Advertising - MCM501 VU

LESSON 23
SOURCES OF COPY IDEAS AND EFFECTIVE COPY WRITING
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Sources of copy ideas

Advertising is the business of ideas. Without a continuous flow of fresh ideas advertising will quickly loose its
power as the effective means of communicating advertising ideas. Copy ideas can strike from many sources
e.g.
• Personal observation: personal observation means that suppose there is a product, the
copywriter perhaps taste it, try it or look at it- at least in some way he/she may attempt to test
the product. This first hand experience may well spark some good copy ideas.
• Study of other advertising: study of other advertisements of successful competitors is usually a
source of new ideas because after studying different advertisements the copywriter can produce
new and better ideas.
• Suggestion of others: a good copywriter must take suggestions from different people and refine
or reproduce them in proper words so there is always a room to take into consideration other
suggestions. The copywriter must be an open minded person who can pick and create new ideas
from any sources and give them the shape of an effective copy.

Effective copy writing

A piece of copy begins with an idea. The idea is written. Then it is refined through process of editing and re-
editing until the final copy is achieved. There are many desirable qualities in copy writing. Among the most
important qualities are as follow:
• Conciseness: readers are busy people. They have many things to do besides reading or listening
advertisements. Therefore it is prudent for the advertiser to get across his message as quickly as
possible. Another reason for conciseness is the cost of advertising space. Third reason is availability
of space.
• Short sentences & paragraphs: an idea can be communicated more clearly and effectively if a
sentence is properly punctuated. Copy is better understood by majority of the readers or listeners if
statements are broken up into short sentences. Careful phrasing of the copy makes the copy more
comprehensible. On the other hand clarity should not be sacrificed for the sake of brevity. The
paragraphing of the copy can be varied in length, otherwise the copy might look like an uninteresting
piece of literature. There are number of ways to make a copy look more attractive. One technique is
to shorten the paragraphs. Another way is through use of colored typography. A third means of
overcoming readers fatigue is by varying the boldness of the type that is used. Still a fourth method
is to vary the shape or contour of the paragraphs.
• Easy readability: the flow of information in an advertisement should be conducive to relaxed
readership. Good copy is easily understood. It follows a logical pattern of presenting a thought that is
of interest to the reader/listener, followed by the action, which the advertiser wants the
reader/listener to take. The reader/listener should not have to pause for the purpose of
understanding a word or phrase, unless that is the desire of the advertiser. In other words the copy
should make the message easy to understand.

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Advertising - MCM501 VU

• Putting life into the copy: the wise copywriter is merely a more sophisticated storyteller who holds
the interest of audience with lively and dramatic words and phrases. He/she write for effect hoping
to attract attention not to his/her writing rather to the product or service.
• Use of appropriate tone: the copy writer who has been describing the benefits of a weed killer to the
farmers would be out of place if he/she used the same approach to sell a beauty soap. Indeed, the
copy writer’s orientation needs to change, to adapt the writing atmosphere to the nature of the
product.
• Use of common, familiar, and precise words & expressions: to help readers/listeners get every bit of
meaning and significance from a piece of copy, the skilled writer draws comparisons, uses examples,
or otherwise translates in the readers/listeners frame of reference the words and phrases he/she
writes.

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© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan