COPYWRITING

Copywriting

 Is the act of writing copy (text) for the purpose of advertising or marketing a product, business,
person, opinion or idea.
 The addressee (reader, listener, etc.) of the copy is meant to be persuaded to buy the product
advertised for, or subscribe to the viewpoint the text shares.

The Copywriter
 The person who shapes and sculpts the words in marketing communication is called a copywriter.
Copy is the text of an ad or the words people say in a commercial.

Four types of advertising:

1. Complex If the message is complicated, particularly if it is making an argument, words can be

more specific
than visuals and can be read over and over until the meaning is clear.
2. High Involvement If the ad is for a high-involvement product, meaning the consumer spends a
lot of time
considering it, then the more information the better. That means using words.
3. Explanation Information that needs definition and explanation, like how a new wireless phone
works, is best delivered through words.
4. Abstract If a message tries to convey abstract qualities, such as justice and quality, words tend
to communicate
these concepts more easily than pictures.

How is copy creates for Print?

Print Advertising

 A good print advertisement can present your product to new eyes. Successful print ads convey
information about your products and store. They include a clear and specific offer, along with
information about how readers can act on that offer.

Elements of Print Advertising

1. Headline. A phrase or a sentence that serves as the opening to the ad. It’s usually identified
by larger type or a prominent position and its purpose is to catch attention.
2. Body Copy. The text of the ad. It’s usually smaller-sized type and written in paragraphs or
multiple lines. Its purpose is to explain the idea or selling point.
3. Subheads. Used in longer copy blocks, subheads begin a new section of the copy. They are
usually bold type or larger than the body copy. Their purpose is to make the logic clear to the
reader. They are useful for people who scan copy and they help them get a sense of what the
copy says.
4. Slogans. A distinctive catch phrase that serves as a motto for a campaign, brand, or
company. It is used across a variety of marketing communication messages and over an
extended period of time.

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 5. Taglines. A short phrase that wraps up the key idea or creative concept that usually appears
at the end of the body copy. It often refers back to the headline or opening phrase in a
commercial.

Tools of Radio Copywriting

 In radio advertising, the tools are the audio elements the copywriter uses to craft a commercial:
voice, music, and sound effects.

1. Voice. The most important element in radio advertising is the human voice, which is heard in
songs, spoken dialogue, and announcements. Most commercials use an announcer either as the
central voice or at the closing to wrap up the product identification.
2. Music. Similar to movie scriptwriters, radio copywriters have a sense of the imagery of music and
the role it plays in creating dramatic effects. Music can be used behind the dialogue to create
mood and establish the setting. Any mood, from that of a circus to a candlelit dinner, can be
conveyed through music.
3. Sound Effects. The sound of seagulls, automobile horns honking, and the cheers of fans at a
stadium all create images in our minds to cue the setting and drive the action. The point is that
radio is more powerful than television in creating images in your mind.

The Practice of Radio Copywriting

 The following guidelines for writing effective radio commercials address the distinctive
characteristics of radio advertising:

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 1. Keep It Personal. Radio advertising has an advantage over print—the human voice. The
copy for radio ads should use conversational language—as if someone is “talking with” the
consumer rather than “selling to” the consumer.

2. Speak to Listeners. Interests Radio offers specialized programming to target markets.

Listeners mostly tune in to hear music, but talk radio is popular, too.
3. Wake Up the Inattentive. Most people who are listening to the radio are doing something
else at the same time. Radio spots are designed to break through and capture attention in the
first three seconds with sound effects, music, questions, commands, or something
unexpected.
4. Make It Memorable. To help the listener remember what you are selling, commercial copy
should mention the name of the product emphatically and repeat it.
5. Include Call to Action. The last thing listeners hear is what they tend to remember, so
copywriters make sure the product is it. In radio that’s particularly important since there is no
way to show a picture of the product or the label.
6. Create Image Transfer. Radio advertisements are sometimes designed to link to a
television commercial. Called image transfer, the visuals from the TV version are re-created in
a listener’s mind by the use of key phrases and ideas from the TV commercial.

How to write Television Copy

 Television copywriters understand that it is the moving image—the action—that makes television
so much more engaging than print. The challenge for the writer is to fuse the images with the
words to present not only a creative concept, but also a story.

 These are just a few of the techniques used in television advertising. Here are more:

Tools of Television Copywriting

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 Television copywriters have two primary toolkits: visual and audio. Both words and pictures are
designed to create exactly the right impact. Because of the number of visual and audio elements,
as well as the many ways they can be combined, a television commercial is one of the most
complex of all advertising forms.

1. Video and Motion. When we watch a commercial, we are more aware of what we’re seeing than
anything else. Copywriters keep in mind that visuals and motion, the silent speech of film, should
convey as much of the message—the Big Idea—as possible. Likewise, emotion, which is the effect
created by storytelling, is expressed convincingly in facial expressions, gestures, and other body
language.
2. Audio. As in radio, the three audio elements are music, voices, and sound effects, but they are
used differently in television commercials because they are connected to a visual image. The
copywriter may have an announcer speak directly to the viewer or engage in a dialogue with
another person, who may or may not be on camera. common manipulation of the camera–
announcer relationship is the voice-over, in which an announcer who is not visible describes
some kind of action on the screen. Sometimes a voice is heard off camera, which means you
can’t see the speaker and the voice is coming from the side, behind, or above.
3. Other TV Tools. The creative tools examined next are the setting, casting, costumes, props, and
lighting—all of which the copywriter must describe in the script. The setting, or set, is where
the action takes place. It can be something in the studio, from a simple tabletop to a constructed
set that represents a storefront or the inside of a home, or it can be a computer creation layered
behind the action. Commercials shot outside the studio are said to be filmed on location, which
means the entire crew and cast are transported somewhere away from the studio. For many
commercials, the most important element is the people, who are called talent. Finding the right
person for each role is called casting. People can be cast as:

• Announcers (either onstage or offstage), presenters, introducers.

• Spokespersons (or “spokes-animals,” such as the Geico Gecko and the Frontier talking
animals).
• Character Types (old woman, baby, skin diver, police officer).
• Celebrities, such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and the Black-Eyed Peas.

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