6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting _ by Nick Waghorn _ Better Marketing _ Medium

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting Focus on big ideas, deliver them clearly, and always respect your customer Nick Waghorn Apr 15 · 6 min read David Ogilvy is a legendary figure amongst the copywriting community. In 1962, Time Magazine called him “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry.” So, what made David Ogilvy so special? The simple answer is that he was a marketing pioneer and created some of the most influential ads of the last century. He boasted a client list that included many heavy hitters like Campbell’s, Rolls-Royce, Dove, Schweppes, and Shell — to name a few. https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0 1/8

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium And his agency was so successful that it’s remained a key player in the advertising industry today with 132 offices across 83 different countries. Here are my favourite teachings by David Ogilvy that will upgrade your copywriting skills. 1. Do Your Research “Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals.” David Ogilvy was one of the first advertisers to truly appreciate the importance of market research. Instead of simply following gut instinct, he employed a data orientated approach that was founded on a detailed understanding of the customer. At a time where many big brands were mostly shooting in the dark, Ogilvy ran rings around them by creating exciting adverts that were meticulously designed to appeal to customers. Key takeaway The secret to writing great copy is in the research. If you can understand what your customers are desperately seeking and offer it to them in a compelling way, you’ll win — just like Ogilvy did. 2. Focus on One Big Idea “Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.” It’s never easy to capture the attention of prospects. So what was David Ogilvy’s answer to garnering this attention? Making your copy have one big idea. Something that differentiates your brand and will stick into the reader’s mind. Something that catches your eye and triggers your curiosity. Something special that leaves an impact. https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0 2/8

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium Here are a few examples of in the big idea in his ads: Rolls-Royce Guinness Guide to Oysters 3/8 https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium Hathaway Shirt Whether it’s about the fascinating mechanics of Rolls-Royces, a guide of oysters that pair with a pint of Guinness, or a story about what Indian shirts have got to do with Yale University, each advert captures our attention with a big idea and draws us into the copy. Key takeaway Consider what the big idea is that drives your copy and run with it. It may take time to come up with this concept, but once you do it will completely transform your copy. Often the big idea involves a key story or selling point. If you’re not too sure what your big idea is, try researching the core desires of your target audience. 3. Communication Is About Clarity “I don’t know the rules of grammar… If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think. We try to write in the vernacular.” One of the biggest things that I admire from the great copywriters like Ogilvy is the conversational tone of their adverts. They’re effortless to read and ignore all of the irritating pretense, trying to sound “clever.” https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0 4/8

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium As Ogilvy says, just because we’re selling a product doesn’t mean we need to change the way we speak. Unnecessary use of technical jargon and stupidly long words does nothing but put off the reader. It’s not about telling people that you’re smart and professional. It’s about showing people that what you have to offer is valuable. In any form of copy, the primary goal is always comprehension. If they don’t easily understand what your saying, there’s zero chance that they’ll be engaged enough to buy whatever your selling. Key takeaway Do your research and review the terminology and key phrases that your reader uses. Always talk like your customer does. 4. Respect Your Customer “The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife.” When writing copy it’s tempting to go into “sales mode” and try to make a sale at all costs, forgetting that your prospect is another human being. Whether that means overexaggerating your product’s claims and benefits, writing misleading testimonials, or dumbing down your copy for readers. Just remember that there’s a fine line between being persuasive and being deceptive. Key takeaway If you’re uncertain, consider if you would send your copy to your loved ones. If the answer’s no, then it might need a little rewording to get it right. 5. Be Interesting 5/8 https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium “Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating. You know you can’t bore people into buying your product, you can only interest them into buying it” Ogilvy was a master at using hard-hitting specifics, instead of flowery language. He doesn’t bend the facts of his copy in order to be interesting. For example, in this legendary Rolls-Royce advert, Ogilvy outlines 22 facts about how the cars are made — and it’s fascinating. Rolls-Royce “Good ad; all facts. No adjectives. All specifics. Sold a lot of cars.” And the results? After publishing, it increased the sale of Rolls-Royce cars by 50%. Key takeaway If the product is genuinely valuable to people, the truth is enough to captivate your prospects. You don’t have to bend facts or bolster claims. Just give your readers the biggest reasons that customers should care. 6. Measure in Sales, Not Creativity 6/8 https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium “In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.” The reason that David Ogilvy is hailed as one of the all-time greats isn’t that he was the most creative thinker, it’s because he was one of the best-selling copywriters. At the end of the day, the value of sales copy is never judged by it’s “originality”, it’s judged by whether it makes money. “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative’. I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.” Key takeaway Although it can be tempting to judge our writing by aesthetics like awards and popularity, we should always be guided by the bottom line. If our copy looks amazing, that’s great, but our primary goal should always be to make our copy interesting enough to make people buy. Conclusion By applying these six principles we can’t go far wrong when writing our copy. If we respect the customer, do our due diligence to write compelling copy for them and then give them a tempting offer — we’ve given it our best shot. Sign up for The Better Marketing Brief By Better Marketing Our map to the marketing world. An occasional newsletter highlighting the best stories, tips, and tools to become a better marketer.  Take a look Get this newsletter Emails will be sent to [email protected]. Not you? Thanks to Niklas Göke.  7/8 https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0

11/28/2020 6 Lessons From David Ogilvy That Will Upgrade Your Copywriting | by Nick Waghorn | Better Marketing | Medium Business Márketing Copywriting Psychology Sales About Help Legal Get the Medium app https://medium.com/better-marketing/6-lessons-from-david-ogilvy-that-will-upgrade-your-copywriting-c8edf3a1bdc0 8/8