CopyCopy

Inside Their Heads: the next summer blockbuster?

Yesterday an art director asked me how I like to approach a new direct mail or broadcast email project. How do I decide on concept, message, and that all-important opening paragraph?

Here's what's the most fun: I imagine my audience as a character in a movie. The opening scenes show me what kind of day my "audience member" character is having, who he's dealing with, what he wants, and why he's having trouble getting it. A good movie puts me right inside that character's head; so now I'm right inside my audience's head.

Now all I have to do is "talk" to him.  I can be the buddy who shares his plight; the Disembodied Voice that whispers in his ear; the evening news anchor that tells him what's what; or any other character I like, as long as it's one  capable of dialogue. Once in character, all I have to be is compelling -- and it's my script, so that should be doable.

True, I haven't sold any screenplays lately. I'm weak with Plot. But the method seems to work okay for direct response.

Why launching your marketing program will take longer than you think

Marketers are regularly surprised and dismayed about the length of time required to launch a direct marketing campaign. Why?

They know how long these things take. They know the clock doesn't start ticking until they actually start the work. Yet time after time I see panic in the eyes of colleagues who've just realized what the Real Drop Date (or Broadcast Date) is going to be.

Here's what I think: when planning for programs, marketers forget to allow for two critical first steps: campaign definition and vendor negotiation (if appropriate). These things can (and often should) take weeks. And that means a direct mail or broadcast email or whatever kind of project won't really get underway when we'd like to think it will.

But for some reason, marketers and vendors (I'm including agencies, here, mea culpa too) turn a blind eye to the ticking clock while campaigns are defined and funded. And the drop date, out there at the end of the critical path, keeps moving -- but no one sees it.

As marketers we ought to toss the blinders out -- and maybe start eating more carrots. So we can see the clock ticking.

Do You REALLY Need a "Vertical" Copywriter?

The other day a friend -- let's call her Barbara, marketing manager in the Widget Company --  wished aloud for a direct response copywriter with experience writing for the Widget industry.  She didn't want to "waste time" bringing an  otherwise-top-drawer writer up to speed  on the  Widget Industry and all its subtleties.

We talked about the projects she had in mind: lead generation campaigns aimed owners and senior executives in small and mid-size companies. What language did they usually speak? Were Widgets uppermost in their minds -- or were they busy trying to run a business? Were they already looking for a Widget Solution? Or might they simply have a pressing problem that Widgets could solve?

Hmmmm, I surmised, perhaps it would be MOST important to get a writer who can speak owner-and-CEO language, rather than Widget language. Someone who can effectively sell the business benefits of Widgetdom -- and, just as importantly, who can compel readers to act.

You know where I'm headed here. Fortunately, my pal  ended up going with a great dm copywriter -- no, I did NOT recommend this writer -- who knows how to sell business benefits, and knows how to make phones ring and Web visitors click. Our hero (the writer, of course)  will focus on the audience's issues and the benefits of Widget use. And the leads will come pouring in. Probably.

No "vertical" copywriter required.