HOW TO READ A BANANA
ADVERTISING copywriting is no refuge for the gifted amateur. Allow me to take a look with you at some insider information about the creative words business, in this instance concentrating on printed forms of persuasion, rather than television, radio or online. There should be one kind of advertising: that’s the one with something meaningful to pervade.
Researchers have delved into every aspect of advertising. One of the findings of importance when preparing printed material is the way in which a majority of people navigate the page. There is a definite route.
When the reader skims through a magazine and turns the page to be confronted by your work, his or her eyes go to the picture first. Two-thirds of people think in pictures. Then the headline is seen. Next, it is a glance at the bottom of the advert to make sure who is doing the selling.
That is as far as most readers will go. Analysts estimate that the average man or woman remembers the main messages from less than six per cent of adverts scanned. That is bad news for marketing budgets.
If there has been success so far, in that the picture has caught the eye, the headline has been assimilated and the logo inspected, the reader is likely to move on to the picture caption, then any graphs, charts or other supporting illustrations. Finally, if attention has been maintained throughout this journey and there is a desire to know more, the reader will tackle the body text. Notwithstanding that the headline is the most important set of words by a distance, skilled copywriters also fret over the first paragraph – because the prospective customer may not proceed further.
WORKING HARD
Returning to the main picture, the more of the story it can relate, the more effective will be the message. It has to work hard for you. So must the headline: one that says little or nothing extra than has been gleaned from the picture is a failure. If the headline does not communicate with added-value, the entire advert will fall, irrespective of how powerful the picture might seem. A great picture deserves an even better header to maximise its impact. They should be seen as an entity, relating the story quickly and with clarity.
It must be honest, too, or the reader will become exasperated. It is vital to grab attention, but it must be done in a pertinent way. A statement proclaiming "How To Read A Banana" may well be noticed, but will be a harmful annoyance if a banana is irrelevant to whatever is being sold. A headline cannot be effective unless it has something useful to say.
’Why' is an excellent headline word: "The Inch War. Why Ryvita helps you win." It can beef up the banner. "A million households choose Blank," is overshadowed by "Why a million households choose Blank." Use of 'Why' also allows the writer to proffer a reasoned argument and list the benefits of the wares to be promoted.
’How' is another powerful adverb, particularly if the product to be pushed is complicated. The ways in which this word will work in advertising are ostensibly limitless. "How to select the perfect Blank," is an obvious take-up.
’Where' techniques relate to the location or setting selected to demonstrate the benefits of the item. Take a waterproof watch swirling in a washing machine: "If you get into hot water, will your watch give you the time of day?"
The 'Who' factor used in adverts may relate to a celebrity or achiever, a fictional character, groups of people, children or animals. Personalities are used to give testimonials, more relevant to pictures, captions and body copy, but they can find their way into headlines as well. Note as an example, "Go on, be a Tiger" with former champion golfer Tiger Woods extolling a worldwide management consultancy.
CALL TO ACTION
The next stop for the eyes is the advertiser's sign-off. Logos help with communications, but space might be used to wrap up the entire sales argument in a single slogan – a tagline. This should be a mechanism for encouraging fuller consideration of the advert's call to action, as per “Nike. Just do it” and “Kodak. Share moments, share life."
Captioning the main picture or supporting graphics can help channel prospects to the body copy. "Read below about more Blank for less money." At last, if all goes to plan, readers reach the beginning of the text block.
Principles that make good practice include going straight to the heart of the proposition and doing so in an upbeat manner. Talking about hopes, desires and benefits (as opposed to features). Portraying facts that are new to the audience, in an interesting or novel way; perhaps being clever but never crass. At all cost avoiding unsubstantiated claims and hyperbole.
Unerringly, doing it with easily understood words, succinct sentences and short paragraphs. UK newspaper
The Sun has shown how one-word paras can suffice.Return to MARKETING INSIGHT BLOGS or go to MAKING CONTACT
