This session covers the ins and outs of advertising: writing, researching, demographics, copy platforms

1. Writing for Media
Session #7
“Writing Advertising Copy”
UCSD Extension Spring 2012

2. Advertising Industry
• $100 billion industry
• Proctor & Gamble spends $4.9 billion
• AT&T spends $3.3 billion
• Super Bowl ad costs $2.6 million (30 secs)
• Name other companies that spend $$$ on ads

3. Purpose
• Inform
• Persuade
• Entertain
• Motivate
• Ultimately -- to Sell!

4. Power to Change
• Thinking
• Beliefs
• Behavior

5. Process
• Research
• Prioritize
• Best fit product, media, and purpose
• Create
• Results

6. Love/Hate Ads
• Tivo, flip the page, or ignore banner ads
• Degrading, pollutes minds, false facts
• Vital link to economy
• Provides vital info
• 1,600 ad messages a day
• Do you remember any ads today? (Work?)

7. Field of Advertising
• Fun
• Creative
• Challenging

8. Needs and Desires
• Food and drink
• Shelter, security, and comfort
• Sex, intimacy, and social content
• Independence, privacy, fulfillment, power
• Stimulation
• Acquisition

9. Audience
• Current users (reinforce behavior)
• Prospective users (create behavior)

10. Audience Info
• Surveys (mail, phone, online, etc.)
• Focus groups
• Interviews
• Consumer product testing
• Social media channels

11. Demo & Psychographics
• Age
• Gender
• Income
• Education
• Marital status
• Residence

12. Other Demographics
• Race
• Home ownership/rent
• Number of children/adults in household
• Type of housing
• What people believe?
• Anything else?

13. The Product
• Item (vacuum cleaner)
• Business (insurance company)
• Idea (quitting smoking)
• Any other examples of each?

14. The Product (cont.)
• What the product does
• Physical characteristics of product
• History of product
• Who makes the product (brand)
• Price
• Competition

15. Ad Keys
• Market share (50% of sales in market)
• Audience (few people know about it)
• Product (new or updates)

16. Ad Solves Problem
• Product’s market share is down
• Product has a bad reputation
• Product costs too much
• Other problems?

17. The Ad Objective
• Make people aware of product
• Change people’s attitudes of product
• Tell consumers of product’s improvements
• Encourage people to shift from buying
another product to buying this product

18. Copy Platform
• Subject
• Problem
• Product characteristics
• Objective
• Target market

19. Copy Platform (cont.)
• Competition
• Statement of benefit or appeal
• safer, save money, more comfortable, etc.
• Creative theme
• Supportive selling points

20. AIDA
• Attract Attention
• Hold Interest
• Create a Desire for product
• Stimulate Action (call to action)

21. Effective Copy Guide
• Use clear, simple language
• Active verbs
• Be specific but overload w/ details
• Precise language
• Personal pronouns (you)
• Contractions are Ok (don’t, can’t, hasn’t)

22. Print Ad Elements
• Graphic
• Headline
• Subhead
• Body copy
• Call to action
• Contact info

23. Copy Rules
• Avoid grammar mistakes
• Avoid exaggerations
• Have a simple message in mind
• Tell the consumer what to do
• Make copy compelling

24. Broadcast Ads
• Voices
• Sound effects
• Music
• Pictures
• Visual effects

25. Commercial Formats
• Problem resolution (example)
• Slice of life (example)
• Documentary/demonstration (example)
• Fantasy (example)
• Using: spokesperson, testimonial, announcer

26. Web Ads
• Banners
• Buttons
• Pop ups
• Sold on “cost per impression” basis

27. Best Web Ads...
• Deliver info w/ fewest words possible
• Describe persuasively product benefits
• Call to action w/ great clarity

28. Other Ad Types
• Point-of-purchase (grocery stores)
• Outdoor ads (billboards)
• Direct mail (newsletters, catalogs,
brochures, etc.)

29. Questions...