Look at the product label. What can you learn about Ivory Soap from the package? It’s 99 and 44/100 percent pure: what does that mean? And more importantly, what does that mean to the consumer? Look a little more deeply. What percentage of purity do other products exhibit? Check the other bars of soap. Do any of them record a purity statement? Why not? Draw some conclusions. Maybe other bar soaps aren’t as pure as Ivory. What is the consumer perception of washing with something that is less pure? Does it affect your sense of cleanliness? Are you less clean if you wash with a less pure soap?
Use secondary research to observe who today’s users of Ivory Soap are. You may decide that a way to expand Ivory’s customer base is to go after non-users. Now you can put your knowledge of what-it-isn‘ts to work. If you have identified Ivory users as people looking for a mild soap, identify people who might not be looking for mild: tough guys, perhaps. “Tough” could be considered an opposite of mild—a what-it-isn‘t. And tough guys might include World Federation wrestlers, motorcycle gangs, Bruce Willis Marine drill sergeants, Superman, etc. (for example, don’t limit yourself to real people. Fictional characters can be equally interesting and effective). Even tough guys can use a little mildness.
Another way to look at Ivory is that it is a bar of white soap. A what-it-isn‘t might direct you to the opposite of white. You might look for colorful people—people with colorful personalities, colorful hair or clothing, even a color in their names (i.e., Black). And that might lead you to more what-it-isn‘t(s): complex people. Superstars. Models. (Add a half-dozen of your own what-it-isn‘t[s].)
Use the product yourself. You can’t write persuasively about Ivory if you don’t know it well. As you use it, examine it as if it were under a microscope: how many times do you have to rub the cake across your wet hands to produce a lather? What does the lather look like? Is it a slight frosting of white on your hands? Are there any bubbles? Large? Small? Rub your hands together. What do your hands feel like? As if they are wearing soft gloves? Are they soft? Stiff? Do you notice any scent? Is the lack of it the scent of clean?
What do you know about soap? What’s the difference between soap and detergent? Which one leaves a film? Which one strips the oils from your skin? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? Of all the bar soaps you saw on the shelf, which are soap-based? Which are detergent-based? If you don’t know, secondary research will help you find out.
Does knowing the difference really make a difference? Suppose, after reading up on Ivory, you decide that because of its purity and mildness, it would be well received by first-time mothers for bathing their babies.
Next step: put yourself in their place. Imagine what it’s like to be a mother for the first time. Mothers want what’s best for their babies. But first-time mothers are different: they don’t have a learning curve. They need information— what should they use to bathe their babies? Your exploration of Ivory’s history can create one perspective: since 1878, mothers have been bathing babies with Ivory. Conclusion: Ivory will be safe for your baby. Your exploration of formulation can create another perspective: Ivory is all soap, not detergent. How do mothers perceive detergent? What they wash clothes and dishes in? Would you wash your baby the same way you wash your clothes? Conclusion: No.
The preceding discussion about Ivory Soap identifies two skills that will help you to develop as a copywriter. The first is to be able to look at a product or service so closely that you see information others might miss. Often, particularly when advertising parity products, you’ll discover there are no product differences between brands. The quandary: how do you create an identity for a product with no difference? By observing the product in minute detail, you may discover something about it that has been overlooked. It will give you a hook to hang your creativity on.
The second skill is to be able to put yourself in your target audience’s place: to identify not only with his/her demographics, but to discern the psychographics that define this target audience.
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