Mastery Journal: Project Reflection
The past four weeks in this Effective Copy Writing have been very interesting. All lot of the information was derived from George Felton’s Advertising Concept, and Copy. The readings in Felton’s book help illustrate and elaborate on the several assignments that needed to be done. “To develop a strong strategy, you need to understand three things: the product, the consumer, and the marketplace” (Felton, 2013, p. 12); this helped me understand that concept and copy write is much more than catchy titles or phrases. I was able to keep this in mind while working on the assignment. Creating comp sketches became an easier task to do, knowing that I needed to focus on creating a strategy that cut the work down and toned up the effectiveness.
The aforementioned quote from Felton’s book guided me to understand how to create target personas. By keeping this in mind I was able to focus on the demographics and details about my potential target audience. Another helpful tool that was very informative was the PDF article Creating Target Audience Profiles, provided by the instructor. Understanding what my potential target audience for the product or service can be, created a focus onto what that audience can relate to and understand. This ultimately helped shape the way I strategized in creating 6 comp ad sketches. After understanding the product, consumer, and marketplace these sketches began to make sense and become effective to get the message across.
While doing my sketches I was able to watch a video course on Developing Ideas and Advertising Concepts by Craig Smallish. Smallish's video Defining The Rough Sketch he states, “It's simply a rough image that's going to tell a story” (Smallish, 2013). Hearing Smallish say that helps me not focus on perfecting the idea but simply jotting it down a visual representation of the story being told. Thus far, this course has refined my creative side by adding the strategic aspect of what I design.
Overall, the course was very informative and has shaped the way I create things to just create them but to create with purpose and reason. After reading Felton's chapter on Testimonials I was able to sketch out comp ads for EarthJustice using extreme user, celebrity, expert, plain folks, President/CEO, founding mother or father, employee, and not the person but something associated with the person. Out of the 6 I sketched, I decided to create my rough comp ads for extreme user, expert, and plain folks. It has been a very informative and growth motivating course; the projects and reading materials helped me understand coy writing.
The aforementioned book, PDF file, and video course helped shaped the 6 testimonial ad sketches I created for EarthJustice based on 6 out of the 9 types of testimonials mentioned in Felton's book. The aforementioned types I used were chosen based on the ability to help me get my message across for EarthJustice and its target audience. With extreme user, I decided to go with the college student millennial as a testimonial because based on Felton's definition this person would demonstrate “hyperbole, how great the product is” (Felton, 2013. P. 241). The next is celebrity testimonial, because of so many types of celebrities publicly speaking out on environmental issues that occur globally. Giving a familiar face to the target audience. The expert user-made sense to use as a testimonial ad. What better way for “somebody who stands outside the brand and has the expertise to evaluate it” as mentioned by Felton (2013. p. 241). The usage of just plain folks was because the environment does not just affect celebrities or experts, but it affects everyone globally even the “normal people” (Felton, 2013. p. 246). The employee was used as a testimonial because being able to “find someone to personify the corporation” (Felton, 2013. p. 241) helps the audience relate to the purpose of the testimonial ad. Showcasing the employee advocating for their employer says to the audience that this employee is proud to work for a corporation that is focused on sustainability and the environment. Lastly, I decided to sketch a testimonial for not the person but something associated with the person. In this sketch I wanted to associate not protecting the environment or bringing justice can lead to a future where wearing a mask to breathe will happen if no one does anything about it. Associating a gas mask with not fighting for a better environment.
Another major project for Effective Copy Writing was creating a target persona profile. In the two target profiles, I created the target demographics were from the ages of 23-52. Everyone globally affected by climate change and environmental decay. These are millennials, college students and corporate professionals, aware of Earth’s injustices around the world. The target personas I created is a large range, speaking about demographics, however, the target audience is affected. Those young will have a shorten future and those older will have to worry about the future of their kids and future family generations. Knowing that the environment needs help being represented and achieving justice is something that can be done by everyone. This is how I was able to decide which testimonial types, by Felton, I was going to use for my initial comp ads.
For my initial comps, I decided to go with Felton’s testimonial types, extreme user, expert, and just plain folks. In the extreme user comp ad, it showcases a group of people studying and researching the environment with solar panels in the back. Directed at the millennial target audience. The environmentally aware millennials fighting for a better future by entering fields of work that improves the environment and sustainability by starting with school. The expert comp ad questions the target audience about possibilities of obtaining the basics and what would be done to find an alternative. The just plain folks' comp ad connects to the “plain folks” that enjoy the outdoors and nature in general. The question is used to draw them and asking them to help protect it for the future.
The revised testimonial ad comps were all done to have a consistent campaign. Each of the ads makes a statement or questions the target audience. In the body copy in them ties into the question or statement in the header with a way to show that there is no excuse for someone not to be involved in helping justice be brought for Earth. In the extreme user revised comp, I decided to use one student with a quote from them in the body copy to speak directly to the audience. The expert revised comp ad still has a question for the audience showing and telling the audience that a Hydrologist is not the only option to help protect and keep the water clean. Thus, directing them to donate and join EarthJustice. In the final comp, just plain folks, I revised by directing the ad to a specific audience, those that love and enjoy the outdoors. That target audience is now told that they can be a part of protecting the “Earth(With)Justice.”
Some of the major takeaways came from the material I was given. My first takeaway to place my attention on researcher a brand/product/person’s target audience and use that to generate something specific to them to draw them in. That something specific that needs to be generated is my second takeaway. I learned that the headline, body copy, and call to action are all important factors that help get the message across to the target audience, helps make ads relatable. Lastly, my final take away comes from Felton’s book, Advertising Concept, and Copy. It in chapter 9 of that book wehre Felton helps you understand how to build a brands personality, by asking questions and finding the answers to those questions.
References: Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy (Third Edition), 3rd Edition [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from vbk://9780393733921
Smallish, C. (2013). Developing Ideas and Advertising Concepts. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Design-Business-tutorials/Developing-Ideas-Design-Concepts/126121-2.html