Honey, did you get something special for me, tonight?

Honey, did you get something special for me, tonight?

When we visit a nursery to buy an indoor plant, we look for that something special, that perhaps, nobody has in their house? And then we make enquiries about the price, the name and family of shrub it belongs to.

What’s the point of this train of thought, you ask? It’s simple: Just like we want a 'something special', something that is unique and worthy of a beautiful house, so too a client seeks something special, from the copywriter, to describe, what he thinks is a beautiful product.

Understanding the client is half the problem solved. Now go solve the other half. You know, copy writing?

JustThink - 3

Deadlines  and a Work of Art

When was the last time you submitted your work well ahead of the stipulated deadline and it got through with minor corrections?

  

That is the standard you have to maintain, in the next and the next and then some more.

 Raise the bar a notch above your best every time until it becomes a habit.

When you raise your own level of perfection every time, you have created a work of art.

Left Brain, Right Brain

Left Brain, Right Brain

Research has compartmentalized the right brain with creativity and the left with logic, and it is believed, that the twain seldom meet. And so it follows that if you are creative, you cannot be logical and vice-versa.

As a copywriter, I tend to disagree. Copywriters are problem solvers, finding solutions to the client’s myriad problems creatively.

The difference between good copy and great lies in the degree with which you utilize both to your advantage.

Just Think

Night or Day?

Are you a night person or day? Is it fair to compartmentalize creativity? Have you ever wondered what you would be missing if you ignored the Muse just because you don’t ‘dig’ working in the night or day, as the case may be?

I, for one, am a day person. I feel energized most in the wee hours of the morning. It’s calm and most quiet then, something that I ‘dig’ most. But I have worked on some of my best work at around 11 in the night just before I retired for the day. I have also worked in the afternoon when the house is bustling with activity. Had I compartmentalized my work into night or day, think about the missed opportunities...

Would I have been as prolific? Just think...

Just Think

Humour in Advertising

It’s a thing I guess with us Indians. We love a good joke. And why not, a good joke can even melt a hardened heart, isn’t it? So, to repeat myself, why ever not? Here is the why and the why not. This is, of course, with respect to advertising. Here goes...

Humour is a funny thing. Yes, odd as it may sound in that sentence! Sometimes you laugh at jokes that are at the expense of other less fortunate people, but for the most part, they are meant to be laughed along with other people. But then again, some are slapstick comedy, while others are intellectual and the third is the inane banter of an office joker; and the list continues.

So when we write a funny piece, which of the three plus types of consumers are we addressing? Is it wise to address one type and leave the rest in limbo? Would those left out of the loop take it in good humour, or would they hold it against you and never try the product again? For the sake of being just funny, is it worth your while to lose some of your potential customers? You need humour to lighten up a situation, yes. But, do you need it to sell a product? Does it, in fact, make the sale? Is it of entertainment value only or would the consumer like it so much so as to pick up the phone and make the call?

Just think...

I Did It That Way

A Simple Solution to a Complex Problem

If not handled carefully, writing a headline can be a complex problem. Why is it that we spend so much of our time in creating a perfect copy, but spend just a moment or two for writing out the headline?

Research has proven that a consumer may not even look at the body copy. They spend a few seconds in skimming the headline and then move on to the next page. Doesn't the headline then merit more attention? If the headline doesn't hook the reader, you can bet your right arm, the carefully crafted body copy won't either.

Just a few days back, the British Council, India, ran a caption contest. The picture showed two British women looking pretty in Indian ensembles.

My caption read as follows:

When Differences are Negative, the Results are Often Positive

I juxtaposed two opposites to subtly put across my interpretation of the picture.

Sorrow dissipates when you make others happy. I trust I have made you happy.

It's here: The End to a Copywriter's Woes in Headline Creation

Hi!This one is for all the interested copywriters out there.

A lot has been written about the importance of writing eye-catching, 'show-stopping' headlines. I have some knowledge in this regard and would be happy to share it with you.

You could clear your doubts regarding any problem to do with headline creation by asking questions. Needless to say, this is a service I provide free of cost.

I believe each question, no matter the person's level of proficiency, is important, and so will try my best to answer each and every question individually.

To get started, fire your first salvo to me at: rajni.shriram@gmail.com stating clearly the nature of your intent.

I look forward to a long partnership with you.