people to the site and manage a dialogue-based communication experience
• Banners– Most common form of online advertising
13 - 23
Writing for the Web
• Web ads– Create awareness and
interest in a product and build a brand image
– Focus on maintaining interest
• Other Web formats– Games
– Pop-up windows
– Daughter windows
– Side frames
13 - 24
Copywriting in a Global Environment
• Language affects the creation of the advertising
• Standardizing copy content by translating the appeal into the language of the foreign market is dangerous
• Use bilingual copywriters who can capture the essence of the message in the second language– Back translation