Copywriting Notes

Written by: Mutwiri Njagi

The History
As long as human beings have existed, they have needed to sell something. Humans are a
social animal, giving and taking is part of what binds us together. Usually, this process of
exchanging comes at a cost. Person X will have something Person Y wants, and therefore
Person Y will need to get it a cost. Some times, the product/service Person X possesses will be
available to Person Z and Person W as well, which means Person Y has options. Therefore, the
person that convinces Person Y best stands the best chance of getting Person Y to buy their
product/service.
What this example illustrates is the complex nature that product/service acquisition follows.
This is especially true in a capitalistic society like ours where free-market forces determine the
decisions made. There are more varied options in a competitive market. This necessitates a
need to differentiate oneself. One way to differentiate oneself is through the words one uses
to pass their message. These are words of persuasion.
Copywriting, in its most basic definition, is the art of persuasion. But the persuasion employed
in copywriting uses words and the intention is usually to spur purchases. Welcome to the class.

Objectives of Copywriting
Most of the copywriting works to achieve the following objectives:
1. Build awareness - ​When products/services are being launched, there is a need for the
business to let potential audiences know that the product/service is available and how
it will be utilised.
2. Capture interest - ​Audiences will only buy a product/service if their interest is drawn
towards the said product/service. That means all copy needs to be interesting to inspire
the curiosity of audiences towards a product/service.
3. Spur desire - ​A product/service will move from shelves if it reaches deep into human
needs and desires. When writing copy, find the human insights that make your
product/service a utility for life.
4. Build brand identity - ​Great brands are well differentiated. They do this by creating and
disbursing a brand identity that sets them apart from the competition. Copywriting aids
in this effort by communicating
5. Inspire action -​ Ultimately, all copywriting is intended to sell a product/service. The
selling is the end-goal for all marketing communication. Therefore, copywriting should
inspire a customer to purchase a product/service.

The Big Idea

When creating communication campaigns, you will realise that without a unifying thought your
efforts will come to naught. A campaign is usually a sustained communication effort over a set
period of time with a singular objective. The objective could be raising awareness about a new
product, making a certain number of sales etc.
To have a successful communication campaign, you will need a unified message that best
represents your campaign objective. For example, if it's a campaign to let audiences know of a
new mattress, the single-minded message could be: a new, spring mattress from Sleepas.
In such an instance, the objective is obviously to let potential consumers know there's a new
mattress on offer. It's also a spring mattress; which means it's more comfortable than most.
The first question to ask, is what benefit your product serves. Mattresses are for sleeping on.
But the reason customers buy mattresses and not wooden pallets for their beds is because
mattresses allow their body to feel comfortable and well rested.
The next step is to find an insight about your product/service. An insight is an intrinsic truth
about your product/service and the human behaviour it seeks to satisfy. Insights are those
pointers that give your product/service relevance beyond the competition. In this case, the
insight could be that consumers want a mattress that gives them a reason to start a new day.
With a spring mattress, they can wake up feeling relaxed and ready to grab the day. Carpe
diem!
From this thinking process, a Big Idea is born. It's that message that unites your
product/service, your insight and the campaign objective. Using the mattress example, we
could say: wake up with a spring.
Since big ideas are usually conceptual in mature, they some times need some explaining. The
CEO of the mattress company may want to know why the campaign should be led with that
thought. And that's where campaign rationales and manifestos come in.

Rationale
A rationale in its most basic definition is a thought. A rationale in relation to the Big Idea is a
simple explanation that breaks down your Big Idea thought. It basically dissects the reasoning
behind the Big Idea as constituted. An example of a rationale could be:

Wake up with a spring pays homage to the unique nature of the spring mattress to give
customers an energetic wake-up rhythm. Owing to the springs present in the mattress, the
customer has the assurance of having an energetic morning with the readiness of conquering
the day ahead.

Once a rationale is set down. A manifesto can be employed to bring more meaning to the
table.

Manifesto
A manifesto is usually a poetic, rhythmic interpretation of your Big Idea. Where the rationale’s
main intention is to capture the thought, the manifesto exists to encapsulate the feeling behind
the Big Idea. A good manifesto should transport whoever is listening to it to the emotional
location of the customer when they interact with your campaign. Here's an example:
 Wakey, wakey!
Open your eyes to a bright, new day,
Spring from your dreams to run to your dreams.
The sun is waiting,
The clock is ticking,
A spring in your steps will bring you closer,
Spring forth and grab the day,
As you flow like the wind and float like a feather
Today is for you so carpe diem!

With your Big Idea presented and the campaign rationale and manifesto defined, it is time to
bring your idea to life.

Writing For Print

The beginning
Before there was any other form of mass communication, there was print. The invention of the
Gutenberg Press in 1440 heralded a new age of communicating. Messages could be uniformly
distributed to the masses.
One of the things that set print apart from most other media, is their passive nature. Audiences
interact with print at their own space and pace. A person reading a poster can read that poster
for as long as they wish. In most cases, they can always revisit the medium.

Types of print:
1. Newspaper
2. Magazines
3. Flyers
4. Brochures
5. Posters
6. Business cards
7. Books

Basic print structure

For most print communication, a basic format is followed. It includes the following segments:
A. Headline
The headline is the main message being communicated. It is usually the key message. The
headline should be as brief as possible and capture the essence of your communication in a
simple and interesting manner. An example is: N ​ ew Bouncy Shoes For Sale
By design, headlines are meant to arrest the interest and attention of all audiences. As such,
David Ogilvy came up with these twenty words that any copywriter worth their salt should
always try to use whenever possible:

a. Suddenly
b. Now
c. Announcing
d. Introducing
e. Improvement
f. Amazing
g. Sensational
h. Remarkable
i. Revolutionary
j. Startling
k. Miracle
l. Magic
m. Offer
n. Quick
o. Easy
p. Wanted
q. Challenge
r. Compare
s. Bargain
t. Hurry

B. Sub-headline
The sub-headline is the headline’s assistant. It exists to explain the intentions of the headline
to audiences. It is usually a sentence long. It could contain a feature of the product/service, a
benefit, a call to action, a unique selling point etc. In most cases, the headline is usually the
communication proposition. In instances where the headline is explicit enough, the
sub-headline does not need to feature. An example of a sub-headline is: ​The cheapest shoes in
Nairobi.

C. Visual
Most, if not all print copy works will be accompanied by a visual. This could be a photograph, a
painting, a drawing, a sketch or a typography based visual. In principle, visuals attract the eyes,
while words attract the heart. But not always. Remember, don’t say what you can show and
don’t show and tell. Pictures are worth a thousand words, the copy comes in to complement
the a thousand words. The visual and copy work in a dance of communication.

D. Body copy
The body copy comes in to further explain what the whole communication is about. It is usually
a paragraph to unpeel the key message and any other supporting information.

E. Call-to-action
The call-to-action is the message that lets the audiences know what to do with your
communication. As the phrase suggests, it is the act you wish your consumer to undertake.
Examples of call to action include: B
​ uy Now, Subscribe, Sign Up, Start Saving, Visit our
Website, Vote, Try Today e.t.c.

Sample Print Copy:

Headline:

“ I am Regis Ready ”

Sub-headline:

I am ready to define my future.

Body copy:
At Regis School, your child’s success lies at the centre of our vision. We offer the nationally
approved competency based curriculum while paying special attention to your child’s overall
needs by availing state-of-the-art facilities. In addition, we integrate technology in their
learning to keep them a step ahead in the world.

Unique selling points:

National Curriculum | Swimming | Tennis | Creative & Arts Studio | Interactive Learning | A
Laptop per student

Call-to-action:
Enroll today

Sample print:

Writing for Screen

Screens are all over today. But the first screens to actually be recognised as so were film
screens. People would troop to cinemas to watch films starting from the early 1900s. A few
decades later, television followed, then computers, mobile phones and today, screens are
ubiquitous. In today's digital age, videos are unavoidable; both as creators and consumers of
content.

Principles of writing for screen

1. Show don’t tell - if it can be shot by a camera, let the camera do the work and avoid
using voice overs and superimposed text to explain what should be seen.
2. Use minimal dialogue
 3. Be brief. Avoid being verbose visually or otherwise
4. Carry one message at a time
5. Music matters. The right music can transform a good video into a grand masterpiece
6. Always use sound effects where necessary
7. Know where your audience will be watching your video from. Videos meant for digital
billboards will not always work for Instagram Stories.
TVC Sample:

COMPANY: KOKO Networks

BRAND: KOKO Fuel
CHANNEL: Film
DURATION: 60 seconds (45’’ & 30’’ second cutdowns)
CAMPAIGN: Maisha Ni OK.OK. Maisha Ni KOKO
TITLE​: Do The Twist

VIDEO AUDIO

Film opens on a flat in Nairobi. We see a young MUSIC: Dramatic, pacy soundtrack
lady; Rachel, walk out of her house with a KOKO
Canister. But we can only see the strap.

Cut to Rachel knocking on one of the doors at

the flat. The door is opened by an older woman
who is struggling to light her kerosene stove.
Her “kitambi” has sunk down and she’s
struggling to retrieve it.

Jump to Rachel as she shakes her head in

incredulity. We turn to the woman’s perspective,
when she looks at Rachel, a blue glow has
engulfed her presence.

Cut to Rachel walking out of the flats and onto SFX: Noisy streets
the streets. Unknown to her, the neighbour has WOMAN: Panting
followed her and her glow.

Out on the streets, Rachel sees a kibanda

woman sweating as she fans her smoking
charcoal jiko. Rachel stops, amazed at her
struggle. The woman looks at her and sees the
blue glow from Rachel. She is entranced and
follows Rachel as she fans herself to cool down.

Cut to Rachel still walking on the streets. The

kibanda woman and the neighbour are
following her. She spots a gas cylinder seller
and walks towards him.

She sees the seller with a fake cylinder called

“Zii Gas”.Rachel seems to be questioning his
decision to sell fake gas. The seller notices the
blue glow from Rachel and without flinching
leaves his business and follows Rachel.

Cut to Rachel, this time, she is in the market SFX: Crowd chattering
centre. Behind her, the gas vendor, the
neighbour and the kibanda woman are
following.

She spots a shop and walks towards it. She

makes a twisting gesture to the shopkeeper;
who pauses for a second. Then it hits him. The
shopkeeper ushers Rachel in and walks her to
the KOKOpoint, which is also glowing.

Rachel takes her KOKO Canister and in the

same motion she was using, docks it, twists it
and refills it. After it’s filled, she turns to her
followers and makes the same gesture, they all
respond to her in the same way. They now
understand what she meant all along.

SCENE TWO:
Cut to Rachel back at her home. She walks into
the kitchen and closely behind her are the
neighbour, the makaa woman and the gas
seller.

Rachel takes the KOKO Canister and over some

quick shots, shows them how to refill the KOKO
Cooker - using the dock, twist and turn
movement.

Jump to quick shots of how the KOKO Cooker

works: lighting & regulating the heat.
Fade out as Rachel and her new friends share a
cup of tea.

End frame.
SUPER: Maisha ni OK-OK, Maisha ni KOKO.
Final Execution: ​TVC video

Writing For Radio

Radio is the king of mass media. The barrier for entry into the world of radio is quite low for
most people. Radio sets can be as cheap as 100 Kenya shillings and with the advent of the
digital age, most phones come equipped with radio. The differentiation in audiences for radio
comes in when considering the different radio stations. Radio stations have different target
markets and depending on who your brand targets, you can tailor your radio spot to feature in
a particular radio stations.
Branded radio communication goes forth to the audience in two formats: as a radio spot or as
a radio mention.

Radio Mentions
Radio mentions are also referred to as presenter mentions. As the name alludes, the
communication is done by radio presenters. They package the communication to best appeal
to their audiences. The radio presenters tout the aspects of your product/service in a bid to
convince their audience that they should purchase that product or service.
With radio, remember you are writing for the ears. This means music and sound effects are key
in making the audience pay attention to whatever message you intend to pass across. In
addition, radio is a passive medium. This is to say that audiences will mostly tune in to radio
and play it in the background as they go about with their activities. As a result, the radio
communication needs to be interesting and arresting enough for the audience to listen in.
A copywriter will usually brief the presenters and ensure they have a brand immersion session.
They then go ahead to give pointers to the presenters on the ideas that they should present to
the audience.

Radio spots
Radio spots or radio advertisements are the run of the mill advertisements that run between
radio programming. Radio spots are usually never more than a minute long. They contain the
communication of the campaign in question.
Some useful abbreviations for copywriters when writing radio advertisements are:
VO - Voice Over
FVO - Female Voice Over
MVO - Male Voice Over
SFX - Sound Effects
ANNCR - Announcer

Radio Spot sample:

COMPANY: KOKO Networks
BRAND: KOKO Fuel
CHANNEL: Radio
DURATION: 45 seconds (30’’ second cutdowns)
CAMPAIGN: ​Mekonomics
TITLE​: Upishi wa Milele

SFX​: Rapid ticking of a clock interspersed with appropriate sound effects

MVO​: ​Rosy wa 1B anatumianga meko pale kwake. Saa hii ndio ameingia kitchen akaanza kupika ugali
(SFX: Ugali shaping, panting). Kibaki ndiye president, na leo amelaunch Thika Superhighway (SFX:
Clapping). Kidogo kidogo Julius Yego amevunja record ya Javelin (SFX: Cheers). A few seconds later SGR
imeanza kujengwa (SFX: Train whistle). Ghafla bin vuu Eliud Kipchoge naye amevunja record ya
marathon (SFX: More cheers). Finally, saa hii ndio Rosy ameanza kupika sukuma (SFX:Onions frying).
ANNCR: Usichoke ukingoja food iive juu ya Meko-no-mics. Upgrade to a 2-burner KOKO Cooker.
Inapatikana kokofuel.com, kwa KOKOpoints mtaani na on myKOKO app. Sahau Mekonomics na
karibu KOKOnomics!

Shopper Communication
Who is a shopper? A shopper is any consumer whose immediate intention is to make a
purchase. A shopper usually has money and they are willing to spend. Almost immediately. So,
shopper communication is the strategy deployed when attempting to reach out to these
individuals and leading them towards the desired product or service.
There are usually three broad zones:
1. Transit/in-home
2. Proximal/approach (Entrance)
3. Destination/in-site
The transit zone is usually any area that the consumer is not in contact or within a short
distance of the product/service. The communication touchpoints here include: billboards,
streetpoles, wall branding etc In the transit zone, the messaging is focused more on
awareness.
The proximal zone is any area that is within walking distance of the product or service. Here
the customer is in close proximity to the product or service. Touchpoints include car barriers,
footstep branding, posters, demo desks, mall announcements etc. In this zone, the
communication is meant to spur desire.
Finally, there is the destination zone. This is where the consumer is able to buy or partake in a
product or service. In the destination zone, the consumer is shown messaging that is meant to
drive purchase. The communication here can be found on wobblers, danglers, price stickers,
shelf-dividers, footstep branding, shelf-branding etc
So, let’s assume the brief needs us to communicate about a new laptop: HP Zooom with its
main USP being that it has an expandable screen. How would this look like across the three
zones?
1. Transit Zone:
 Headline:
Expand your vision with the new HP Zooom
The world’s first laptop with an expandable screen

2. Proximal Zone:
See More, Do More with the new HP Zooom
Buy yours today from the HP Shop inside

3. Destination Zone:
See More, Do More with the new HP Zooom
Buy yours for only Ksh. 45,999