Category: Copywriting

…it’s what people hear.”

So says language expert Frank Luntz, author of  Words that Work.

When you are writing to persuade, the words you choose will profoundly affect the way your listener or reader reacts to your message.This phenomenon has applications in advertising — and in politics.

Luntz recently wrote a memo to Republican members of Congress called “The Language of Health Care”.

In a recent New York Times interview, Deborah Solomon asked, “You have devised many phrases to help sell Republican policies to the public. Like “energy exploration” instead of “drilling for oil” in the Arctic. What are some of your other coinages?

Luntz’ response:

It’s “death tax” instead of “estate tax” or “inheritance tax.” It’s “opportunity scholarships” instead of “vouchers.” It’s “electronic intercepts” rather than “eavesdropping.”

A 60-second radio commercial consists of approximately 180 words. You are paying by the word — make sure that every word brings you closer to a sale.

If you’re not confident in your ability to do this, hire an experienced professional copywriter. It may be the best money you’ll spend.

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By all accounts, Country Financial is a good company, offering products that benefit consumers nationwide. In an effort to be a good corporate citizen, the firm is sponsoring an historical touring exhibition called “Titanic, Treasures From the Deep”.

The web site promoting the exhibition has a section called Lifeboat Challenge, where folks can take a short quiz on how prepared their family’s “financial lifeboat” is for “rough waters”.  It’s an impressive way to tie the exhibit in with Country’s core marketing message.

However, a radio ad for the show gave me pause this evening — it invited listeners to find out more by going to www.countrytitanic.com.

That’s Country Titanic dot com.

In this economic environment, when you hear the words “Country” and “Titanic” right next to each other, what picture forms in your mind?

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Check out Phil Bernstein’s Facebook Fan Page — and become a Fan – here

Click here to learn the shocking truth about Phil Bernstein

Click this link to subscribe to Portland’s Finest Advertising and Marketing Blog.

Request your free copy of Phil Bernstein’s white paper, The Seven Deadly Advertising Mistakes and How to Fix Them here.

Got a question? Call Phil Bernstein, Portland’s Advertising Expert, at 503-323-6553.

I spend a lot of time working with business owners on the most persuasive way to tell their stories. One of the most common desires I encounter is the desire to talk about everything in the commercial.

It’s physically possible to talk about four different things in the same commercial. And give an address, web site, and phone number, too. As long as you don’t mind that your customers and prospects won’t remember anything about your message once the commercial’s over.

For 14 years, I’ve tried a variety of ways to convince my customers that keeping their messages simple will make them more memorable. This week, I’m going to borrow an image from Bill Schley.

Schley, author of “Why Johnny Can’t Brand”, and the forthcoming “The Micro-Script Rules”, was interviewed recently by Jim Doyle for his coaching program. In making an argument for simplicity in message, he used an image from the airline business:

One piece of carry-on.

Passengers boarding an airplane are allowed to carry on one piece of luggage. That piece must be small enough to fit in the overhead bin above the seat.

Schley says that your prospects, when they hear or see your ad, have the ability to retain one, and only one, piece of information. The customer’s mind is the “overhead bin”. The object of your commercial is to get the customer to place it in the overhead bin, and then act on it by  doing business with you,  repeating it to others, or both.

Stuff too much information into your commercial, and the message won’t stay in the overhead bin long enough for your prospect to pull it back out again.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Check out Phil Bernstein’s Facebook Fan Page — and become a Fan – here

Click here to learn the shocking truth about Phil Bernstein

Click this link to subscribe to Portland’s Finest Advertising and Marketing Blog.

Request your free copy of Phil Bernstein’s white paper, The Seven Deadly Advertising Mistakes and How to Fix Them here.

Got a question? Call Phil Bernstein, Portland’s Advertising Expert, at 503-323-6553.