Here’s some advice from Bill Bernbach:
1. “Go to the essence of the product. State the product’s essence in the simplest terms of its basic advantage. And state this both tangibly and memorably.” – This means selling what your product or service will do for them, not selling the product or the service itself; “The number one toothpaste!” vs. “A sexier smile!” Guess which one sells more toothpaste.
2. “Where possible, make your product an actor in the scene; not just a prop. This makes for a tremendously effective method of getting your product remembered. Because the provocative element in your advertising is also the element that sells your product. This is so simply stated, so difficult to execute.” – It doesn’t necessarily need to be an actual character like a lizard or a talking box of insurance. It means try to give that product or service an active role. (more…)

1. One of the first things designers and writers learn is this; you can show them something, or you can tell them something, but you can’t do both. Images and content need to complement one another, but they should not overlap. If you have a picture of an apple, don’t write the word apple under it.

2. The way people read a web page and the way they read print is different, so do not simply turn your current brochures and other marketing materials into a website. Web copy should be more interactive, with links in the content. It should also be shorter and get to the point faster. If web pages get too long and you feel everything you have is necessary, then reorganize that content and split it into different sections or pages. (more…)