I was thinking the other day about what makes great ad copy and, more importantly, how great marketing copy is integral to successful marketing and sales. One theory on this subject lists several core components of good marketing copy. Allow me to explain…

First of all, the marketing copy should be true. It is vital to always keep this in mind. In my business, I constantly ask myself whether the product or service I am helping to market could/should sell on its own without any marketing. Try it. Ask your co-workers as well as your business and personal stakeholders. Is this product or service potentially interesting to them - is it authentic? Does the proposition of the product/service ring true? The answers to these questions will be invaluable to your marketing strategy and focus.

Alright, so we’ve established that truth is necessary to great copy. Well then, let’s define TRUTH. Dictionary.com (Truth. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: dictionary.reference.com/browse/Truth)

1. The true or actual state of a matter.
2. Conformity with fact or reality.
3. A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.
4. The state or character of being true.
5. Actuality or actual existence.
6. An obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.
7. Honesty; integrity; truthfulness.
8. Ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience.
9. Agreement with a standard or original.
10. Accuracy, as of position

Each of these definitions can be perceived differently and be used as a basis for anyone’s justification of the ingredients in their ad copy. As an example, “conformity with fact or reality” could mean actual and absolute alignment with fact or reality, or it could mean “conforming” within accepted norms - i.e. I may conform to a conservative or liberal position, though I don’t accept that all parts of that position are true. I guess the message is that all advertising needs to have a basis in truth, and that truth must be defined by the agency or service provider promoting said product or service. Using the truth as a meter of your advertising message will always serve you and your clients well.

We recently installed our first round of kiosks at GameStop locations across the country. For those who don’t know, GameStop is the largest video game retailer in the world, a true giant in the rapidly growing video game industry, and a valued partner in our kiosk campaign.

It’s been amazing to see this campaign move from “concept” to a real, live program. The Leadstream recently developed a first person shooter with a 2 minute countdown, based on a Quake 3 game platform. We used a cryod as the weapon, and designed the game to meet the E 10+ standard of the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s (ESRB) ratings classification system. Essentially, we removed all the blood and guts from the game, and created our non-human enemies to simply disappear after each successful engagement.

Our finished product is now the cornerstone of the kiosk campaign. You can see a sample by emailing joel.brewer@theleadstream.com. We’ve surrounded the game with a call-to-action video, different client promotional spots, and added the element of a monthly contest for the highest score earned at each GameStop location.

The end result? Customers can engage with our kiosks to compete for a retail gift card and hear directly from partner clients about various products and services.

Quite literally, we’ve gone from average spectator to a major player in kiosk marketing in just under a year’s time. Our campaign combines best-in-class kiosk design, the award-winning Quake 3 gaming platform, a compelling, interactive marketing message, and the world’s largest video game retailer – what more could a marketer ask for? We’ve essentially created a closed-loop kiosk network that allows advertisers to target the elusive 17-35 tech savvy male demo in their natural environment. If you’re tired of using the old shotgun approach – “spray and pray” – and you want to target this audience with laser-like precision, let us know.

Great statement: It used to be that marketers sold commodities that people needed, by promoting practical and objective matters such as price and product features.  

These days, marketers cater more to consumer wants rather than needs.  Wants are things consumers covet for emotional reasons, like a $250.00 pair of Pumas or a $100,000 Porsche Cayenne.