Mark Huebner

Toronto Ad & Media Agencies

2005-01-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

Last Class

2004-12-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

Not to put a jinx on anything, but tomorrow’s class is scheduled to have a special guest speaker.

She is a Group Manager with a worldwide public relations firm and works with a lot of fashion-related clients including Chatelaine Magazine, The Bay, The Body Shop and a lot more. Bring your resumes if interning in this field interests you.

Final assignment notes:
When writing your copy in Word, use only one space after periods.
Make sure each ad you do for whatever medium has a different headline.
Have fun. If you need anything clarified, drop me an email.

Ad Campaigns

2004-11-29T16:03:00.001-05:00

The best ad campaigns are the ones that haven’t ever been seen before. They takes the reader by welcome surprise.

To get an idea of what that means, spend a couple hours at the library going through the advertising award annuals. The point isn’t to copy the ideas. The point is to get inspired by the thinking behind them.

Write down any random thoughts that relate to your own campaign. Some ideas will work, other won’t.

Then read the body copy of the long copy ads. Look at how it starts. Study the details. The vocabulary. And the endings. Notice how the key words are chosen to relate the reader back to the topic.

Don’t be intimidated if your creative idea is odd, unusual, politically incorrect, too sassy, too suggestive, too emotional, or too anything. That’s the point.

You want your advertising to be noticed and remembered.

Email any questions. I will post the questions and answers on this blog.

If you can’t get to the library, check out these ad award sites:

Clio archives
AIGA
Brainco (links)
CMYK
Print’s design annual is on the newstands now. It has a ton of really smart ads and design from across the US.

Ad Campaigns

2004-11-29T16:03:00.000-05:00

Press Release Assignment

2004-11-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Four points to consider before making your final printout.

First. Don’t start the body copy with a dateline. The newspaper or publication will put that in.

Second. You are providing newspapers with facts about your service/business/event. The more it reads like a sales piece, the lower the chances of it getting published. So leave out the “world’s greatest event” phrases and describe the actual facts in clear, simple terms.

Write at a level that you’re comfortable with. Look, if the Globe & Mail published an objective profile about you, it wouldn’t matter whether the story included compliments about how wonderful you are. The fact you were written about is enough to convince readers how great you are.

Third. If the business you are writing about provides a solution then start by introducing the problem.

Fourth. Proofread. A lot. You’ll be sending your letters to editors who make a living ripping copy apart. Think of your letter as a juicy slice of red meat being presented to a pack of starving wolves. So read your letter out loud. A good technique for finding weak spots in the copy is calling a friend and reading it over the phone. (This technique is best done before 9 pm.) Then proofread it some more.

Thursday Update

2004-11-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

The Guest Speaker from the PR agency will be postponed until December 2. A replacement may take her place. However, you may still bring your resume if you are interested in a student internship. She has also given me her work number that I can pass along to you in class.

Press Release Links

2004-11-05T13:17:00.000-05:00

I’ve collected recent news stories that were likely initiated by press release. Reading them may help with the fourth assignment.

Yesterday, the Toronto Star ran a full page feature in the Fashion section on the Grand Opening of Sephora. The story is also posted online. Here is the link.

Sephora was also covered in another story in The Star as top ten list. Top ten and “Best-of” lists are always a popular device.

The Globe and Mail covers Sephora here. Quick reference facts are included at the end.

Additional quotes and details would have been gathered by the reporters. Conjecture about Sephora’s competitors (near the end of the first Star article) would not have appeared in the press release.

Here is list of links to other news stories that quite probably came from press releases.

Hey! Another Sephora placement. This time one of their products.

A home developer announces phase two. Not a particularly exciting story. Some sections of the paper have higher standards than others. Fashion, travel, food, and arts sections are more demanding than the real estate section.

Home Depot announces the publication of their new catalog.

Vaughn Mills Outlet Mall announces a new retail concept. Outlet malls are not really that new. But enough to make it news. Besides, a business like Vaugh Mills will need to do a lot of advertising. The Star hopes it will be in their paper. So they have a healthy interest in helping a new business get a fast start. Remember this when your new business or service needs a jump start.

Another Vaughn Mills Outlet Mall story. The focus is on its location.

Yes, another Vaughn Mills Outlet Mall article. The history of strip malls. A good lesson here. If a newspaper takes an interest in your event, retail store, or product, just keep sending them more press releases. Each can cover your message from a different angle.

Knowing which newspapers are covering your story means that they are reaching the people who are interested in your business. After your business is opened, you will have a better idea of where to put your advertising budget.

A new cooking school opens. Notice that the article is short. That does not mean the press release was short. Only that the editor cut it down for a number of reasons.

Ford announces a big sale.

To sum up: Keep the casual newspaper reader in mind when writing your press release. Are you telling an interesting story? Is the language lively, vivid, and easy-to-understand? Are you including details that offer real benefits?

Finally, read sentences out loud when re-writing and proofreading. Use your spellcheck. Let a few friends read it and then recount the main points of the press release.

Drop me an email with any questions.

Copy Edit Symbols

2004-11-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

Good reference for copy editing. Will also be permalinked.

Press Release Template

2004-11-04T08:50:00.000-05:00

For Immediate Release

Contact: First & Last Name (416) 000-0000

Headline: Your News Message.

Subhead leads reader from headline to body copy.

Body copy. Plan on using “Five paragraphs and out” model. The first paragraph explains what you will be writing about. For instance: Toronto’s Bloor Street West features North America’s most celebrated designers: Chanel. Armani. Tiffany’s. Saturday, November 13, one more (writer’s note: originally “another”) designer will debut (writer’s note: originally “open her doors”) on Bloor West.

The second paragraph specifically describes the thing or event you want to tell the public through the media. If an event include the time, place and date. Describe who you expect will be attending. Fashion show: featured designers. Retail: featured designers and garment selection. For instance: Announcing the opening of Rina’s: an innovative fashion boutique that will cater to Toronto’s dynamic professional women. will provide professional women with business and formal attire by Rina, Ann Taylor and Sally Bowles.

Third paragraph fleshes out the previous. Offer more details about Rina. Her experience, background, and travels. Include a personable anecdote. If you writing about an event such as a fashion show, offer details about the predominant designers. A fashion show like Mass Exodus could include details of prominent Ryerson designers who were featured in prior years. You must be convincing that your event is unique and will be interesting to the editor’s readers and viewers.

The fourth paragraph builds on the last. Include more details about the opening or event and why it will be of interest to the editor’s readers and viewers. Shop openings can include points such as:

Employing a tailor on-site

escription of the interior

Innovative programs or services

Other newsworthy features.
Events can include special arrangements for the media, interviews with designers, etc. Quotes from industry leaders about the show’s impact or the bright future in store for the store.

The fifth paragraph wraps it all up. Briefly tell the readers what they’ve just read. Many editors read only the first and last paragraphs. If they like what they read, they might read the middle. If they do, the three middle paragraphs can not include unexpected information. Invite the editor to the grand opening. Give time and date. Offer to have her picked up in a VIP limo if she RSVPs by a certain date. This can get tricky because you do not want the editor to extend invitation to public. Include a separate invitation with the press release.

About the author/event/boutique:
Author/event/boutique is (a short factual description).

Details:

Title:
000 pages
0" x 0"
# of illustrations/photography
ISBN: 1-12345-000-0
(Release date) Month 2004
(Binding: Hardcover, Paperback) $19.95
Published by (publisher)

Event:
Time:
Duration:
Address:
Date:
Cost (to public):
Ticket Outlet:
Presented by:

Store Name:
Address:
Grand Opening:
Times:
Phone #:
Website:
Ownership:

-30-

Catalog Copy

2004-10-26T19:35:00.000-04:00

Here are a few thoughts and things to consider in the Catalog Copy assignment.

Assume your customer knows very little about your items.

Use the item’s features to describe the item. Then connect the features to a benefit that is relevant to the reader.

Someone will sell far more “The return of the comfy classic. 100% combed lambswool, water resistant fisherman’s sweaters in sea blue. Perfect for long walks to the beach.” than “Knitted sweaters. Available in S, M, L, XL. One color only.”

Don’t worry about color or size availability. Sell the item. Use the most descriptive and emotional language you can.

Include items that you already own so that you can describe them and how they work and all the other reasons why customers must buy it.

Avoid including similar items e.g. ankle high Doc Martens boots and calf high Doc Martens boots. Although athletic shoes and the boots are different enough to include both.

Suggested items:
Clothing (outerwear, formal wear, casual wear, footwear, underwear, seasonal wear) personal electronics, home fashions, furniture, jewellery & watch, kitchen gadgets, office supplies, favorite snacks foods, health and beauty products.

Email me with any questions.

Promotions & Ethics

2004-10-25T16:48:00.000-04:00

This seems painfully obvious: anything truly tempting is probably bad for you.

The Seven Ss of Outdoor Advertising

2004-10-20T17:32:00.000-04:00

1) Seven words max
2) Simple idea
3) Single message
4) Serial executions
5) Speedy point
6) Smart creative
7) Smile

And yes, you will find many ads that mangle these guidelines. But it’s always good to know the rules before you bend them to your will.

Brainstorming Technique

2004-10-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

An article by Johah Goldberg about diversity in media and politics.

His point is valuable when creative brainstorming in a group or even with yourself.

Considering patently stupid ideas can loosen mental log jams and help you find solutions in areas no one else thought to go.

Shades of Aubergine

2004-10-20T13:30:00.000-04:00

David Ogilvy said that nothing kills a bad business faster than good advertising.

So maybe Air Canada can take comfort in the fact that their Celine strategy may delay the ultimate fate of their company.

Air Canada signing Celine Dion is just plain bad on so many levels that it’s swerved into becoming an excellent case study.

Using the diva who is best known for singing the theme to Titanic might be appropriate.

Air Canada is lumbering relic of the past that is drifting aimlessly and threatening to sink. Maybe Air Canada is hoping that the Dion name, pop music,and bright lights will distract attention away from their miserable service.

In the mid-90s, Eaton’s, another textbook entry, refused to change with the times and tried to beat bankrupcy with the infamous Aubergine campaign. Again, meaningless flash and style. Oh, that didn’t work well either. Eaton’s quickly slipped beneath the waves of public indifference.

Full disclosure: I was a freelance copywriter for Eaton’s advertising prior to their really bad years. Eaton’s had a lot of problems, chief among them the inability to compete with Wal-Mart. Ironically, Wal-Mart was doing exactly what Eaton’s had done in the past: sell a wide range of merchandize at a reasonable price.

Eaton’s, and now Air Canada, lost sight of a critical fact. When you advertise, you are speaking to your customers. Forget the stuff about these event being for investors or worse, “stakeholders.” Seriously, investors can smell through a varnished pile of crap faster than anyone. And stakeholders means anyone who can screw around with your business without suffering any financial loss.

Why would you care that Celine shows up for Air Canada marketing events? Think travelers and business execs will suddenly slap their foreheads and say, “Dion’s right! That’s why I didn’t think to fly Air Canada before!” If you don’t care, neither will anyone else. Don’t think that there is a market out there who will ring up their travel agent just because a singer says to.

The only reason anyone would care is if they thought Dion was going to hang onto her stew’s uniform, be pleasant, and show up when you flip on that little “flag-down-the-sullen-flight-attendent” light above your seat. Oh, and maybe lead a sing-along after showing us seat monkeys how to put on a seat belt. (Personally, our culture needs more sing-alongs and I’d be happy to be on flight that had one. But not that boat-sinking theme. Especially on trans-Atlantic flights.)

How did Celine fly to Toronto?
Commercial or private?

Even on a public perception level, this splurging on Celine looks bad.

Imagine there’s someone who’s been crying poverty and asking for special handouts. How would you feel if he scored a big bank loan and the first thing he spent the money on was an expensive car and a big party that you weren’ invited to?

Forget the unions for second. (Why not? Air Canada did.) What about us long suffering passengers of Air Canada? For generations, the airline has been protected from competition, benefited from government protection and regulation, was awarded all the choice routes, and was given god knows how many millions in grants and giveaways.

Just so we could suffer the baleful stares of their employees wearing spiffy new uniforms? Will we still have to pay exorbitant air fares whenever we’re forced to use their near-empty or over-booked flights?

The hardest thing in business isn’t winning new customers. The hardest thing is getting old customers back. Customers who once came to you but left to do business with someone else. It’s even harder when you’ve been the only game for decades and don’t have a rich source of new customers to tide you over until you can prove you’re worthy of the lost business.

Finally, a near-failed company like Air Canada must offer tangibly better reasons for lost customers to return. It must offer real benefits and a higher level of customer service. That demands a top down commitment. Regrettably, not every business has the will.

When those changes are made, the company must reach their customers using honest, smart, innovative advertising. The advertising itself must be evidence of the change in attitude and reflect the company’s revamped approach.

Again, the first change is how the business is operated at the customer level. Then do the advertising.

How To Be Creative

2004-10-08T14:40:00.000-04:00

Hugh over at The Gaping Void blog tells How To Be Creative.

Strong language alert.

Considerations for Product, Service & Retail Advertising

2004-10-08T10:44:00.000-04:00

There are roughly three broad categories that require advertising: products, services, and retail. Retail advertising, a fusion of the two will be covered in more detail later.

The purpose of an ad is to offer the customer enough information to make an informed decision.

Products are tangible objects that can be shown and demonstrated. The goal is to show how your product is superior to others. Choose its strongest feature/benefit and focus on a single-minded message.

For instance, Ivory soap key feature is its 99.97% purity. The floating bar demonstrates that purity. Images of babies illustrate why purity is important.

Every product needs a unique selling feature. These might include:

Effectiveness

Unique affect on the senses: Taste, Smell, Touch, Sight, Sound

Ease-of-use

Convenience

Duration

Newness & innovation

Safety

Onset (how quickly it starts working)

Level of acceptance within target market (prestige)

Price

The sum of these points will determine the product’s overall quality. The price of the product factored into its quality determines value.

Your ad’s purpose is to illustrate the product’s superiority. It’s up to the customer to determine the product’s value. Just saying your product has quality and value is an empty claim without showing why. And one you show why, you don’t have to say why.

Advertising a service.

Services are intangible yet absolutely necessary in the modern world. Service providers include:

Banking & Finance

Insurance

Telecommunications

Information Technology

Education

Consulting

Advertising

Legal services

Customers have a different set of concerns before making a decision. These include:

Corporate reputation

Quality of staff: experience, training, intelligence, friendliness, professionalism

Effectiveness of service – how well does it do what it’s supposed to do?

Speed of delivery

Convenience

Accessibility

Comprehensiveness

Ongoing attention

The value the service adds to client’s business

Cost of primary and related service (e.g. aftermarket service)

Again, the overall superiority factored into cost determines value. However, delivering superior service at any price is often considered a superior value.

Retail is a fusion of both service and product.

Retail advertising sells both product and service. Much of it is announcing the brands you are carrying. Since other retailers are carrying the same brands at similar prices, competitiveness stems from offering a superior buying experience.

For example, consider two restaurants, Pete’s Grill and Antoine’s Bistro. Both offer great steak dinners. But Pete’s Grill is less expensive than Antoine’s Bistro. The competitive position of Pete’s Grill is “Great Steak For Everyone.” The competitive position of Antoine’s Bistro is “Great Steak For Special Occasions.”

And while the price of their similar product is different, the overall experience offers customers a choice.

Pete and Antoine can look forward to decades of success because they are both competitive. When mom and dad take the kids out they go to Pete’s Bistro (who makes his profit on the additional people that frequent his establishment). When mom and dad celebrate their 10th anniversary or go out with clients, they go to Antoine’s who makes his profit on the higher mark-up as well as on the bottles of red wine.

The Marketing Rule for Retailers

2004-10-08T10:30:00.000-04:00

Price.
Quality.
Competitive feature.

Choose two.

This means you can offer high quality at a low price at the expense of, say, convenience.
Or you can offer high quality at a convenience to the shopper, but that means the price will go up. If you want to offer low prices and speedy service, the quality is going to suffer.

Personally, I believe that price is a relative value that is best left to the market. It is your best and most objective gauge of your overall effectiveness in the market.

Always work to deliver the highest quality of service or product at the time the customer needs it. Then charge what it’s worth. If you find that others are more competitive than you are, raise the quality of your work or the quality of your service (speed of delivery, convenience, etc). Lowering your price should only be a last resort if you cannot raise the quality of your product or service.

Tagline Tips

2004-10-05T16:45:00.000-04:00

Not definitive. If you can think of other devices, let me know and I’ll include them.

Describe the experience
“Shopping Smart in the Big City” (Dominion)
“One Ticket and You’re There” (Pan Am Games)

Brand Attitude
“This is for Pride” (World Junior Hockey Championship)

Rhyme the brand name
“End Their Fussin’ With Robitussin”
“I Like Ike” Campaign line for Gen. Dwight (Ike) Eisenhower

Short
“Think” IBM
“True” Budweiser

Twist on common phrase
“Hope in Hell” (Hope in Hell book title. I know, not a tag line, but it works like one)

Zen – more than one meaning, all applicable
“Plumb Better” (Kitec pipe)
“Blood. It’s in you to give.” (Canadian Blood Agency, formerly The Red Cross)
“It’s good to know” Winnipeg Free Press

Use words related to brand
“The Priority is You, The Plus is Savings” (A&P Priority Plus Card)

Parallel structure
“Close to home. Far from ordinary.” (Fire & Ice)

Writing Copy Based on a Creative Concept

2004-10-05T16:37:00.000-04:00

Write a “Just the Facts” headline and body copy.

Include consumer benefit in headline.
Argue your case in the body copy.
Product/Service description.

Identify the tone of your ad:
Serious
Comedic
Dramatic
Scientific
Sophisticated
Simple

Choose a variety of words that suit your tone.
Product/Service description

Then rewrite the headline and body copy to match your tone.

Include consumer benefit in headline.
Argue your case in the body copy.

First, identify problem.
Second, identify solution.
Third, connect your product/service as solution to problem.

Make sure connection is:
Unique - no other can perform in the same way

Unique points:

Price

Effectiveness

Safety (personal, environment)

Health benefits (growing segment use)

Availability

Expertise/experience of manufacturer

Convenience

Ease of use

Duration (long lasting)

Onset (fast acting)

Entire combination determines value
Presentation over long term determines brand image

Re-read your ad with these points in mind:

Relevance to your target consumer

Logical argument

Interesting presentation

A single message simply stated.

Taglines

2004-09-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

Definition: Quick identification of brand using words.

Successful taglines are:

1. Postitive
A brand advantage builds the brand image.

2. Memorable
A memorable tagline is brief, uniquely insightful, and immediately understandable.

TAGLINE MESSAGES
This is a mix and match list. No tagline uses all these points. This list helps to define how to best describe your brand.

Superiority
“The Ultimate Driving Machine” BMW

Key Feature/Benefit
“When it rains, it pours” Morton's Salt
“Good to the last drop” Maxwell House

Price
“Inexpensive and built to say that way” Subaru
“Reassuringly expensive” Stella Artois

Describe consumer experience
“The antidote for civilization” Club Med
“One ticket and you’re there” Pan Am Games

Brand promise
“We try harder” Avis
“When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”
The more specific the promise, the more impact the line has. Just make sure the brand promise can be delivered before making a bold claim.

Brand attitude
’m worth it” L’Oreal

Call to action
“Just do it” Nike
“Go to work on an egg” Egg Marketing Board
“Where do you want to go today?” MicroSoft

Challenge
“It is. Are you?” The Independent
“Think Different” Apple

Class Notes

2004-09-23T23:36:00.000-04:00

Copywriting class notes will be posted on Monday.

Link to tagline website.

Badvertising

2004-09-20T16:42:00.000-04:00

Which I could claim credit for coining the term “badvertising.” Whether or not the brainy Virginia Postrel did, she does offer a perfect example.

The Accenture bad ad features:

Trite headline ripped from a dopey motivational poster

Reliance on celebrity

No unique product/service feature

Irrelevant benefit

Golfetish™

Unintended irony about doing the impossible: a more meaningful campaign would feature how the company escaped prosecution for being Enron’s consiglieri in part by changing their name to Accenture from Andersen Consulting.

Good Ads. Bad Ads.

2004-09-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

Is it possible to know a good ad from a bad ad?

The answer is yes.

There are also right ads and wrong ads. But that is more a tactical/strategic question.

Goods ads tend to have these characteristics:

Unique selling concept

Imaginative presentation

A single message

Persuasive argument

Offer a benefit (tangible or intangible).

Bad ads tend to have these characteristics:

Stale selling concept

Unimaginative presentation

Multiple messages

Weak argument

Over promises yet offers no relevent benefit.

Now, a lot of good ads may have one or two bad ad characteristics. And some bad ads have an interesting selling concept buried under a pile of crappy writing and pretentious or amateur art direction.

Of course, various creative directors and clients will have their own guides for good ads and bad ads. While we all probably agree on each point, there would be room for discussion about which ads meet those criteria.

The beauty of advertising is that while everyone has an opinion, it’s ultimately up to the consumer to decide.

Mark Huebner

Toronto Ad & Media Agencies

Last Class

Ad Campaigns

Ad Campaigns

Press Release Assignment

Thursday Update

Press Release Links

Copy Edit Symbols

Press Release Template

For Immediate Release

Contact: First & Last Name (416) 000-0000

Headline: Your News Message.

Subhead leads reader from headline to body copy.

Catalog Copy

Promotions & Ethics

The Seven Ss of Outdoor Advertising

Brainstorming Technique

Shades of Aubergine

How did Celine fly to Toronto?Commercial or private?

How To Be Creative

Considerations for Product, Service & Retail Advertising

The purpose of an ad is to offer the customer enough information to make an informed decision.

Advertising a service.

Retail is a fusion of both service and product.

The Marketing Rule for Retailers

Price.Quality.Competitive feature.

Tagline Tips

Writing Copy Based on a Creative Concept

Taglines

Class Notes

Badvertising

Good Ads. Bad Ads.

How did Celine fly to Toronto?
Commercial or private?

Price.
Quality.
Competitive feature.