Advertising Copywriting

by Burton, Philip Ward

• ISBN13: 9780844232065
• ISBN10: 0844232068
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill College

Summary

From low-budget local campaigns to big-budget national television spots. Advertising Copywriting provides practical, straightforward instruction for writing successful copy. Students learn how to apply pre-tested principles to create attention getting headlines and sales generating copy.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi	(2)
Preface	xiii	(2)
Acknowledgments	xv	(2)
Copywriting	xvii
Chapter 1: Copywriting: An Exciting Blend of Creativity, Common Sense, and Hard Work	1	(10)
You Need More than Mere Writing Ability	1	(1)
Much More than Spewing Out Slogans	2	(1)
Newswriting versus Copywriting--Similarities and Differences	2	(1)
No Public Acclaim for Your Copy	3	(1)
Temperamental? You're in the Wrong Field	3	(1)
Pay Scales for Copywriters Are Often Exaggerated	3	(1)
Rush! Rush! Rush!	4	(1)
Your Hours and Working Conditions May Be Odd	4	(1)
What Will You Like about the Job?	5	(1)
Feeling Useful Is a Reward	5	(1)
Think of Yourself as a Merchant	5	(1)
Get Out of That Chair and Mix with People	5	(1)
Copywriters Will Always Be Needed	6	(1)
Conclusions to Consider	6	(2)
You and the Computer	8	(1)
Computers Can Make Your Job Easier--Or Harder	9	(2)
Chapter 2: Who Can Say What "Copy" Is? There Is No One Answer	11	(8)
Selling in Advertisements May Be Subtle, but It Is Always There	11	(1)
A Copywriter Is Concerned with All Elements in an Advertisement	12	(1)
Copy's Elements	12	(4)
Copywriting: A Mixture of the Routine and Distinguished	16	(1)
Sales Versus Literary Excellence	17	(1)
Writing Style Depends on the Situation	17	(1)
Judgement and Versatility Are Needed	18	(1)
The One and Only Way to Write Copy? There's No Such Animal	18	(1)
Chapter 3: The Copywriter Is an Important Member of the Marketing Team	19	(12)
You and the Three Ps	19	(1)
P Is for Product	19	(3)
P Is for Prospects	22	(3)
P Is for Purchases	25	(2)
Psychographics: A Copywriting Tool	27	(1)
Values and Lifestyles Systems (VALS)	28	(1)
Know Your Market's Segments	28	(1)
Marketing to the Many Foreign Language Groups	29	(1)
Holding on to Brand Identity--A Growing Problem in Marketing	29	(2)
Chapter 4: You're Saturated with Market Data. Time Now to Do Your Copy Planning	31	(11)
First, Dig Up Some of Your Own Data	31	(1)
Out of Your Planning Comes a Copy Platform	32	(1)
Look for the Big Idea or Theme	32	(1)
It's Important to Develop a Long-Range Theme	32	(1)
Consumer Drives and Your Copy	33	(1)
Many Advertisements Use More than One Basic Appeal	34	(1)
Advertising Based on Human Appeals Has Built-in Power	34	(2)
A Good Starting Point: See If Your Product or Service Has a Unique Selling Proposition	36	(1)
If a Product or Service Lacks a U.S.P., Look for Its Suffering Points	37	(1)
Point of Difference: A Powerful Attribute That Your Copy Should Stress	38	(1)
Examples of Basic Human Appeals at Work	38	(1)
Always Give Your Advertisements Three-Way Power	38	(4)
Chapter 5: Advertising's Creative Duo--Art Director and Copywriter	42	(19)
If a Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words, Why Bother Writing Copy?	42	(1)
Be Glad--Not Mad--If Your Art Director-Partner Wants to Throw in Some Copy Ideas	42	(1)
Computers are Kings in Art Departments	43	(3)
Types of Layouts	46	(2)
Steps in Print Production	46	(2)
Is It Risky to Use a Number of Typefaces in an Advertisement? Not Necessarily.	49	(1)
Guidelines for Typography	49	(2)
Color: When to Use It	51	(1)
In Layouts, Make a Hero Out of the Package	51	(1)
When Should You Use Artwork Instead of Photography?	51	(1)
Do You Do Rough Layouts? Try These Ideas	51	(2)
How to Make Campaign Advertisements Stand Out	53	(1)
Subject Matter That Pulls In Illustrations	54	(2)
Want to Help Your Advertisements Stands Out? Use a Distinctive Logotype	56	(1)
A Few of the Art and Production Terms It Will Be Useful to Know	57	(2)
Comments by Three Art Directors on the Use of Computers in Their Work	59	(2)
Chapter 6: Headlines: They Attract, They Inform, and They Sell. It's Vital to Write Good Ones (Part A)	61	(8)
Write for the Headlines Skimmers	61	(1)
Winning Advertisements Combine Good Headlines with Good Illustrations	61	(1)
Good Headlines Say: Hey! Pay Attention to Me!	62	(1)
Direct or Indirect Headlines: Which to Use?	62	(1)
Headline Types	63	(5)
Summing Up	68	(1)
Other Noteworthy Points	68	(1)
Chapter 7: Headlines: They Attract, They Inform, and They Sell. It's Vital to Write Good Ones (Part B)	69	(13)
More Headline Types to Choose From	69	(4)
Try For a Little "Twist" in Headlines to Make Them Jump Off the Page	73	(1)
Questions and Answers about Headlines	74	(5)
Think About These Points Before You Accept That Headlines You've Just Written	79	(1)
You May Want to Use Unusual Words in Your Headlines Occasionally	80	(2)
Chapter 8: Body Copy: Where Buyer Convincing Takes Place (Part A)	82	(14)
Interest Them with Your Headlines: Convince Them with Your Body Copy	82	(1)
Body Copy Follows Pattern Set by the Headline and Illustration	83	(1)
Be Able to Write Any Type of Copy	83	(1)
Be Believable	83	(1)
It Ain't Smart to Use Bad Grammer	84	(1)
Ways to an Easy-to-Read Writing Style	85	(1)
Types of Body Copy	86	(9)
Information Is What Readers Want from Advertising. Give It to Them	95	(1)
Your Aim Should Be Primarly to Sell--Not to Entertain or Win Creative Awards	95	(1)
Final Note on Putting the Sell in Your Copy	95	(1)
Chapter 9: Body Copy: Where Buyer Convincing Takes Place (Part B)	96	(1)
Testimonials: They Work If They're Believable	96	(1)
Monologue and Dialogue Copy	97	(4)
Institutional (Corporate) Advertising	101	(3)
Offbeat Copy: Anything Goes	104	(1)
Some More Things to Think About When You Write Body Copy	104	(4)
Comic Strip and Continuity-Panel Copy	108	(1)
Your Copy Must Be Acceptable to an Increasingly Moralistic and Legalistic Audience	109	(2)
To Start an Argument, Say the Words "Comparative Advertising"	111	(1)
There Are No Big Differences in the Copy You Write for Newspapers and Magazines	112	(1)
Seven Tips for Making Your Body Copy More Effective	112	(2)
Long Headlines Work. So Does Long Copy	114	(1)
Chapter 10: Copywriting's Odd Jobs Are Interesting, Challenging, and Call for a Varied Background	115	(12)
That "Odd Job" of Yours Could Be Your Most Important in a Day's Work	115	(1)
You're More Valuable If You Can Write Good Publicity Stories	116	(3)
Sweepstakes and Contests	119	(1)
Package Copy	119	(1)
Brand Names and Trademarks	120	(4)
Trade Characters and Pictorial Trademarks	124	(1)
You May Never Be Asked to Write a Slogan	125	(1)
Premium Offers	126	(1)
Chapter 11: If You Do Copy for Local Businesses, You're in Close Touch with Your Market	127	(14)
"Local" Advertising Is an All-Inclusive Term	127	(1)
Common Faults in Some Local Advertising	128	(1)
Four Questions and Answers	128	(1)
Learn How Local and National Advertising Differ	129	(2)
Use Specific Words in Local Copy	131	(1)
Write Enough to Make the Sale	132	(1)
Follow Up Your Copy to See What Happened	132	(1)
You May Use Outside Help	132	(1)
Direct Response Copy Can Also Be Part of Your Job	133	(1)
Local Radio Commercials	133	(2)
For Local TV Commercials, Keep and Eye on the Budget	135	(1)
You Do a Lot of Talking Before You Write That Local Advertisement	136	(2)
Another Challenge: The Multi-Item Advertisement	138	(1)
Good Copy Will Help You Stand Out in a Crowd	138	(1)
You May Wear Many Hats As a Small-Store Copywriter	139	(1)
Do You Sell the Store or Sell Items?	140	(1)
Chapter 12: Toss Out the "Rules" When You Write Fashion Copy	141	(10)
There's Excitement in the Terms and Names of the World of Fashion	141	(1)
Fanciful Language, Yes, But Don't Leave Out the Facts	142	(1)
First, You Must Define Fashion	142	(1)
Selling Fashion Is More Natural for a Woman	143	(1)
Keeping Up with Fashion Is a Full-Time Task	143	(1)
Selling in Volume but Keeping the Fashion Mood	144	(3)
Want to Write Interestingly? Follow These Ideas	147	(1)
You Have a Different Set of Guidelines When Writing to Fashion-Conscious Men	147	(2)
What to Wear on the Job Is an Important Question	149	(1)
Be Alert to News Events (and People) That Affect Fashion Trends	150	(1)
Chapter 13: Direct Response: A Quick Test of Your Message's Effectiveness (Part A)	151	(11)
Defining "Direct Response"	151	(1)
What Media Are Being Used Has a Big Effect on How and What You Write	152	(4)
Writing for Direct Response Advertising: General Suggestions	156	(4)
Radio Direct Response Has Show Windows, Too	160	(1)
Follow-Ups and Your Part in Them	161	(1)
Chapter 14: Direct Response: A Quick Test of Your Message's Effectiveness (Part B)	162	(13)
You Don't Hold Back in Direct Response	162	(1)
Let's Talk About Catalogs	162	(2)
How to Write Direct Response Copy for Magazines	164	(4)
Ordering Instructions for Printed Direct Response Advertising	168	(3)
Can You Use Tell-All in a Radio Commercial?	171	(2)
You Show Them in Television: It's Better Than Just Telling	173	(1)
There's a Big Payoff for Small-Space Advertisements If You Write Them Well	173	(2)
Chapter 15: You Like Intimacy in Your Copy? Try Direct Mail	175	(10)
What is Direct-Mail Advertising?	175	(1)
Reasons for Using Direct Mail	176	(3)
Make Your Material Attractive and Easy to Read	176	(2)
Follow-up Letters Are Vital	181	(1)
Try These Three Ways to Get Better Results from Your Direct-Mail Advertising	182	(1)
A Checklist to Insure More Profitable Mailings	183	(2)
Chapter 16: No-Nonsense Advertising for People Engaged in Professions, Business, and Agricultures (Part A)	185	(12)
Business Advertising Is Big but Unknown by the General Public	185	(2)
The Message from Your Trade Ad Will Be Used in Sales Talks	187	(4)
What to Stress in Trade Magazine Advertisements	191	(2)
An Important Backup: Trade Collateral	193	(2)
Some Questions to Ask Yourself About That Trade Advertisement You've Just Written	195	(2)
Chapter 17: No-Nonsense Advertising for People Engaged in Professions, Business, and Agriculture (Part B)	197	(14)
Job Satisfaction and Challenge Are High in These Four Fields of Business Advertising	197	(1)
Writing for the Medical Profession Is a Special Challenge	198	(2)
Industrial Advertising	200	(6)
Agricultural Advertising (or Agribusiness or Agrimarketing Advertising)	206	(2)
Here Are Some Ideas to Use If You Write Executive-Management Advertising	208	(1)
Business Is Beset with Problems That Present an Ever-Changing Challenge to the Copywriter	209	(2)
Chapter 18: Like Short Copy? Try Outdoor and Transit Advertising	211	(11)
A Poet and a Writer of outdoor and Transit Advertising Share Common Abilities	211	(1)
Outdoor Advertising	212	(7)
Transit Advertising	219	(3)
Chapter 19: If You're There, So Is Radio Advertising	222	(18)
Before You Begin to Write That Radio Commercial, Think of Yourself as a Listener	222	(1)
If You Do It Right You Can Make Listeners "See" with Their Ears	223	(1)
Rule Number One: Read Out Loud What You've Written	224	(1)
How to Make Your Words Easy to Say and to Hear	225	(5)
If You Don't Command Attention at the Start of Your Commercial, You Probably Have a Loser	230	(1)
Types of Commercials	230	(2)
How to Get an Accurate Word Count	232	(1)
Sound Effects Can Cause Trouble If You're Not Careful	233	(1)
Live or Taped Commercials?	234	(2)
End with a Call to Action	236	(1)
Fundamentals for Writing Radio Copy	237	(1)
There's Lots of Outside Help for You if You Write for Local Advertisers	238	(1)
Try These Suggestions for Attracting and Holding Your Listeners	239	(1)
Chapter 20: Television Advertising: It Gives You Full Scope for Creativity (Part A)	240	(15)
Television Lures Writers	240	(1)
Words and Visuals Share Responsibility in Television Commercials	241	(2)
Try for the Ideal--An Effective Commercial Written in Good Taste	243	(1)
See That Your Commercial Has B.R.N.--Believability, Respect, and Naturalness	243	(1)
What to Consider When Writing a Television Commercial	243	(6)
Storyboards	249	(1)
Balancing Audio and Video is Tricky	250	(2)
As You Write, Ask Yourself: "How Much Will This Cost?"	252	(1)
Fighting for Attention	252	(1)
Infomercials: When You Have a Lot to Say	253	(2)
Chapter 21: Television Advertising: It Gives You Full Scope for Creativity (Part B)	255	(15)
Film, Tape, or Live?	255	(2)
Types of Commercials	257	(4)
Production Techniques	261	(2)
Five Ways to Get Better Identification	263	(1)
Other Techniques for Emphasis	264	(1)
Questions to Ask about the Commercial You've Written	264	(1)
Camera Shots	264	(1)
Glossary of Terms	265	(3)
Who Does What on a Production	268	(1)
The Internet, the World Wide Web, and You	268	(2)
Chapter 22: Research: It's the Copywriter's Friend	270	(25)
What Consumers Say Often Varies from What They Believe or Do	270	(1)
Use of Research Depends upon the Size and Kind of Business	271	(1)
Research Results Vary Because People React Differently	271	(1)
Advertisers Have Different Approaches to Research	271	(1)
Pretest and Posttest Techniques	272	(1)
Focus Group Interviewing	272	(3)
Checklists	275	(1)
Inquiry Testing	276	(1)
Split Run Testing	276	(2)
Other Pretests for Television	278	(2)
Readability Tests	280	(2)
Physiological Tests	282	(1)
Motivational Research	283	(1)
More Publication Pretest Techniques	284	(1)
After-Publication Research through Readership Studies	284	(9)
Copywriters and Researchers: An Uneasy Alliance	293	(1)
Addendum	294	(1)
Chapter 23: Legal and Ethical Aspects: You'd Better Know Them	295	(27)
It's Easy to Go Astray Legally	295	(2)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)	297	(12)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)	309	(1)
Postal Service	310	(1)
Federal Communication Commission (FCC)	311	(1)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms	311	(1)
Other Federal Laws	311	(1)
Copyright	312	(2)
Proper Trademark Usage	314	(3)
Comparative Advertising	317	(1)
Unsolicited Ideas Cause Trouble	317	(1)
State Laws on Advertising	318	(1)
Keep an Eye on the Consumer Movement When Writing Copy	319	(1)
Corrective Advertising	319	(1)
Much Legal Help Is Available for a Copywriter	320	(1)
The NARC: Self-Regulation on the National Level	321	(1)
Appendix	322	(17)
Index	339