Broadcast Copy Preparation
Copywriting for the Electronic Media
(Meeske)
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Demographic Segments
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Age and Life Cycle
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Gender
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Income
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Education
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Occupation
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Race
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Geographic Factors
Planning a Commercial
Targeting the Audience:
Psychographics
The Copy Platform
1. Client and Product, Service, or Store
The Copy Platform
2. Target Audience (Geography,
Demographics, Age & Life Cycles, Gender,
Income, Education, Occupation,
Psychographics)
The Copy Platform
3. Advertising Objectives
Advertising Objectives
• To Inform:
– Explaining how a product works
– Telling the market of a price change
– Advertising new uses of a product
– Lowering buyer’s fears
– Strengthening a company image
– Changing false impressions
– Explaining company services
Advertising Objectives
• To Persuade:
– Building brand preference
– Urging buyers to switch to your product
– Altering buyer views of product features
– Encouraging buyers to purchase soon
– Urging buyers to accept a sales call
Advertising Objectives
• To Remind:
– Reinforcing brand awareness
– Reminding buyers that product may soon
be needed
– Reminding buyers where to buy product
– Keeping buyers aware of product during
the off season
The Copy Platform
4. Sales Slogan
The Copy Platform
5. Bonus Items
The Copy Platform
6. Approach
The Copy Platform
7. Positioning
Copy Platform for Fiber Lite
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Client and Product:
Target Audience:
Objective:
Sales Theme:
Bonus Item:
Positioning:
Approach:
Copy Platform for Coors Beer
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2.
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6.
7.
Client and Product:
Target Audience:
Objective:
Sales Theme:
Bonus Item:
Positioning:
Approach:
Sources of Copy Information
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The Salesperson
Newspaper and Magazine Ads
Brochures and Pamphlets
Prepared Announcements
The Client
Copy Preparation and Traffic
The Copy Platform: Recap
1. Client and Product, Service, or Store
2. Objective
3. Target Audience (Geography, Demographics, Age
& Life Cycles, Gender, Income, Education,
Occupation, Psychographics)
4. Sales Slogan
5. Bonus Items
6. Positioning
7. Approach
Copy Platform for a Product
• Quality Vertical Blinds
• To convince homeowners to use vertical
blinds instead of drapes
• Homeowners, age 25-54. Value-conscious
people who want to make homes comfortable
but contemporary
• QVB give each room a contemporary look
• Blinds are available in four styles
• Product should be positioned as being easier
to install, cheaper to maintain than drapes
• Straightforward
Copy Platform for Local Retailer
• Record Mart, three stores in Yourtown
• To inform music loves that RM sells discs &
tapes by contemporary well-known artists at
discount prices
• Males & females, age18-43, who enjoy
contemporary hit music and frequently buy
CDs. They are practical people who want
quality but who don’t spend their money
foolishly
Copy Platform for Local Retailer
• The RM lets you enjoy your favorite
recording stars and still stay within your
budget
• All CDs are guaranteed for one year
• The RM store will be positioned as a
business that appreciates serious music fans
and understand their buying and listening
habits
• Enthusiastic delivery, with excepts from
sample recordings
Points to Remember
• A spot must be planned if it is to
motivate people to respond.
• A copy platform helps the copywriter
prepare a successful sales strategy by
identifying, in addition to the client and
the product, service, or store, the (1)
objective (2) target audience, (3) sales
theme, (4) bonus items, if any, (5)
positioning, and (6) approach.
Points to Remember
• The salesperson is the copywriter’s
primary source of information.
• Newspaper ads, magazine ads, and
brochures help the copywriter gather
background information but are written
for print, rather than for broadcasting.
• Prepared announcements, with space
for the local sponsor’s name and
address, are sometimes available.
Points to Remember
• A copywriter should maintain personal
contact with clients but visit them only
with the salesperson’s approval.
• The copywriter must consult with the
station’s traffic director to identify the
date and time the spots will begin as
well as when the spot will be aired
during the broadcast day.