Good Copy Starts With a Great Concept was presented by DD Kullman at Writeshop on July 31, 2010

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Good Copy Starts With
A Great Concept
By DD Kullman
Commpose Writeshop
July 31, 2010

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Who the heck is DD and why
should I listen to her?
 Former ad agency senior
writer, creative director and
corporate marketing director
 Senior Instructor in the Art
Institute of Phoenix’s
Advertising/Graphic Design
programs
 Freelance writer and Princess
of Prose at Copy That Clicks

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Behind all great copy…
Is a great idea. Even if it’s a little one.

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It’s the concept, dude.
A Million Of These
 In the world of advertising, Are Coming To
the concept drives the Copper Square.
direction the copy will take
 That is to say, compelling
copy flows right out of a There’s never been a better time to get your foot in the door
at Copper Square. That’s because 400,000 square feet of space
compelling concept
is available for immediate occupancy – and at least another
million square feet is set for development. Join the more than
600 businesses that are making Copper Square the “Next Great
American Downtown.”
 Writers and art directors It’s a location beyond measure. You’ll be neighbors with
the expanded Phoenix Convention Center, the 1,000-room
“concept” together Sheraton Phoenix, C ityscape, C enter Park East, the ASU
Downtown Phoenix campus, T Gen, the Arizona Biomedical
Collaborative, the University of Arizona College of Medicine –
Phoenix, plus thousands of new residents living in glistening
This B2B ad ran in the
high-rises and funky lofts. Of course, it’s all accessible by
 Metro Light Rail, debuting in 2008.
Phoenix Business Journal to For your Copper Square information package, contact Dan Klocke
announce the wealth of
at the Downtown Phoenix Partnership: 602-744-6407. Or visit
www.coppersquare.com/business.
available commercial office
space in Downtown Phoenix

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Writing is a visual medium.
 Compelling concepts aren’t
just the domain of an art
director – the writer has equal
responsibility
 A picture really is worth a
thousand words – the right
one can inspire much fodder
for content
 This ad is designed to sell 5-
acre home sites in an
exclusive, shared working
ranch in Steamboat Springs,
Colorado

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Writers can art direct!
 Writers can – and should –
come up with visual ideas
 Art directors can – and should
– come up with headline ideas
 This B2B ad was developed
for a company that digitizes
paper medical records for
electronic storage

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So how do you come up with a
“concept?”
 Preparation – Collecting input and doing your homework
 Frustration – Moving from left to right brain
 Incubation – Conscious or unconscious mulling
 Illumination – The AHA! moment
 Evaluation – Is your idea any good?
 Elaboration – Working it out in art and copy

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General rules of engagement.
 Use a creative brief
 Have a clear goal or purpose for what you’re trying
to achieve
 Avoid idea killers
 Use doodles to visualize your ideas
 Make mistakes and have fun doing it
 Develop your sense of humor

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Concepting technique #1:
Word association
 Make lists of words
 Island…Land of the Rising
Sun…Emperor…Geisha…Far
East…Kimono…Red Lantern…
Sake…Sushi…Tempura…
Honor…Kobe Beef…etc.
 Food…Plate…Flights…Grill…
Presentation…Eat…Dine…etc.
 Play with them to see what
kinds of interesting
combinations you can make

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Concepting Technique #2:
Mind mapping
 A mind map is a diagram
used to represent words,
ideas, tasks or other items
arranged around a central key
word or idea
 It is a graphical method of
taking notes and generating
related ideas
 Mind mapping software:
www.mindjet.com

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Concepting Technique #3:
Look at photos
 What words does this image
bring to mind?
 What emotions does this
image bring to mind?
 What products and services
could this image be used to
sell…
- Life insurance?
- Bicycles?
- Kids clothes?
- Master-planned
community?

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Other Techniques…
Visual Metaphor – Using one
thing to identify another

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Other Techniques…
Life experience – Drawing upon
common experiences people
can relate to. People should
react: “Yep, that’s how it is!”

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Other Techniques…
The problem is the solution –
Taking what is perceived as a
negative and turning it into a
positive, so much that others
may have to follow your lead.

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Other Techniques…
A Darned Good Reason –
Providing a rationale for a
functional benefit can turn
consumers into believers.

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Other Techniques…
Comparison – Comparing a
product or service to something
different from it…a feeling, a
sensation, another type of
experience…can be a strong
premise.
Copy: He might look like you,
but he doesn’t have to eat the
same food.

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Other Techniques…
Exaggeration –
Overemphasizing a product’s
quality drives home a selling
point quickly.

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Other Techniques…
Authenticity and Being First in
Class – Many people value “the
real thing.” People associate
“the genuine article” with
brands that are first in their
class.

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How to tell if your concept is
any good?
 Does it achieve your goal? Stay on strategy?
 Is it an appropriate solution for the brand?
 Is it an appropriate execution?
 Is the message clear? Concise? Did you communicate a
functional or emotional benefit?
 Is it interesting? Different? Compelling?

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Your Challenge
Should you choose to accept it.

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Concept Practice Session
 Working with a partner, apply
one or more of the concepting
techniques discussed to this
photo
 Next, develop headline concepts
for a print ad promoting one of
the following topics:
• Swimming lessons
• A family vacation
• A pool builder
 Choose the concept you like
best and outline how the copy
would flow out of it