Takeaways from Effective Copywriting Course
Catalog of Needs
I enjoyed learning about Settle and Alreck’s 15 Catalog of Needs and how these are used to understand and target readers. More than one can apply when designing a print ad, but they are Achievement, Independence, Exhibition, Recognition, Dominance, Affiliation, Nurturance, Succorance, Sexuality, Stimulation, Diversion, Novelty, Understanding, Consistency, and Security.
Taglines
I learned that a tagline is a succinct phrase that communicates a single but powerful brand message designed to resonate strongly with an intended audience. Its intent is to reinforce the brand by compressing the meaning of an organizational vision, competitive position, brand promise, product benefit, or experience into a cogent story…in as few words as necessary. Not so easy to accomplish and highly subjective, effective taglines work beneath the surface like a mantra gently nudging feelings and reinforcing opinions every time competing brands are weighed, measured, tested, and compared.
Designing a Testimonial Print Ad for a Non-Profit
It was enlightening to work through the process of creating a testimonial print ad campaign for a non-profit organization. In this case, I chose the Center for Community Change (www.communitychange.org), who started an initiative called the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM – www.fairimmigration.org). Beginning with freehand sketches, several testimonial perspectives were used to concept ads that align with the values and focus areas of the organization. Then several drafts were designed to narrow the ads to the most effective and impactful composition. The three-version ad series follows below. For images of all the stages of this process, check out my project on Behance (https://www.behance.net/gallery/54111159/Testimonial-Ads)