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Moving communication campaigns into action |
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A simple technique for writing a short, sharp marketing message Here is a back issue of Marketing Booster, the email newsletter that Richard Groom writes and sends free every fortnight to subscribers. You can subscribe here or read over 60 back issues using the back issues index page. UK readers will be familiar with the TV ads with the slogan 'it does exactly what it says on the tin' for a range of paints, varnishes and wood stains. For example, one says: "Quick drying wood stain - it does exactly what it says on the tin." So what would it say on your tin? What words would you use if you had to sum up your organisation's product or service in the amount of words you could fit on a tin of paint? Along the same lines, I have been looking at the words printed on the side of household products lately and have been impressed at how much impact they generate in a few words. They really cram in the benefits of the product and make you want to pick it up off the shelf and take it to the checkout. So here's the exercise. Choose a tin, tub or tube of any household product and count the words printed on it. For example, a tub of hair product in front of me now has: On the front: * Two words for the company name. * Two words for the product name. * Three words for the main benefit of the product. On the back: * Two paragraphs of about 20 words each that introduce the product. * Four bullet points of two-to-eight words each that list the benefits. * 17 words of instructions that also mention the benefits. Then of course there are all the ingredients and legal warnings that we can disregard. So can you sum up what you are selling in a format that matches your chosen household product? If you do, you'll have created some incredibly punchy text that could form the basis of marketing message like these: * Your web site home page. * Press or magazine advertisements. * TV or radio ads. * The '30-second CV' used by your organisation's representatives when they are networking. * Headlines, subheadings and summary information in brochures. This isn't easy! Summing up your product or service in words that can fit on a tin might take longer than you think, but there are times when that's all the room you have. Copyright 2003 Richard Groom |