MCM 210 – Writing for the Mass Media II

Week 2: Fundamentals of effective copywriting

What is a Copy?
It is a marketing/advertising term that refers to a written content intended to promote or
sell a product or service or to persuade readers to take a certain action.

The Fundamentals of effective copy writing include;

1. The 5Ws and H
An essential factor for effective writing is the use of 5Ws and H – Who, What, Why,
When, Where and How.

● What is the product that you want to sell?

The key here is to understand what is the Unique Selling Proposition(USP) of your
product? What is it that makes your product stand out from your competitor’s product.
What quality of the product is so appealing that the user will have to go for it. Once you
have it down, make sure that the USP is well highlighted in your copy. It essentially
comes down to turning the best features of your product into benefits that your
consumers can reach.

● Why are you writing this Ad Copy?

You need to know what is the client’s end goal with this Ad Copy. Is it to increase the
sales of the product, or is it to increase brand recognition, or it to introduce a new
product? The outcome makes a lot of difference in how an Ad copy needs to be framed.
So find your end goal.

● Who is your Target consumer?

Ask yourself what does your ideal customer profile looks like. Their gender, age,
location, likes, dislikes, the standard of living, income, and everything you possibly can
find out about your target group. The step into their shoes. If they are to come across
your ad, what will make them buy the product or at least pay enough heed to read your
entire Ad copy?

● When & Where is the Ad going to be placed?

Another important thing to know before you write the copy is where is your ad going to
be placed. It could be an outdoor billboard ad, or a newspaper ad, or a digital ad. The
placement of the ad makes a world of difference in how to write the copy. A billboard ad
will be more picture-centric and will have very fewer words, while a digital Ad can
contain some more details. Time also plays an important role here, what day is it going
to go up, what time, etc.

● How should the user feel after reading your ad?

What emotion do you want to invoke in your consumer? Write your copy around that. It
could be fear, joy, want, or even anger. You have to think about what emotion would
drive the consumer to step out and buy your product. For eg, a life insurance Ad
invokes fear in people and creates a need for an insurance policy. So decide what the
emotion that will lead you to conversion is.

2. Focus on Your Customer

One of the most common copywriting mistakes is that businesses talk too much
about themselves instead of focusing on the customer.
Common phrases you might find on sales pages are:
“I’ve been in the business for ten years.”
“I’ve worked with industry experts.”
“Here’s what we do.”
“We helped hundreds of customers.”
Most entrepreneurs fail at writing persuasive copy because they write for their own ego
instead of appealing to the ego of their clients.
Good copywriting is about focusing on the needs and emotions of your potential
customer.
No matter if it’s a flyer, newsletter, or sales page, your potential customer will always
ask themselves the same question: What’s in it for me?
If you don’t answer that question quickly, they won’t read the rest of your message.

3. Research
A copywriter or anyone in the Ad industry should make it a habit to save any impressive
work that they come across at any given time in a specific folder. So over time, you
have this gold mine of good Ad copies which you can go back to get some inspiration
from for your new work. This way you feel inspired to start working on a new piece and
also you can borrow some of the elements from those already successful ads.

4. Simplify Your Sentences (Economize Your Use of Words)

Most writers use too many words in their drafts. In most cases, short sentences equal
better copy. A study conducted by the American Press Institute found that short
sentences are 90 percent easier to read and understand. If your texts are too
complicated, potential customers will leave your page quickly. And if that happens, you
don’t even have the chance to convince them to buy your product.
The longer and more complex your sentences and words, the harder it is to persuade
your prospect. A sentence that is easy to read usually contains fewer than 15 words,
while sentences with more than 20 words are mostly challenging to read.

You shouldn’t only simplify your writing, but the whole idea of your copy. If people don’t
understand what you’re doing, it’ll be hard to convince them to buy your product or
service. Again: The simpler, the better. Be conversational in your copy writing approach.

5. Always end with a call to action (CTA)

Call to action (CTA) informs the audience to take action. Examples include; Buy now!
Click link in bio or send a DM. When the audience has gone through your copy, what do
you want them to do? Visit your website? Share it with friends? Buy online? Fill out a
form? Arrange a meeting? Pick up the phone? Whatever it is, make it easy for them with
a freephone number, a hyperlink, a twitter feed – but above all, make it clear so they
know what to do next – while they are interested.

Imagine you meet someone interesting and you somehow manage to get their attention,
back that up with an engaging conversion and then walk away without giving them your
number. How do you build a relationship without this number exchange? So for effective
copy writing, always ensure you end with a CTA.

6. Use Urgency and Scarcity

If someone tells you that they’re interested in your product but need time to think about
the purchase, they’ll most probably never buy. They might forget about your offer or
even come across a different product. It’s your job as a copywriter to convince them to
buy right away. Two simple yet powerful ways to persuade your prospects to make a
buying decision are urgency and scarcity.

Common lines such as “Limited time offer”, “Hurry”, “Doors close on Sunday”, and
“Don’t miss out” indicate urgency as well as scarcity and give an additional reason to
purchase now instead of waiting. When using urgency or scarcity in your copy, be
careful to back these statements up with real limitations. Otherwise, you might harm
your credibility and lose the trust of your audience.

Whenever possible, use urgency and scarcity to help your potential clients take the leap
and make a purchase. You can use both by providing limited offers, exclusive
discounts, or extra benefits for the first few buyers.

Additionally, tell them what might happen if they don’t take action. What will they lose if
they don’t buy your product? Which challenges they might face if they don’t grab the
offer now.
 Week 3: Features of a good copy
The importance of a good advertisement copy can hardly be overemphasized. All the
planning, research and expense would go waste if proper care is not taken in drafting it.
A good copy should possess the following features;

1. A good copy Grabs Attention

The copy of an advertisement should be so drafted as to easily draw the attention of the
prospects. This is the first requisite on which depends the effectiveness of the ad-
vertisement. Attention can be brought about by pictures, by the use of display types,
borders, price quotations, reply coupons etc. Which one or which of them will be most
suitable depends upon the individual condition of the product and the market.

Various devices can be used to make the copy attractive such as:-
 Use of Pictures. Picture has the immense display and attention value.
 Use of Display Type or Heading. Use of appropriate to headings enhances the value of
an advertisement copy to a great extent. To invite attention, the heading should be brief
and meaningful, made up of three or four words and should be printed in emphatic bold
display types.
 Boarder etc. — Attractive boarder can be used to compel the attention of the readers.
The boarder must have a distinctive look so as to separate it from the rest of the setting.
 Price Quotation — Prices should not be quoted on the advertisement copy except when
they are very low as in clearance sale or special offers. But if an appeal is being made
to high class customers who care more for quality than for price, a price quotation
should be avoided and emphasis should be laid on quality.
 Reply Coupons — Reply coupons inserted in an advertisement in an unusual setting
are yet another way of attracting attention of the readers to the copy.

2. A good copy can be Easily Recalled

The advertisement copy should be prepared in such a manner that a reader gets ever
lasting impression about the product. The copy of advertisement should be so drafted
as to make it suitable to stick to the memory of the individual reader. Repetition of the
advertisement is an effective way of creating memorizing value. In any copy, the
advertiser must stress the brand name repeatedly. Repetition with slogan is an effective
method of creating a memorizing value. Pictures or graphics confirming to the
suggestion will have tremendous memorizing value as well.
 3. A good copy is Educational

A good copy of advertisement must possess educative value because the object of
modern advertising is not merely to satisfy the existing demand but to create future
demand. So a good copy of advertisement should educate the general public about the
uses of the new product or the new uses of the same product. It will certainly increase
the demand of the product and demand creation is one of the most important objectives
of the advertisement.

4. A good copy uses is Persuasive

The most important function of an advertisement copy is to induce, persuade and

motivate the prospects to think well of a product and to take to its use. A good copy is a
persuasive. One of the tools of persuasion is emotion appeal. A copy that appeals to
emotions or instincts of its prospects would succeed in persuading. Hence copywriters
should consider the message of the copy and the right emotion and tone to accompany
the copy. Generally speaking, the following are the basic instincts and emotions which
a copy writer should keep in mind when copy writing-

 Fear
 Excitement
 Anger
 Surprise
 Pain
 Joy
 Sadness
 Seduction
 Love

5. A good copy is Suggestive

The advertisement copy should be capable of suggesting the reader about the utility
and use of the product. Effective slogans can be used to give suggestions to the people.

Suggestion as to the use and quality of the product makes a copy of advertisement a
good one. The repeated use of a suggestion, a command or a slogan can do the trick.

The next task would be to offer a suggestion about the use and the utility of the product
that may remain inscribed on the mind of the reader even when he forget where he
really saw the advertisement. Slogans, Pictures, graphics, text, phrases, tone, emotion
and play on words are effective tools that may be used for this purpose. They should be
drafted and used as to drive home to the reader the utility of the product in everyday
situation.

6. A good copy is Authentic

An advertisement copy should be truthful. It should not misrepresent and conceal the
true facts about the product. Rather it should clearly lay down the limitations in the
product. For example, a cloth merchant should clearly specify about the fading of colour
and shrinkage of yarn, if it is so.

If these limitations are not brought to light, the buyer eventually comes to know about
them after using the product. This will definitely shatter the confidence of the buyer in
the product and the very aim of the advertisement is defeated. Most advertisers say
terms and conditions apply to remain authentic in their copy.

7. A good copy is Simple

Simplicity is a very important ingredient of an advertisement copy. It should be written in

simple language. It should be capable of proper understanding. It should be concise. It
should not use ornamental and tough words rather short, simple and properly
understandable words.
 Week 4: GOALS OF EFFECTIVE COPYWRITING
Copywriting needs purpose. Writing without setting goals for your copy, can be likened
to speaking into the air and hoping that the echo resonates with someone, somewhere.
Copywriting generally has three primary objectives: to inform, to persuade, and to
remind.

 Inform: An ad copy is used to increase brand exposure in the target market.

Informing potential customers about the brand and its products is the first step towards
attaining business goals. Informative advertising uses proven facts or features to
advertise products or services.
 Persuade: Persuading prospects to perform a particular task is a prominent
objective of an ad copy. The tasks may involve buying or trying the products and
services offered, forming a brand image, developing a favourable attitude towards the
brand. A persuasive ad copy strives to convince potential customers on why they will
benefit from engaging with a brand. The main goal of persuasive ad copies is to
influence consumers to make a decision.
 Remind: Another form of copy writing goals is to reinforce the brand message
and to reassure the existing and potential customers about the brand vision. Advertising
helps the brand to maintain top of mind awareness and to avoid competitors stealing the
customers. This also helps in the word of mouth marketing. Reminder advertising, or
retentive advertising, is when a company engages with existing customers to remind
them about products, services or company values. Companies may use this advertising
tactic to encourage repeat customers to continue shopping with them.

Within these broad goals, are specific and more quantified goals such as:

 Brand awareness: Brand awareness is a measurement of how familiar

consumers are with your brand. As an advertising goal, you might set numerical
targets or percentages for the number of people you'd like to recognize your
brand. Consider creating advertisements that incorporate your logo, brand colors
and memorable images so that when making purchases, the consumer might
recall your brand. This goal often combines all three advertising objectives:
reminding consumers about your brand, persuading them to choose your brand
and informing them about your brand.
 Lead generation: Lead generation is a method of increasing the number of
potential customers who are interested in purchasing products, services or idea.
Using both informative and persuasive strategies, you might advertise in new
markets to generate leads and connect with new potential customers. Using
search engine advertising can also be an effective way to generate new leads.
 For example, if a person is using a search engine to find a dog walker, they might
see your company in their search results and contact you.
 Customer retention: Customer retention is a measurement of how many
customers continue purchasing from your company after making their first
purchase. To boost a company’s customer retention, you might advertise new
loyalty programs that reward your customers or offer new discounts monthly.
This is a great metric for reviewing whether your customer retention efforts are
effective.
 Positioning and differentiation: Positioning refers to how customers think
about a brand. For example, if you work for an organic fast-food restaurant, you
may want your consumers to think of a quick, nutritious meal when they see your
brand logo. To influence how your customers think about your brand, you can
create ad copies that compare your products with a competitor's to highlight the
value of your products. This type of ad can differentiate your brand and influence
consumers to choose your products. You might measure this advertising goal by
examining your sales in contrast to a competitor's sales.
 Sales and profits: One of the most common goals of ad copies is to increase
sales and improve profits. You might also create promotional materials that
indicate an urgent event such as a single-day sale to attract customers. You can
measure your achievement of this advertising goal by calculating the amount of
revenue the company earns during the advertising campaign.
 Week 5: UNDERSTANDING MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Concept
Sales and marketing are fundamental to the survival of any business; hence, marketing
communications (Integrated Marketing Communications {IMC}) is a strategy deployed to
aid an organisation reach its prospects. Integrated marketing communication uses all
forms of promotion to achieve maximum communication impact. The message in IMC is
consistent, but the delivery method varies. With IMC, marketing is more efficient due to
the combination of marketing channels.
"Marketing communications refer to reaching a well-defined target audience with
a consistent message coordinated through various communication mediums."
It is an approach to brand communications where the different modes work together and
are presented with a similar tone and style that reinforces the brand's core message.
The goal of IMC is that the promotional message is coordinated, consistent, and
integrated across the different types of communication mediums.
IMC refers to all the marketing communications tools providing a consistent and
relevant message to the customer. Each unique marketing communication tool has its
unique characteristics and cost.
The purpose of marketing communication is to be the voice of an organization.
Marketing communication informs, reminds, or persuades prospects about a product,
service, or idea.
Three key steps of IMC
1. Determine your communication objective
2. Choose your message
3. Choose marketing communication tools that best fit your objective

Tools of marketing communication (Marketing Communication Mix)

1. Advertising: Advertising is a central element or tool of marketing
communications; however, it is not the only one. It is any paid form of non-
personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services via print
(newspapers and magazines), broadcast (radio and TV), display (billboards,
posters, etc.), or digital media (social media, websites, etc.).

2. Sales Promotion: It is the short term incentives to encourage the purchase or

trial of a product, service, or idea, including consumer promotions or trade
promotions

3. Events and experiences: These are company-sponsored activities and

programs designed to create daily or special brand-related interactions with
consumers, including sports, arts, entertainment, cause events, etc

4. Public Relations and publicity: These are programs directed internally to the
company's employees or externally to consumers, other firms, government, and
media to promote or protect a company's image or its product communications.

5. Online and social media marketing are online activities and programs
designed to engage customers or prospects, raise awareness, improve image, or
elicit sales.

6. Mobile/interactive Marketing: This is a unique form of marketing that places

communications on consumer cell phones, smartphones, or tablets

7. Direct and database marketing uses mails, emails, telephone, fax, or the
internet to communicate directly with or solicit responses or dialogue from
specific customers and prospects. This component of the marketing
communication process includes direct mail, catalogs, coupons and inserts,
telemarketing, online marketing, and television infomercials. This marketing
communication competency enables companies to reach out directly to
consumers without intermediary channels such as those required for advertising.

8. Personal Selling: It is face-to-face interaction with one or more prospective

purchasers to make presentations, answer questions, and procure orders.
 Week 6: ADVERTISING VS MARKETING

Check attachment on this topic for the note

Week 7: WRITING THE PRINT COPY

Print media advertising is a form of mass communication strategy that uses hard copy
printed mediums like newspapers, billboards, and magazines to reach consumers. The
advertising industry identifies print media as one of the oldest mediums used to promote
products.

PARTS OF PRINT COPY

 THE HEADLINES: this is usually the first visible parts of any message copy. The
copy writer job is to use the headline to turn page skimmers to readers. The
headline perform the following functions in a copy:
a. Capture the attention of the reader
b. Lure the reader into the body copy
c. Communicate a benefit
d. Reinforce the brand name
e. Make a connection to the customer
f. Enhance visual

TYPES OF HEADLINES
1. Direct benefits: this type of headline offers readers a reason to purchase the
product, service or idea
2. Reverse benefits: this headline implies that the audience will be worse off without
purchasing the product
3. Factual headline: this headline gives interesting facts about the product, service,
or idea
4. Selective headline: it is use to attract specific audience e.g. mothers, fathers,
drivers, smokers and many more.
5. Curiosity headline: this type headline is use to arouse the curiosity the reader,
which the other part of the ad will satisfy.
6. Screaming headline: another word for this is “Brag and Shout” headline. This
type shouts the quality or uniqueness of the product, service or idea expected.
7. Question headline: the question may be direct or rhetorical. This type of headline
is very useful in helping to get the reader into the body of the copy to get answer
to the question in the headline.
In selecting types to use in headline, it is important to note the functions headline
performs and select type that will enhance the success of the copy

 THE VISUAL: this could be picture or illustrations. The visual is to enhance the
headline and the copy.
 THE BODY COPY: why the headline arouses the interest of the reader, the copy
completes the story. The copy provides answers to questions the headline might
raise in the mind of the reader. It elaborates on the selling theme of the
campaign, offer the reader benefits of the message and urge the reader to take
desire action.
TYPES OF COPY
 Copy as story: this type of copy reads like a piece of fiction; it sets a
scene, presents characters who become involve in some action and help
the reader decides the theme of the story.
 Dialogue copy: where two people are engage in conversation. Be sure
that the dialogue sound realistic.
 Bulleted or listing copy:
 Poetic copy
 BRAND ELEMENT: Brand elements are the unique aspects of your brand, like
name, logo, color schemes, etc, that create a cohesive, recognizable image for
your business and extend into everything you create. Branded elements also
help you stand out from your competitors.
 MANDATORIES: these are statements that are require by law or by clients that
must appear in the message. They include for example; ‘smokers are liable to die
young’, ‘drink responsibly’. Others include slogans, special discount, closing
hours or other small details the clients require of you. It is your job as a copy
writer to ensure that your copy contains these small but important words.

Class Assignment:
Create a copy for any FMCG brand of your choice for the following mediums; print,
radio, TV. Each copy must be original. The radio and TV copy should contain words that
would not exceed 60 seconds of production time. Class members are advised to put to
use the features and fundamentals of effective copywriting to use for this assignment.
Copies would be graded based on creativity, originality and use of copy fundamentals.

Submission: 2nd June, 2022

Marks: 10 Marks
 Week 8: Copy Writing for Broadcast media
WRITING THE RADIO COPY
Radio is the most versatile medium of communication available to humanity. It is everywhere; in
the store, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, car, the pocket, the phone, etc. Radio is by far the most
portable mean of mass communication, it remain the world’s chief means of entertaining,
informing, and selling goods and services.

Radio is regarded as the theatre of the mind. The listener’s builds the scenery, does the
costuming, and decides what the face behind the voice looks like. Your job as a copy writer is to
provide the materials for the listener to build the scenery, the fabric with which to fashion the
costume, and the features from which to form the face.

In order to help the listener effortlessly accomplish the above, the copy writer uses the following
elements:

1. Sound effects
2. Words
3. Music
4. Voice

To effectively use radio as a medium to deliver your message, you must think of one big idea
you want to sell and you must do this within 30 or 60 seconds. In radio jingle, sound effect
should be used to further enhance the message of the copy but not for the fun of using sound.
Sounds can also be used to save words and dramatized situations.

Similarly, music can be use or it can be left out if the message is best delivered without music. In
order to gain listener’s attention, always begin your message with something relevant yet
unexpected. To end your message, always close with something memorable to drive home your
point. Since your message cannot be seen on radio, be certain that the central theme of the
message is mentioned several times.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE RADIO JINGLE
1. Identify your sound effect: the context of your jingle should remind the listener what
he/she is hearing or get somebody to voice an explanation. Two things you must
remember about radio: you can't see the action, and many sounds are similar. What
should be the babbling of a forest stream can sound like water running in a toilet bowl. So
make sure you set up the scene properly with narration or dialog. You can come right out
and say, "I'm standing next to a stream." Or work the locale into the opening dialog:
"This stream's no good for fish
2. Use music as sound effect: music is one sound effect you can use effectively to deliver
your message. However, care must be taken to ensure that the music does not distract
attention away from the message.
3. Build your message around sound: effective use of sound help the listener to picture
what the message is all about.
4. Consider no sound effect: in some instance, a distinctive voice, a powerful message
straight-forwardly delivered, can be extremely powerful.
5. Be careful of comedy: when using humour, ensure that the humour has fun with the
product and not fun of the product. Funny and effective are two different things. From a
selling standpoint, humor is hit and misses. Most often, listeners don't think it's funny.
And you always run the risk of losing the message amid the comedy. Humor is hard to do
well and too often backfire, so look for other ways to deliver your message first.
6. Keep the message short and simple: radio is a powerful medium for building brand
awareness but not good for reeling out long list of benefits or making complex argument.
7. Make every word count: radio does not allow for unnecessary use of words. every word
must count and be relevant. Radio is no place for laundry lists of features or corporate
drivel. Get the listener's attention; make a relevant offer straight away.
8. Write for ear not the eye: Who says you can't "show" anything on the radio? It isn't
called "theater of the mind" for nothing! Use announcer copy and sound effects to help
listeners picture a scene.
9. Repeat the name of your client: for message design, this is best achieved by ensuring
that the main theme of the message rings throughout the message. Mention it early in the
 spot. Then repeat it at least three times. Follow the advice of speechmakers: 1) Tell them
what you're gonna tell them. 2) Tell them. 3) Tell them what you just told them.
10. Avoid numbers: people don’t listen to radio with pen and paper in their hands, so avoid
numbers as much as possible.
11. Make it simple and direct: a good radio jingle must capture and hold attention, develop
and resolve the concept, and so sell the product or service.
12. Be aware of time constraint: you have just 30 or 60 seconds to deliver your message,
don’t waste time on irrelevances

APPROACHES TO DELIVER RADIO MESSAGES

1. One voice: use an interesting and relevant voice who can deliver exceptional words.
Nothing could be simpler than a single strong voice talking directly to the listener.
Not screaming, talking. The copy should be simple, direct, and clear. The announcer
should speak as if addressing a single person. But it doesn't have to be a lecture; you
can ask questions, too. Have you ever...? Wouldn't you like...? With the right voice,
this bare bones approach can jump right out of the clutter and really grab listeners
2. Dialogue: you can use two people talking. People love to listen to other people talk,
as long as it's interesting. One favorite dialog formats it to have one person who
knows something about a product or service and another person who doesn't know
anything about it but who could benefit from it. One person asks questions while the
other relays the offer as well as any important information. And if you use voices that
match the demographics of your listeners and speak believable dialog, you'll have
what amounts to a referral or a testimonial.
3. Multi- voice: you can use many people talking.
4. Dramatization: you can use the structure of a play to deliver your message; a
beginning, a conflict and a resolution. Everyone loves a story. This is difficult to do
correctly, especially in just 60 seconds. It takes a plausible, brief plot and an
announcer who understands the drama of the situation. Like a good short story, you
set up a crisis that needs resolution. Listeners must be able to relate to the situation
and see themselves as part of it. And the product or service is central to the resolution
of the action.
 5. Interviews: you can get an expert or celebrity and interview on the purpose of your
message taking care to highlight key features of the message.
6. Vignette: Start your spot with a short slice of life scene illustrating a problem. Then
cut to an announcer who describes your message as the solution to the identify
problem. If you have time, you might return to the characters in the slice of life to
show how adoption of your message has made things better, easier, more profitable,
etc. Of course, you will again return to the announcer for the call to action.
7. Person on the Street: Simple to produce and highly believable, the tried-and-true
person on the street is a good choice for a message with wide appeal. Ask real people
what they think about the message. Get them to describe how it's benefited them. Ask
if they would recommend it to others. Not all the answers will be eloquent, but
hearing real people say good things is the best endorsement you can have. It's also a
good format for live product comparisons.
8. Testimonials: Take the person on the street one step further and have people address
listeners directly, talking about adopting the message and praising its benefits. These
can be experts, celebrities, or ordinary people.
9. Jingles: according to Ogilvy, “when you have nothing to say sing it”

Whatever approach you choose to present your radio script, remember to begin with an attention
getting opening. The lead-in must lure the listener into hearing what follows. Generally, it is a
good idea to have an announcer drive home the key selling idea at the end.

WRITING TELEVISION COPY

One of the things that make television unique is its ability to combine all the features of print and
radio and add something else: Sight, Sound and Motion (SISOMO). When trying to write for
television, keep sight, sound and motion in mind. Television is regarded as the ideal advertising
medium because apart from its SISOMO abilities, it also offers colour opportunity for creative
and advertisers to express their creative and imaginative appeals.

Television offers creative writers and advertisers the following advantages:

 1. Creativity and impact: the interaction of SISOMO and colour offer tremendous creative
flexibility and make possible dramatic and lifelike representations of products and
services.
2. Selectivity and flexibility: with the increasing number of television stations and cable
channels, television offers advertisers opportunity to creatively select the target audience
it want to reach and when it want to reach them.

FORMAT FOR TELEVISION COMMERCIALS

1. Demonstration: this help to show what the product can do better. For examples:
I. Product in use: here you show how the product is use to achieve desire result.
II. Before and after: here you show the model before using the product and show it
again after using the product and the result of using the product.
III. Side by side: show two similar products and how your product outperforms the
other product.
2. Product as star: the product dominates every scene of the commercial. This is very
important for a new product that needed to imprint itself in the minds of the target
conmsumers.
3. Vignette: several brief episodes are threaded together to repeatedly drive home the same
point. Each episode usually involves different people at different places, but they all say
something relevant to the product story.
4. Slice of life: the model of the product has a problem, and your client product is the
solution.
5. Presenters: someone looks into the camera and tells why the prospect should buy the
product or service. The person can be an expert, top member of the organisation or
celebrity.
6. Testimonials: the person who has used the product comes forward to testify for the
product. However, it must be truth and based on real experiences of real people.
 Week 10: Writing Press Releases

A press release is a brief document that shares information about a newsworthy cause of an
organization with the press and other media outlets.

Also closely related to Press releases are News releases. The advent of the internet and social
media has enabled organizations to have their own platforms and directly share their news
releases. Hence the difference between News Release and Press Release is that the organization
involved can share directly on their own platforms while press releases involves the organization
sharing the newsworthy event to the press. Press releases are usually sent to journalists and
editors who may use the information to write a news article.

Types of News Releases

Broadly speaking, there are two types of news releases: those that announce something new and
those that comment on something already in the news.

 Announcement Release: The most common press releases are those that provide
advance information about a planned organizational activity. These releases may describe
upcoming events, rebranding, product launch, financial results, etc. They may focus on
progress within an organization or new programs being developed. Releases announcing
new products are more likely to be used by specialized trade publications than by the
general media.
 Response Release: These provide organizational comment on events, ideas, or previous
reports. They include new-information releases with follow-up information on previously
reported activities, and comment releases directed to the organization’s publics on
matters of mutual interest. Releases dealing with an organization’s response to bad news
may be difficult to write because the issues can be very sensitive. Nevertheless, public
relations practitioners have learned that getting on top of bad news with a carefully
crafted comment can minimize negative reaction. It may even provide an opportunity to
present a positive message that can highlight the organization’s values, social
responsibility, and competence.

Elements of Press releases

  Heading (Logo, name of organisation, name of contact, date of release)
 Headline
 Summary News Lead
 Benefit statement
 Information statement

Heading: At the top of the news release is the name and address of the sending organization
along with the name and contact information for the writer or another person whom journalists
could go to for additional information. The heading also includes the release date, often simply
designated For Immediate Release. Logo, name of organisation, name of contact and date
release.
Headline: Releases generally include a headline or title line that identifies the theme of the
release. It should identify both the organization and the basic theme of the release. For example:
News from Upstate University—New Student Government Officers.
Summary News Lead: Releases generally are structured according to the inverted pyramid
style, so a lead summarizing the most important news elements works best. The summary lead
gives primary information such as who, what, when, where, how, or why. The lead is a short
paragraph, so it probably won’t include each of these elements, only the two or three that are
most newsworthy.
Benefit Statement: Following the lead, information should clearly indicate the value to the
audience. This benefit statement, which tells what the audience might derive from the activity or
issue being reported, often is presented as a quote. The benefit statement is one of two elements
added to the basic reporting format of journalistic writing.
Action/Info Statement: Rounding out the basic elements of a news release is an action or
information statement that clearly indicates how the audience can become involved or where it
can obtain additional information. This is presented as useful information rather than a directive:
Additional information is available at XXX rather than Call XXX for additional information. Like
the benefit statement, the action/info statement is an addition to the basic reporting format
developed by print journalists.

Characteristics of Press release

A press release is characterized by certain elements that make it newsworthy and attract media
attention. Here are some of the key characteristics of a press release:
1. Newsworthy: A press release is newsworthy, i.e., it is of interest to the media and its
audience. News is whatever the gatekeeper says is news. The task of public relations
writers is to anticipate the gatekeeper’s interests by providing information with news
value for media audiences. Thus, public relations messages must be exceptionally strong
in their news value for the media gatekeeper to use them.
2. Timeliness: A press release is timely, i.e., it is released at a time when it is relevant and
is of interest to the media and its audience. Always send your press release in advance, in
time for event.
3. Relevance: Relevancy means the press release is about something relevant to the media
outlet’s audience. For example, sports content for a sports publication.
4. Factual: A press release is factual and accurate. It is not misleading or contains false
information.

Press Release Writing Style

1. Keep It Short: Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Short releases. Public relations writers
try to keep news releases short: one or two pages for printed releases; about 45 seconds of
copy (12–16 lines) for broadcast releases, no more than 350 words for an e-mail or for a
social media release. If you are writing more than that, perhaps you should prepare a
shorter release and then include additional materials in the form of secondary release,
backgrounder, or biographical narrative.
2. Use Simple Language: Keep word choices simple. Avoid technical language if possible,
or explain it if the words are necessary. Write said rather than striving for subjective
alternatives such as proclaimed, declared, and observed. Be careful when using objective
variations such as pointed out, added, and replied to make sure that the words reflect the
appropriate context, such as pointing out additional factual information or replying to a
question. Avoid subjective superlatives such as greatest and best, and make sure that
objective superlatives such as first, unique, and only are accurate.
3. Write For, But Not To, the Audience: Don’t tell the audience what to do. Effective news
releases provide information of interest to the reader, listener and viewer, but they do so
 in an impersonal way, and they provide information but not directions. For example, if
Toxico Industries is sending a truck into neighborhoods to collect hazardous household
waste, the news release should indicate times, places, and procedures for residents; it
would not specifically direct or encourage them to have the waste materials ready for the
collection. If directives and motivating statements are necessary, the writer would present
them as quotes from an authoritative source.
4. Lead with the News: Begin with the newsworthy aspect of your story, not with minor
details such as time or place. Don’t put too much focus on the organization. Avoid leads
that report topics but not significant information, such as a lead announcing The trustees
of Alma Mater University will meet Wednesday morning to discuss important business.
Readers don’t learn much from this lead. Write a better lead by naming the items
discussed, as in The trustees of Alma Mater University will meet Wednesday to consider
censuring the dean of academic affairs. In short, begin with the news. To present the
main points quickly, the writer sometimes will delay specific information. For example,
the lead paragraph may report The president of Alma Mater University has received a top
education award from Gov. Politico. The governor’s name would be used because it is
well known; however, the lead would not identify the university president by name
because he or she is not widely known beyond the campus. Neither would the lead
provide details about the award or the presentation ceremony; this information would
come in the following paragraph. The writing principles are the same for the delayed lead
that was discussed in previous news writing chapters.

Example of a Press Release

Week 11 & 12: Writing Copy Headlines and Taglines
Writing Copy Headlines

The success of any Advertising campaign depends on the headline. This is why some
copywriters are known to spend 50% of their time on just headlines. Creating an attention
grabbing headline is perhaps the most important part of copy writing.

To create a high conversion headline you need to;

 Understand the target

 Write an outline of the advert first. Then write the headline.
 Write several headlines, read them out, then select the very best.

Types of Headlines

1. Benefit Headline
2. News Headline
3. Selective Headline
4. Curiosity Headline
5. Reverse Benefit Headline
6. Pun

Benefit Headline: People are interested in products and services that offer them something in
turn. Stating a consumer benefit in a headline is one way to interest prospects. It helps if that the
benefit is stated in an interesting way and is complemented by a good visual. Headlines should
offer a benefit abd ne easy to understand. They should also engage readers and pull them into the
ad. “Get 3 months of premium for $0.99” “You will look younger in only seven days!”

News: News attracts readers hence the popularity of newspapers and other publications that tell
us things we things we haven’t heard about before. News headlines make important
announcement about a company or its products. “Introducing the amazing new iPhone 7”

Selective: A selective headline does something to attract a specific audience, a group with
something in common. It says, essentially, if you have this problem, read this ad. If you are this
kind of person, read this ad. If you are looking for this or that, this is where you’ll find it.
Obviously, any message that seeks its audience so deliberately will have a certain amount of
appeal. “Do you have ugly blackheads?”

Curiosity: A curiosity headline provides just enough information and just enough intrigue – to
whet the appetite for more. It should be relevant to the product message, for it can risk turning
away the reader if it seems the least bit too confusing. “Ever wonder why most people make love
in the dark?” “We have the secret for younger-looking skin.”
Reverse Benefit: The idea of stating how consumers are worse off without the product or
service advertised can be an effective one, simply because the tragedies of life are often more
memorable than the triumphs. “Imagine being debt free!”

Puns: Plays on words to attract attention, provided that the pun is universally understood e.g
“underware for your kitchen”

Writing Copy Taglines/Slogans

All good slogans or tag lines have several things in common that makes them
stick in our minds. Keeping these in mind while you develop a slogan will increase the chances
that you’ll write a winner.
1. Easy to remember. A slogan succinctly captures a key concept, such as Nike’s Just Do It.
2. Clever use of language. This includes a play on words, such as General Electric’s We bring
good things to light or Burger King’s Have It Your Way!
3. Emphasize a product benefit. Mazda’s Zoom Zoom depicts what it is like to experience
driving their car.
4. Elicit emotion. A slogan that brings a smile to someone’s face or even makes them chuckle
creates a positive experience