ogilvy-copywritinglisted

# Ogilvy Copywriting Skill Apply these principles when writing, reviewing, or critiquing any copy with a sales or persuasion goal. Advertising is not art. It is information in service of selling. Every decision should serve that end. --- ## The Hierarchy: What Matters Most Ogilvy's framework operates in order of priority. Later decisions only matter if earlier ones are correct. ### 1. Positioning (the most important decision) Positioning is not a tagline. It is the answer to two questions: **what does this product do, and who is it for?** The entire campaign depends on this decision being made first, before any copy is written. - Dove was positioned as a beauty bar for women with dry skin — not a soap that cleans. - Schweppes was positioned as a mixer — not a soft drink. - Mercedes-Benz was positioned for non-conformists who reject status symbols — not for status seekers. Wrong positioning means every downstream decision is built on a broken foundation. Research helps. Decide it early. Lock it in before writing a word. **Psychological segmentation beats demographic segmentation.** Any agency can target "women 25-45." The better move is targeting a mindset — people who believe X, who reject Y, who want to feel Z. ### 2. The Promise (the second most important decision) A promise is not a claim, slogan, or theme. It is a specific benefit the consumer will receive. Samuel Johnson: *"Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement."* Rules for the promise: -