“If it doesn’t sell it isn’t creative“

Advertising titan David Ogilvy said that decades ago, and it’s still true today

There are certain advertising techniques which have been proven effective. Call them rules, parameters, but if you don’t know them, or choose to ignore them, you’re gambling.

Advertising and marketing is expensive. Do you really want to gamble on results? Or come up with a great idea which still follows practices proven to be successful, and doesn’t risk your investment.?

Good creative strategies should position your business or product in a way that sets you apart from your competition, and shows the audience why they should buy your product. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, arouse your audience, or make them laugh. What you do have to do, is study the competition, your product and your audience, then let inspiration strike.

When we’ve identified what makes your product unique and your main benefit to the consumer, it’s poured it into a headline. Copy should be to the point, and if your product is interesting, people will want to read about it. Or to quote Mr. Ogilvy again, “there are no boring products, only boring copywriters.”

Another cantankerous quote I’m fond of, from advertising giant Rosser Reeves … “Your advertising isn’t working and your sales are going down. And everything depends on it. Now what do you want out of me? Fine writing? Do you want masterpieces? Do you want glowing things that can be framed by copywriters? Or do you want to see the goddamned sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?”