… Insights and Observations About Copywriting,

As a copywriter, I love to study what my husband refers to as junk mail.  I just received an advertisement for Romano’s Macaroni Grill.  It contains several elements worth noting:

1.  The layout uses lots of white space.  Very pleasing to the eye.  When we are trying to convey information it is easy to forget the power of white space.
2. They don’t steer away from the use of “Italian” but they modify it with the word “Mediterranean” which is definitely perceived as healthier fare.
3. In the title they use the words Simply Better
4. Throughout the piece each subhead uses the word Better

Better Ingredients, Better Recipes, Better Cooking Methods, Better Flavor, Better For You

1. The piece ends with Simply Better. “At Romano’s, it all adds up to one undeniable truth:  Italian Mediterranean cooking is simply better. “
2. The food photos are attractive enough to induce a surge in appetite.
3. There is a coupon that begs me to “Taste the Difference”.

This is a classically good piece of advertising.  What would make it a genuinely good advertisement?  This will be a genuinely good advertisement if the food is truly healthier and better.  I’ve got my coupon.  I’ll let you know.  Genuine marketing always involves an experience that confirms the message.

Words matter.  I love words and I treasure the process of finding the word that is not just good, or better, but the one word that best conveys a thought.  In the world of copywriting one of the people I most admire is Michael Masterson.  I never miss the Michael Masterson Journal because he truly knows the power of using the best word.

Recently Mr. Masterson wrote a piece about the use of time.  He wrote of golden moments (the highest and best use of time) and acid choices (destructive choices…the worst use of time).  But then he wrote of “vaporous” choices.  What a perfect word for time that is wasted!  Vaporous…the word lingers and rolls around in my mind, making his writing memorable.  And isn’t that what writing should be?  Memorable?

Is there a “best” word for who you are or what you do?  Is there a “best” word for your product or service? 

Pick two or three words that genuinely describe you, your service, or your product and use them consistently.  You will find that your marketing message is much more memorable.

Recently I was talking with a number of my marketing associates and wondering where in this recession is the normal bounce in attention to above and beyond customer service.  Customer service is an area that doesn’t require large expenditures but can differentiate a service company from the competition during slow economic times.  Improved customer service has traditionally been a ray of sunshine in the cloud of recession.

Instead, one after another, my friends reported abysmal retail experiences.  From the “If you don’t see it we don’t have it” response to a product inquiry to ridiculously complex return policies, retailers were not getting good scores. 

So where is the great customer service?  Why aren’t retailers making a serious effort? 

Currently one of my favorite shopping experiences is online.  I love to shop at Rue La La.  The whole customer experience from beginning to end is flawless. First of all, you have to be invited to become a member.  I certainly feel quite special. I like being invited.

 The website is easy to navigate.  The merchandise is high quality at a good price.  When you buy you receive an immediate email saying “Success!”  (Oh, yes, I do love being successful.)  Merchandise ships and arrives as expected.  And, best of all, if something is wrong with the purchase they make it ever so easy to return it and they don’t even make you feel like a criminal if you tell them the merchandise was broken or damaged in transit. 

I ordered some beautiful vases and when my order arrived I found that one was broken.  I called customer service expecting the usual run around but was delighted by a genuine conversation with a real person who was courteous, caring and eager to correct the problem.  Before this experience I was a content customer, but now I am a fan… a loyal fan. 

And yes, I am telling everyone I know about shopping at Rue La La.  Interesting how that works…

Is your business creating loyal fans through genuine customer service?  It is time to move beyond the standard customer service scripts and reach out to customers and clients with a genuine desire to improve their experience. 

If your company is breaking out of the old scripts and approaching customer service in a new way, I’d love to hear your story.

There is great power taking something mundane and making it entertaining. I was reminded of the truth in this as I got ready to go through security at the Las Vegas airport. How boring is it to hear someone saying over and over again, “Take your laptop completely out of the bag and place it in the container on the conveyor belt”?

In Las Vegas they have a video featuring many of the entertainers that are regulars on the Strip…Rita Rudner, the Blue Man Group, Wayne Newton and of course, Elvis (among others). The video gives all of the routine instructions about things that security does not consider a joking matter, what you can’t take on the plane, and the fact that you must remove your shoes, belt, metal objects etc. It was all there. But, it was so engaging and so entertaining that people were literally letting other passengers pass them in line just so they could finish the video.

The video created a totally unique security setting. People were relaxed. Some of the employees approached their job with lighthearted humor. It was a pleasant surprise to encounter something creative, funny and engaging when we were expecting that same old stuff. Besides, it was just so genuinely Vegas.

The experience has lingered with me. What ordinary boring process can I take and turn it into something engaging? Where can I create a pleasant surprise that still reflects the core messaging for my clients?

Southwest Airlines accomplished this when their personnel made the in-flight instructions entertaining. I hope that you will remind me of other instances where a pleasant surprise appeared in the midst of the mundane.

I’m going to be looking for opportunities. And thanks, Las Vegas, for being so genuinely entertaining.