Conrad Winter Copywriter

Will drinking help your writing, or will it just make people think you’re drunk?

You ever wonder whether there’s any truth to all that Hemingway, Bukowski lore about liquor somehow lubricating the creative process and making you write beyond your potential?

Well, I have a few “valuable insights” gleaned from my experiences writing, drinking, and writing about drinking for the likes of Dewar’s, Jim Beam, Budweiser, Lowenbrau, Leinenkugel’s, Canyon Road, High Life, Icehouse, and, well, you get the picture.

The answer is: No.

That’s the long and short of it. I have tried it, and I’m here to tell you that none of those cases of special research beer we “tested” at Young & Rubicam or those bottles of Dewar’s 12 that floated around the agency at AF&G ever inspired a single concept, headline, or tagline. Sorry to burst the bubble, so to speak.

Drinking just makes you sleepy. It makes large burritos look more attractive than they are. And it tricks you into confusing “the idea of working” with actually working. In other words, you wouldn’t even know it if you were being productive. Drinking leaves you with perhaps the darkest hangover of all: not being done.

So what will help your writing?

• Write conversationally. The same way you speak. Just let it flow.
• If you’re tired and frustrated, sleep. Sometimes a good night’s rest (or even a 10-minute nap) is all it takes for your mind to work out the words.
• If you’re blocked, workout. (If you can’t get out, just try some push-ups.)
• Blocked badly? Permit yourself to write badly. (This is a good trick. Just remember to edit your work afterward or they’ll think you’re drunk.)
• Still blocked? Print it out, tape it to the wall, and leave it ’til tomorrow.

And once you’ve nailed it, by all means, reward yourself with a nice tall glass of whatever it is you’re having. This writing stuff ain’t easy.

Cheers.

Even designers who write, can benefit from working with a copywriter.

Are you one of the designers who can write? They do exist—I know, because I’ve worked with them.

But no designer is an island, especially when it comes to words. Even if you know how to turn a phrase or crank out a post, here are three things a professional copywriter can bring to your solo act:

• Brainstorming suggestions from a copy perspective. A wordsmith can open up new creative territory for you.
• Headline refinements: making the words perfect takes tweaking and re-tweaking. A copywriter can save you time and effort.
• Elaboration, i.e. stretching one ad into 12. Once you have a creative direction, it’s helpful to be able to delegate its development to a writer.

Recently, the designer/writers at cinquino+co., one of New Jersey’s leading brand communications agencies, brought backpocket copywriter (me) in for all three of the above. How did it work? Well, we brainstormed in person on two occasions and then I fine-tuned the headlines and copy remotely. Once a campaign was chosen, I helped them expand the campaign into 12 ads. You’ll find one of them below.

Hope it inspires you to look for an IJO jeweler – and work with a copywriter. (Hint, hint.)

Congratulations, you have a new product or service. You’ve poured years of effort and experience into it, and it’s just what the market needs. But, your baby has no name. So, how do you pick a memorable, distinctive and meaningful name–without making yourself crazy in the process? Here are the first four of my nine steps to coming up with a great name.

Step 1: Name Drop

Start by researching the names that your competitors have chosen. This will clue you into what names have been taken. It can also reveal the themes and areas for naming that have not been taken.

Step 2: Be Strategic

Split all the things you want the name to communicate into categories or “buckets.” For example, there could be a “cutting edge” bucket, a “historical roots” bucket, and a “we care” bucket.

Step 3: Go for bulk.

Ready, set, now go fill those buckets up. Start with a big list, and weed it down later. Take the time to thoroughly explore a wide range of directions. Let your creativity flow. But know when it’s time to stop.

Step 4: Set a deadline, then set it aside.

It’s important to have an end in sight. And it’s even more important to be in the right frame of mind when you edit your list of names. So put it away for an hour or a day or a week–whatever you can afford. Then come back to it and edit when you have a fresh perspective.

That’s it for this  edition. Look for steps 5-9 in my next installment when I’ll explain how to “kill your darlings” (as they say in writing) and get to a winning name.

Until then.

In my previous post, I showed you how to conduct a thorough naming exercise. Now I’ll show you how to separate the wheat from the chaff with the end goal of finding your own Snausages, DieHard, or Mac for your product or service. Get ready for part two of my nine steps to coming up with a great name for your product or service.

Step 5: Be brutal.
Scrutinize each and every name. Start by asking yourself if it meets the objectives you started with. A name needs a “reason for being.” If it veers into la-la land, kill it.

Step 6: Check for functionality. 
Listen to how the name sounds. Consider how it might look on paper, as a URL, spelled out in an 800 number, or as a logo. If it’s confusing or has objectionable connotations, give it the axe.

Step 7: Do a perfunctory search.
See if the name’s being used and how. Start with a simple Google search. Do a trademark search with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Lastly, check someplace like Go Daddy to see what URLs are available.

Step 8: Edit and re-edit. 
Make your goal a solid shortlist of 5-10 names. If you’re having trouble letting go, try putting the names on index cards and ordering them from most to least favorite. You’ll be surprised by how this can help you move things along.

Step 9: Cover your butt.
Lastly, hand your whole shortlist over to your trademark attorney. That way, no matter what your lawyer eliminates, you’ll still have strong back-ups.

Hope these steps help you come up with a great name . Please let me know how it goes. And remember if you need assistance along the way – I’m here to help.