Why does so much of the copy written for ads, marketing materials, and websites fail to persuade?

Because, usually, the copy doesn’t answer the basic question: “Which means?” And it never drills down far enough to touch the heart of the customer.

Allow me to illustrate.

One of my clients is New Balance San Antonio, a highly successful chain of shoe stores in San Antonio.  Even when the economy tanked in 2008, owner Rob Kaufman still grew his business by double digits.

How?

By never cutting back on advertising, even when things were bad (a very important factor), and (even more importantly), by delivering a message that is relevant to the customer.

New Balance San Antonio can talk all day long about their 88 points of fit and 40 different shoe models that are created to fit the needs of every foot, but the business won’t sell a single pair of shoes until it can translate its competitive edge into language that means something to the customer.

Example: NBSA wanted to air a radio ad that addressed how “overpronation” of the foot can lead to pain in the body, emphasizing the power of New Balance shoes to correct the problem.

For nearly every phrase I wrote in the ad, I had to remind myself to listen to the customer’s voice in my head, asking “Which means?”

Even the simplest fitness regimens can cause knee pain.

Which means?

You may be wearing a shoe that doesn’t fit the shape of your foot.

Which means?

You may suffer from overpronation.

Which means?

Your foot is rolling inward more than it should.

Which means?

Your knees are vulnerable to injury.

Which means?

You’ll get hurt and you won’t get to enjoy the pleasure of being active.

Which means?

You need shoes that fit, and New Balance has the shoe for you.

The final 60-second radio script looked like this:

Sometimes, life just isn’t fair.  Why should working so hard to get healthy hurt so much?  Well, it shouldn’t! Hi, this is Rob Kaufman from New Balance San Antonio.  Walking, jogging, running – even the simplest fitness regimens can cause pain.  Why?  Because you’re probably wearing a shoe that wasn’t made for your foot.

You may be suffering from overpronation, which is just a fancy way of saying that each time you take a step, your foot rolls in more than it should.  That forces your big toe to handle most of the work needed to push off the ground for your next step.  And THAT means your shins, ankles, and knees are vulnerable to injury.  Let New Balance San Antonio make the hurt go away, with a pair of motion control or stability fitness shoes.  Crafted according to 88 points of designated fit, and with more than 40 models to choose from, you’ll find the shoe that will make getting healthy feel great!

Roll in to New Balance San Antonio today and make your hurt go away. Visit us at the Strand at I-10 and Huebner, at The Forum at I-35 and Loop 1604, or our newest store at Quarry Village.

Remember: when your feet feel good, your whole body feels good!

You can listen to the final product here: New Balance San Antonio – “Overpronation”

Granted, this ad won’t win any creative copywriting awards, but that’s not the goal – persuading the customer and growing your business is.

The next time you’re writing copy for an ad, a brochure, or a website, keep the “Which means?” question in your head at all times.  Answer the customer’s question, and keep answering it till you’ve translated your competitive edge into a language that will have customers knocking on your door.