Marketers: how to get better work from your agency

Dear marketer, I think you ought to treat your agency better. Not for their sake, but for your own and your company’s. As a freelancer I work at a lot of London agencies. And I see the effects your decisions have on the great campaigns they create for you. So often, excellent ideas (and they’re […]

Should copy length be based on what you’re selling?

Some copywriters think that if you’re advertising a low-value item, like a chocolate bar, you should use short copy. Then for a big-ticket item, say a luxury car, you need long copy. I think this makes sense as a general rule. But sometimes it pays to break it. In the UK, Cadbury’s captivated newspaper readers […]

How to turn up the creativity

I thought it was a crazy question another copywriter asked me: “What music do you listen to when writing copy?” My answer was “None”. I don’t listen to any music when I’m writing copy or thinking up campaign ideas. And I don’t understand how anyone can. To write my best copy, I need to be […]

Which is better, long or short copy?

There’s a never-ending debate amongst copywriters about short versus long copy. Some of the things I’ve read have prompted me to jump in and add my bit. So how much copy will make your communication effective? I think that depends. The important thing is to engage your readers. Then keep them interested until they want […]

Time to rename the ad business?

Does the word advertising sound old fashioned to you? Sometimes it does to me. And I know other people in the so-called “advertising industry” who are uncomfortable about using the word to describe what they do. In these days of integration, we’re all doing a bit of advertising, some DM and an increasing amount of […]