It’s time for yet another blog entry. Not because something has inspired me to create philosophies, but because it’s better for me to write something, just so it can help me in copywriting*. After I’d done quite a lot of blogging, which I do about a multitude of issues close to my heart, I started writing with the same level of enthusiasm and ability. Copywriting became even more fun, bringing more pleasure with every word, and urging me to write better. It seems some copywriters - even highly skilled ones - write with the fear that the ad or brochure may be their worst piece of work, and some even worry that it’ll be their last. That's good, because it gives the motivation to perform better each time. I do worry if my current assignment is going to be my worst piece, but I know I have endless advertising copy to write in the future.
I know a number of copywriters, some excellent, with years of experience behind them. Some others churn out great, good and bad work, not necessarily in that order, failing to show reasonable overall progress each year. Some think they know advertising and have been writing for a few years (because they surely can’t go too far without people knocking on their heads and making them see sense), thinking they write good copy for each and every ad. I know one such person who wrote such copy, which was rejected by a client as it talked in a negative way. Not that negatives never work. But one should know where they shouldn’t be used. Some others start their own agencies at a very young age. They may take up the mantle of Creative Director right away. It’s good to see that many such companies are emerging. However, some of them do not maintain the standards that good advertising demands, possibly because they’re attracted by the fun and obvious scope for creativity in advertising. Sure, you can start your own agency, get some clients who like your work, and be reasonably successful. But think if you are doing justice to advertising and whether you can sustain yourself in the long run.
However the copywriter may be, it is important to read, write and ideate constantly. Of course, an agency where you can master everything in copywriting well is a big ticket to a great career.
*Copywriting means writing content for ads, brochures and other brand communication material.
4 comments:
Just another visitor to "just another blog"..
Informative..
Indian advertising industry is surely coming of age .And would you love to get paid for what you love doing ?:)
Nice post..
Hi Vinod. Thanks for the comments.
Sure, you can start your own agency, get some clients who like your work, and be reasonably successful. But think if you are doing justice to advertising and whether you can sustain yourself in the long run.
Do you imply that every initiative in the field of advertising need be in consonance with what is termed as "good" for advertising? I feel that profit maximization if the very basic of business ethics and it leaves little room to consider what is good for advertisement industry as a whole. if a product is not good, then in the longer run it obviously gets booted out.
If one starts making ads keeping in mind what he thinks is "good" for advertising industry, and not the clients value for money, such an ad agency might not remain to see the easter, the following year.
Sometimes, doing justice to advertising and remaining in business for the longer run can become mutually exclusive and yet, a few other times, they must be perfectly consistent with each other.
In the end, I opine that whatever may be reasons why one starts his/her own firm, product value or services value for the money one's customer spends will almost always decide how long and how well the entrepreneur remains in business. Rest all factors - service in line with advertisement, quality, marketability, brand equity etc supplement, and are mere manifestations of this one single central factor - profit maximisation or simply put, the value for customer's money.
In a reasonable time frame, say 5yrs, this central factor - profit maximization, shapes the contours of success and failure, deciding where one stands.
Sorry for the long post.
karthik :)
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