Expert: Sean Trapani - 8/5/2003

Question
Hello,

Im a copywriter this side who has just entered this ad mad world..i wanted to know how does one write a great  launch headline?..i get confused at this stance..i manage the follow ups well but thats of no use unless one has actually made an impact through the launch...For example: suppose a directory for small businessmen is to be launched..then wht kind of a headline can be written to make a sudden impact..
Thank you for patiently going through the question.


Answer
Manasi,

I must admit, that I'm a little perplexed by your terminology. I'm not sure what a "launch" headline is. From the context of your questions, I'm GUESSING that you mean a headline that launches, or introduces, a product or service.

If that's the case, "sudden impact" is relative to many things. The audience, the ad space and the product/service category. Jean-Marie Dru tells us that people have built-in "advertising filters" in their brain. They are bombarded with advertising messages, and the more conspicuous your advertising is, the more people will resist it.

I think the take away lesson from all of that is, as we American's say, "you need to zig when everyone else zags." In other words, you need to offer a fresh perspective. Most likely, your client is offering something that has been offered before. What is unique about your client's offering? How can people think about your client's offering in a different way? This is the mental homework you need to do first.

Once you've made a strategic decision on what uniquely position's your client's offering, then you can sit down and work on your headline. Great headlines are not verbal trickery. They should not be puns for puns sake. The headline should identify a truth (that people ALREADY believe) as it relates to what's unique about your client.

This is the short answer (if you can believe it). Bottom line is, headlines that cause sudden impact introduce NEW IDEAS. When you discover what the "big idea" is, you'll find that far more important than the headline structure.

I hope this helps!

Sean Trapani