This makes sense when you think about it – there’s no such
thing as ‘readers’; instead my audience is made up of living,
breathing individuals linked only by the slenderest potential
interest in my subject. If I address them as such I’ve more
chance of getting my message across.
In a nutshell:
G Copywriting is about establishing a one-to-one connection
between writer and reader.
G Speak directly to the reader’s emotions in some way.
G Talk to them as if they’re sitting across the table from you.
G It’s not about what I want to say, it’s about what the reader
wants to hear.
Research
With the broad outline of the job and the fine detail of the reader
in place it’s time to dig deeper.
Brilliant copywriting is largely about
the unglamorous practice of prep-
aration, which in turn involves
patience and persistence. George
Washington said, ‘If I had nine hours
to chop down a tree, I’d spend six of
them sharpening the axe’, and every brilliant copywriter needs
to acquire the discipline necessary to sharpen their axe before
heading off to the woods. Copywriter Ed McCabe put it another
way, ‘Never go “Ready, fire, aim” – you’ll only shoot yourself in
the foot’. Wise words.
The fact is that if I get the research right my piece will practically
write itself. So I start digging. I want to develop a point of view.
I want to bring the big idea to life. And as I’m collecting ideas I
try to think visually. The chances are that my words will be
accompanied by some form of graphic design, so I want to make
52 brilliant copywriting
brilliant copywriting is
largely about the
unglamorous practice of
preparation
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sure the two dovetail. If I’m working with a designer or art
director, now’s the time to get together. I want to find out what’s
on their mind and introduce them to any proto-ideas I’ve come
up with.
A simple way to kickstart my research, especially for a large or
vague subject, is to do what any cub reporter would do and look
for the who, what, where, when, why and how of my subject.
That way I’ll unearth key facts, and facts have real persuading
power. Just as importantly, I need to ask myself what the piece is
really about. It might be one word; it might be a sentence, but
never more. Charles Revlon used to say, ‘I make lipstick, but
what I really sell is glamour.’ So I try to look beyond the obvious
to find what I should really be saying.
As the research process progresses I usually build up a library of
material, both printed and electronic. Typically only a tiny
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proportion will be truly relevant to my brief, so I need to
patiently pick through, looking for pearls. Earlier I made the
point that understanding comes only after assimilation, so it’s
important I give myself plenty of time to read, digest and under-
stand. As with the brief, I like to read raw material multiple
times, looking for different types of relevance. I don’t bother
trying to understand deeply or connect carefully at this stage –
it’s more about just grouping together the good stuff.
Along with printed material and web pages I may get the
opportunity to interview people from the client organisation. If
at all possible I try to arrange one or more such meetings,
because they’re an incredibly efficient form of research – just
being able to ask questions and pursue a particular line of
enquiry with a knowledgeable individual knocks other forms of
enquiry into a cocked hat. Obviously it’s important to get an
accurate record of what’s said in such meetings. Sure, I could
scribble like the wind, but I’d probably miss most of it. And
even if I didn’t, few people can maintain eye contact, think of
the next intelligent thing to say and listen well while writing
fourteen to the dozen. Plus, it’s polite to listen. People like it.
Clients like it. The answer to all this is simple: use a voice
recorder or Dictaphone.
Few copywriters own one of these little devices, which amazes
me. I can’t tell you how often recording a meeting has saved my
bacon, enabling me to spend precious minutes with the client
progressing the project rather than scribbling unintelligible
notes. Clients will often tell me exactly what they want – not
necessarily in their big speech but while they’re shuffling their
papers or fiddling with their phone – so I make sure I catch it (I
always ask permission to record a meeting, although in my
experience very few people object). I always transcribe the
recording myself (including all the interviews later in this book)
– although excruciating, it concentrates the mind marvellously.
The simple act of going over and over the recording often causes
54 brilliant copywriting
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an idea to spring forth – so using a Dictaphone can help with
inspiration as well as accuracy.
In a nutshell:
G Look for the who, what, where, when, why and how of your
subject.
G What’s the piece really about?
G Give yourself plenty of time to read, digest and understand.
G Interview key people, and use a Dictaphone.
Planning
Once I’ve gathered enough raw material to feel slightly out of
control, I start mapping it out. If I’ve got a rough idea of my
overall argument then I try superimposing my raw material onto
this structure to see what works and what doesn’t. If I don’t have
a clue (and I usually don’t) then I try writing down the key facts
I’ve uncovered on Post-It notes or an A3 pad, before grouping
them in different ways to see what themes emerge. I’ll do this a
few times to find the optimum organisation. I’ll then give names
to the groups, order them (again trying a few alternatives) and
use that as a basic section plan.
All the time I’m thinking about the reader, the end result and the
big idea. I use these as a yardstick to determine whether a par-
ticular fact or turn of phrase deserves to be included. I’ll then go
back and look at my raw material to see where I need more work
and if I’ve missed anything before finessing everything several
times until I can’t stand the sight of it.Then I’ll grit my teeth and
go through it once again to make sure I haven’t missed anything
obvious.
The result should be a pool of relevant information and a more
or less detailed structure on which to hang that information. It
should reflect the brief and take into account everything I know
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about the reader, the brand and the desired end result. This
approach works whether I’m writing three sentences or 3000
words, although it’s on larger jobs that it comes into its own.
56 brilliant copywriting
brilliant
tip
Unusual thinking doesn’t tend to happen in usual places. The
copywriter Terry Lovelock apparently thought up the line ‘Heineken
refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach’ during a fortnight in a
smart hotel in Marrakech, deliberately chosen as a retreat from the
distractions of London agency life. I’m not suggesting you need to
go quite that far, but the point is sound – sometimes you need a
change of scene to give yourself permission to think differently. On
a related subject, some people enjoy being driven by deadlines and
leave everything until the last moment. Unless you have supreme
confidence in your abilities I suggest you don’t try this (at least to
begin with). Instead I’d start nice and early – you can always slow
down later on. Good things happen when you don’t push too hard,
although I know many writers who take the opposite view.
What it actually looks like depends on how I’m working that par-
ticular day, but I tend to do this stage electronically, using
different point sizes for different levels of heading, with rough
body text bolted on wherever appropriate. It’s more than a plan
and less than a first draft. What I’m looking for is a growing
sense of impatience about the planning process and a desire to
start writing. I try to fight this feeling as long as I can, but sooner
or later I get to a point when I just know I have enough material,
in approximately the right order, to make a decent start with the
real thing.
In a nutshell:
G Don’t start until you feel slightly out of control.
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