creative thinking and writing

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writing

By Michele Milliken

Dictionary definition:

Copywriter

A person who writes the text of advertisements

and publicity material.

Advertisements (TV, radio, press and magazine)

BrochuresLeaflets

Direct mailWebsitesEmailers

Display material (P.O.S/Exhibition Stands)

Corporate Identity

A copywriter works in a team with an art director/graphic designer.

(Ideally.)

Words and pictures: two halves of the story.

First and foremost, both are creative thinkers.

Together, they produce creative solutions.

“The communication of a message towards a desired response.”

The response can be anything from buying a set of saucepans

to applying for a jobor donating to charity.

Words have an important part to play.

Where to start? AIDCA.

A AttentionI InterestD DesireC ConvictionA Action

Copy needs to be:

RelevantEngagingConciseFocusedAccurateHonest

...And on brief.

Avoid the temptation to:

Be clever

Be funny

Waffle on

‘Puff up’ the facts

Never write to a target audience.

Instead, write to one person sat in front of you.

Consider:Who is the client?

What is the message?

Reflect this in:The style

The tone of voiceThe language used.

Consider:The structure of your copy.

HeadlinesSub-headlines

Sub-headsParagraph length

CaptionsStrapline

Graphic treatment of copy.

Copy is written to a brief.

(And if there isn’t a brief, write one yourself

otherwise your copy will go nowhere.)

THE CREATIVE BRIEF EXPLAINED...

1.WHAT IS NEEDED?2.WHO ARE WE TALKING TO?3.WHAT IS THE ROLE FOR THE

COMMUNICATION? 4.WHAT INFORMATION NEEDS

TO BE CONVEYED?

THE CREATIVE BRIEF EXPLAINED...

5. HOW IS THE INFORMATION TO BE SUPPLIED?

6. HOW DOES THIS COMMUNICATION ‘FIT’ WITH THE BRAND?

7. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS.8.THIS COULD BE HELPFUL.

Write benefit copy.

Don’t just write the facts, engage the audience by

writing about the benefits.

Don’t leave your audience to just work it out for themselves

- they won’t.

So: take each key message and secondary messages

add ‘which means’ at the end arrive at what the benefit is

to the target audience.

You need to know what you are saying before you can work

out how best to say it.

And finally...

ZENSProperty Business Law

N

EST2009

ZEUSProperty Business Law

FOLIOLAW FOLIO˜

Property Business Law

CORNERSTONE

WHITE CUBEPROPERTYBUSINESSLAWYERS

Folio Business Law

Established 2008

FolioBusiness Law

FOL!O FOL ! O FOL!O Business Law Limited

FOLiO

FOLIO

Business Law Limited

FOLIO

A powerful new forceopens in Manchester.

CORNERSTONEP R O P E R T Y B U S I N E S S L A W

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��� ��Thank you.