BzzzzING KAMIKAZE COPYWRITING: In which Doreen explains why there she gives so many Bs, so few As.

Term before last (Summer 2013) four writers forced me to give them an A.  Half the number I gave the entire previous year. 

Last quarter (Fall 2013) there were none.

First assignment, I pegged three of my Fall students As for sure.  A few on the verge. Everyone fully capable if they brought their game.  The deciders of shirt-worthiness:**  personal process, growth, attention to detail, quirks, creative point of view, ability to determine, write on Concept, in a strong Language of Concept,  work ethic, professionalism, external & internal realities, how well students learn and apply what I teach, Copy Sins, Mercury. 

Talent?  Not on the list.  If a student doesn’t have it, the Circus process usually weeds them out before they get to me.  If a student somehow manages to cry/BS/insist their way through, they either put it together or crash and burn when they go Doreen.

I pushed.  Prodded.  Exposed tricked forced called complained explained cajoled complimented.  Like all writers, each used writing relics from J-school, life, academic Creative Writing programs, high school English teachers you love to hate.  Writing tics so ingrained in each student’s idea what professional, motivating communication is, so habitual, writers spend all quarter learning to see them in their work. 

They learned well, changed how they read and consider copy, how they think about writing it, what it needs to do.  Except for one clunker assignment (my fault), the class got most or came close.  Students learned to think in Kamikaze Copy – and the Kamikaze Creative Strategy driving it.

They tell me they’ll never read or write copy the same way again.

Still, no As.

As different as students are, too many suffer from the same personal Kamikaze Key Fact:  Students slave over KKFs.  Think them intuit them throw them against the wall to see if any stick.  Get confused, get frustrated, come up with a few more.  Pick out one or two with potential.  Promptly forget what KKFs do.  How to use them.    

One saving grace, they get pretty good at Kamikaze Prospect Definition and Prospect Driven work.

Ignore KKFs, all that’s left is product.  

The Language of Concept may speak fluent Kamikaze Prospect Definition.  But without those KKFs to lead and feed concept, the work becomes Product, not Prospect, driven.

Worse, it can create creative product-based sameness.  Prospect perspective, common human emotions truths – in other words, Kamikaze Key Facts - Be Damned.

No matter how good a student’s writing became, conceptual growth trended I got lucky.  Often the Kamikaze Creative Promise and KC Reasons Why took the place of Prospect +KKF.  Thankfully, most of last term’s group did learn to integrate product features and benefits as if they were Oxford and/or other unnecessary commas.

All of which left a huge dilemma – and disappointment.  Not a single A, tons of Bs, B-s, B+s.  How does the lack of using their KKF doom otherwise excellent copywriting students to Bs at best? 

My classes focus on copy writing.  So we learn a lot of tricky, often anti-grammar minutia. What I call the Three* Sister Aspects/Koans of Kamikaze Copywriting. 

The Three Sisters aren’t about proper grammar as much as the power of words.  Words + Concept create Theater of the Mind.  Put pictures into prospect’s conscious and unconscious awareness.  If you nail the Language of Concept, the Prospect will read.  All.  Knowing the rules of American English grammar – by education or instinct – gives great ad copy power to motivate manipulate sound structure content connection voice outside the rules.  Where Concept lives.  Where life happens.  Where/how products are bought and sold. 

Marry learned knowledge/gut grammar to a Kamikaze Key Fact strong enough, unexpected enough; you have classical archetypes of motivation and belief.

Kamikaze Copywriting Sister Koan #1:  To create subtle emotional connections, powerful motivations and identifiable archetypes, you cannot expect product + copy to do the job.  As Gypsy once sang (look it up), You gotta have a gimmick.  An idea.  Concept.  To get those (sing along if you know the tune) you gotta have a Kamikaze Key Fact. 

Kamikaze Copywriting Sister Koan #2:  It’s not enough to have a great KKF.  No matter how good it is, it won’t work if you don’t use it.    

Kamikaze Key Fact – something bigger picture in the Prospect’s life which unexpectedly puts the product within relevant importance/in direct participation/perception of need to the Prospect. 

It may or may not be a benefit.  The Kamikaze Key Fact’s not about the product.  It’s about the Prospect’s life, needs wants dreams fears relationships.  About what’s going on in the Prospect’s sphere of experience.  It’s the link to where the product lives in the Prospect’s life.

A good KKF is NEVER about direct product benefits/features.  It’s about the Prospect’s world.  Makes unusual, conceptual connections driving the Prospect/Product connection.

This is where the majority of Bs-shoulda-coulda-been-As come from.  Students try to write KKFs like they study for tests.  And there is a test – weekly.  Each Skype session, students bring in strategies, with/without copy.  I show them where it’s good, where it sucks, how illogical it is/isn’t.  I try to show them how I’d do it - not because it’s the only or best way.  I hope it’ll lead to their way.

No matter how good your writing is.  You gotta have a gimmick.  You gotta have – and use – a good KKF.

Unless you'll settle for a B.

Not one of them took that step over the line of product expected into concept brilliant.  Not one of them rode their KKFs to conceptual copy brilliance.  Most copy didn’t relate to the KKF at all.  Very good writers.  A few Writers’ Writers – those who can fearlessly tackle any structure, any style, any topic, any voice. 

No A shirts.

Is it possible?  To get an A in my Kamikaze Copywriting classes?  A dozen people have done it since I’ve been back at the Circus (six terms?). 

It isn’t enough to be a good – even great – writer.  To be Kamikaze, solve the problem creatively.  With great smarts, great skill.  Motivate the Prospect to participate in the idea, in your solution.

Come up with that unexpectedly relational KKF.  Push it conceptually until the prospect has no other choice than to follow.  Apply all your skill, product knowledge.  Use the KCWP fearlessly.  Be Kamikaze.  Understand, concept from the Kamikaze Key Fact.  Why?  Here’s the shocker – it’s easier to kill a great concept with so-so Copy than with Gawd Awful Art Direction.  The Prospect may forgive the weak visual, design.  The Prospect will never forgive – or read – conceptless, artless no KKF Ad Copy.

* I didn’t forget there are three Sister Kamikaze Copywriting Koans.  The third one is “Develop your Kamikaze Copywriting Gut.”  Covered before, I promise will be covered again.  Not applicable here – gut or no gut, nothing to do with grades.

**Earn an A in my class, earn a t-shirt your ECD will envy.

As with all material published in KamikazeCreative@blogspot.com, this post is (c) Doreen Dvorin/Kamikaze Creative. This entry, (c)2014,  Doreen Dvorin/Kamikaze Creative