BUILD A BETTER COPY PLATFORM: What Kamikaze Copywriters need to know about how a prospect thinks before they start writing.

I’ve been reading an interesting book, suggested by a former student.  Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Brafman and Brafman.  Basically, it’s one of those “why we do what we do even when it’s not in our best interests to do it” books.  Full of examples, warts-and-all real life, (easy to read/understand) scientific studies. 

Sway’s a book every Kamikaze Copywriter (Kamikaze AD, GD, AE, etc.) should buy – not just read.  Keep it on the shelf next to your Archives and CA.  Not because we don’t understand the forces at work here – some (rarely all) we do, albeit usually on a more gut/grokking level.  We should keep it handy because Sway holds many clues to how to motivate, concept and write your way around that most interesting phenom, Perceived Differences.  If you have real differences, the book will help you decide when to use them, when to fagettaboudit.

I touched on this in February, 2011 (Perception vs. Reality), but that was in broader, strategic and conceptual terms.  This is about writing copy.  Copy that may not have anything concretely better-than-the-competitors to say about a product, but that’s stronger, more motivating and persuasive none-the-less. 

Before you start writing, you need to know (or intuit) where you want your copy to go.  What argument/carrot/stick/incentive your concept can ride to victory.  You’ll also need to know how to sell whatever you come up with.  Being Kamikaze, the concept/argument should be pushing someone in the approval cycle’s limits.  Sway gives great ammo to relegate lack of approval to the merely subjective. 

Some, but far from all, the great stuff this book can help you see/sell/use:

The Rush Limbaugh School of Meaningless Copy.  The man spouts the most outrageous, untrue, ill-considered things he can come up with – people BELIEVE.  Why?  First off, he’s preaching to the choir.  His followers don’t care about truth; all they care about is what Rush said.  Problematic in mainstream (or any other) advertising, there are legal ramifications to doing what Rush does.  You can, however, pretend.  You’ve seen those headlines, MAN EATS DOG, RABID DOG LOVERS ON HUNGER STRIKE, yadda yadda.  Turns out they’re talking Nathans, Ball Park, Hebrew National.  As blind as it is, why does it work?  The authors call what many of us have always known Diagnosis Bias.  Read the book.

The Publishers Clearing House School of Meaningless Copy.  You offer a fabulous prize 99.9% of respondents know they won’t win.  Yet gazillions enter every year (don't you?).  Why?  I couldn’t say beyond “dreams and greed” until Sway explained it scientifically.  According to the Las Vegas School of brain response, the anticipation of a big win has more sway than the reality of winning (or not). 

The Do-It-You’ll-Feel-Good vs. Cold Hard Cash Copy Argument.  Think about all those green products extorting us to assuage our conscience, do what’s best for Mother Earth.  How motivating is asking us to wash clothes without phosphates for the good of the planet and generations to come?  Pit altruism against “cheaper to buy/cheaper to use/proudly still polluting.”  Which copy platform sells more product?  Not only does Sway tell you which, it tells you why.  Armed with that knowledge, you may find the perfect concept to overcome altruism and science.  (If BP gets hold of this, we're all in big trouble!)

The It’s-More-Expensive-But-Worth-It way to color your copy.  Been around since before I knew how much fun hair color could be.  There are now many more expensive, designer hair products.  Still, L’Oreal’s I’m Worth It campaign sucks them in.  This one’s so powerful, it has the chops to completely distort and dismember objective and professional judgment.  Even more powerful teamed with what Sway calls Change Aversion, you’ll learn how – and why – it works.

Not every great method of copy logic is in the book – nor do the authors purport to be writing about how to write ad copy.  It’s still a great tool.  Combined with a killer Kamikaze Key Fact, supported by a smart Kamikaze Creative Work Plan, the things you can learn help you build your copy platform so it’s not only smart, creative and conceptual – it does what you want it to do. 

I’ve a great ad “gut” and am known for getting even the most difficult clients to understand – and agree to  – whatever heresy I advocate.  The guy who told me to read Sway is probably even better at it than I am.  Yet both of us found enough weapons of persuasion in its pages to make Sway a Kamikaze Creative’s secret weapon.

Don’t take my word for it.  Buy (or download) the book.

NOTE:  Going over this post, I had o laugh at how it reads like those direct mail missives extolling – but never revealing – the virtues of health magazines, invest in gold newsletters and stock advice.  WTH.  I learned why I should do it that way in Sway.  Be a better, smarter, Kamikaze Copywriter.  Buy the book!