I was contacted by two new clients this week. One gave me a list of ideas about their company; the other gave me what amounted to a list of facts about an event. Both clients wanted the information turned into one page of marketing material copy. And both were rush jobs — the marketing materials needed to be done in less than 24 hours — so there was no time to get additional information to fill out the marketing pieces.
Can you guess which one I took on and which one I passed on until I could get additional information? You may be surprised to know that I took on the one that started out as essentially a list of facts. Why? Because with such details I knew the:
- unique selling proposition
- target market
- what sets them apart from their competition
Here’s the key: If I have the facts and details to start with, I can usually add flavor, tone, and style. But with only series of belief statements, I have little to work with to tell your customer why they should hire you or buy your product.
Here’s an example: The list of facts included the location of a contest that the organization is putting on (Highline Ballroomin NYC) and what the grand prize will be for the winner of the contest (including a Jacob & Co. pendant).
There are certainly plenty of people who know exactly what kind of vibe and caliber this performance space is and just how coveted a a custom-made Jacob & Co. pendant is. However, there are plenty of people who do not. And if someone who does not know is being approached to be an investor, the one-sheet needs to let him or her know what kind of an event this is.
That in mind, to address what kind of a club the Highline Ballroom is (and by extension, the contest), I included the caliber of artists who have performed there:
“That night, the six contestants will let loose and have some fun—all at the same location that performers like Lou Reed, Mos Def, and Amy Winehouse have performed, at the Highline Ballroom, a performance space in the Meat Packing District on 16th Street.”
And when I described the grand prize, I included some of the designer’s celebrity fans — thereby showing just what kind of caliber the entire contest is:
“a custom-made Jacob & Co. pendant (popularized by the likes of Angela Bassett, Jimmy Fallon, Gisele Bundchen, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Enrique Iglesias, Justin Timberlake, Fred Durst, David and Victoria Beckham and many others)”
So, when you are creating your marketing materials, remember to include the details of what sets you apart — and also remember to include information that lets people know just why those details are relevant.
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