Copywriting that can feed your
customers' imagination

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Anyone who believes that copy is just the grey bit underneath the pictures is undoubtedly missing a trick. Firebrand's copywriter, Elaine Layfield, explains why investing in a few well chosen words is money well spent...

I don't know about you, but I feel as if I'm about to be submerged in an avalanche of information. If things carry on as they are, I'll need a large wet-nosed St Bernard to dig me out. I use the internet daily and would be lost without it, but it's undoubtedly exacerbated the problem. Add to that, the daily bombardment by TV, radio and the printed press, not to mention all those enticing white envelopes that are cunningly slipped through the letter box each morning.

Alright, admittedly, I am one of the worst culprits. Words are my business. More to the point, my business is to find words about a product or service which people will read. And here's the thing; advertising has to work harder than ever before to seduce an audience who have grown up with the advertisers' art and have become resistant to its' charms. So, your message has to be concise, persuasive and speak to your target audience in their own language. And, it has to do all that in just a few seconds.

Any copywriter worthy of the name must be able to put themselves in the shoes of your customers no matter the size or style of the footwear. In fact, knowing too much about a particular product or service can be a positive disadvantage. You may find the production of your highly-advanced galvanised bucket a fascinating process but chances are your reader won't. Bore them and you've lost them.

The legal niceties can't be ignored either. The law has tightened up and even the Advertising Standards Authority will bare their teeth if your publicity doesn't measure up to their code. Take for example The Association of British Insurers who approached Firebrand for an information piece explaining the whys and wherefores of health insurance. The copy had to adhere to strict legal requirements but it also had to be easy-to-read, meet approval with a dozen different insurers and pass muster with the Plain English Society. This was a tricky brief. However, the production plan included plenty of time for revisions and with everyone around the table at each meeting, points of contention were soon ironed out. Talking to your audience in their language is important too, but be wary of too much industry-speak. The use of jargon can make your copy sound flat, indistinguishable from your competitors and will only serve to alienate those less well informed. Use it sparingly or not at all.

And, whilst you must grab the public's attention, there's a fine line between being brave and being down-right offensive. Top retailer Benneton's unorthodox attempt to sell casual wear whilst highlighting the plight of HIV sufferers was undoubtedly bold but many customers felt uncomfortable that genuine suffering was being used to flog fluffy jumpers.

Okay, so even if you're not out to produce advertising which will change the world, you've still got to hit the right buttons. Just because you're not doing any harm, it doesn't mean you're doing much good.