In the first chapter, we learned the main tenet of copy writing, which is the focusing and redirection of mass desire.
We learned how to define and leverage this mass desire. Let us now move on to Ch. 2.
The core concept of an ad, the theme, serves as a bridge between the market and your product.
The headline is entirely concerned with the market. There should be no mention of the product.
Your headline is based on the answers to these three fundamental questions:
1. What is the mass desire that creates this market?
2. What is the prospect’s state of awareness?
3. How many other products have come before yours
The job of a headline is one simply thing: To stop the prospect and compel him to read the second line.
Think of your headline as the bait. Its job is not to hook the fish, but merely to get him curious and make him want to see more.
The three states of awareness:
1. Most aware:
Your prospect knows your product intimately, and all that is left is to offer pricing power to the customer in form of a bargain.
Think of Coca Cola ads.
2. Aware but undecided:
Your customer knows your product, but isn’t fully convinced that he or she needs it. This is where the bulk of advertising takes
place.
The approach here is simple. You identify the mass desire and describe why your product is superior in quenching this thirst,
fulfilling this desire.
3. The prospect knows only that he wants his desire fulfilled:
He is unaware that your product can do this. Here, execution is more important than the technical, and it is here where the copy
writer is able to gain true power. This is the domain of the “idea man”.
The simpler the better. There is no need to mention price. It means nothing to the prospect, and will only detract from drawing him
to the fulfillment of his desire through your product.
Remember, the most important thing is to bring out the desire in your prospect. You must invoke emotion.
People buy with their hearts, not with their heads.