Commercial Copy for Careworn Consumers
By Holland Cooke
Constulant
Why I love going on sales calls with station reps: Meeting retailers, who have SUCH a feel for their customers’ (our listeners’) mindset. Following-up last week’s column exploring the societal angst we are living through, this week’s will recommend technique for scripting in what psychologists call the Age of Outrage Fatigue.
Emotional bandwidth is down. Skepticism is up. And the old tricks – hyperbole, urgency, shouty headlines – are backfiring. People aren’t just tuning-out content they disagree with; they’re tuning-out tone. They crave calm. Clarity. Credibility.
To cut-through:
— Clear beats clever. Instead of “Don’t sweat it – we’ve got your ducts in a row!” Try “Get your AC fixed today, and sleep comfortably tonight.”
— Ditch the drama. Instead of: “Drowning in debt?” Try: “Make a fresh start.”
— Frame your offer as an upgrade, not a fix for failure. Instead of: “Will you EVER be able to retire?” Try: “Plan your next chapter, on your terms.”
— Empathize, don’t exaggerate. People trust what feels human. Empty hype gets filtered out fast. “There’s never been a better time to buy a car!” goes in-one-ear-and-out-the-other.
— Earn attention quickly. The first sentence matters more than ever. Make it a question that includes “you” and/or “your” which describes the consumer situation that your advertiser can cure. “Is your money doing what you want it to?”
— Use specifics, not superlatives. “Best ever!” means nothing. Numbers and proof points build confidence.
— If you’re scripting with AI, rewrite to weed-out clichés. Restaurant spots that tout “a relaxing atmosphere” are verbal Styrofoam.
— Respect their time. Use short sentences. Bullet points. Clear next steps. Happy outcomes.
Today’s most effective copywriting calms the reader. It offers clarity in a crowded, chaotic world.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a media consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke
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