Page 145 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

66 SELLING TO
INTERNATIONAL
MANAGERS

When I was asked to write a mailpack for a business information
service, the biggest challenge was connecting with international
managers. The analysis is written in English, but many subscribers
are non-native speakers. Add differences in culture, industry,
seniority, job role, and interest and you have a tough brief.

The control pack featured wordplay and clever headlines. With no
substantive changes to the product, the emphasis was on trying
a different approach to the sales pitch. After a meeting with the
marketeer responsible for the service, we pinpointed a few big ideas
that would shape the copy.

The idea

From a large business information company
I suggested we abandon adjectives such as “authoritative” and
“reliable” in favor of facts, evidence, and concrete examples. So, we
decided to include copy that sold the reports as the product of an
editorial process that no other company could match: the USP. We
would flesh it out with profiles of key editorial staff and explain in
detail how data were collected and checked.

And what of the international readership for the promotion? I
ditched the puns and cleverness in favor of a straight explanation
of how the reader would look good, reduce business risk, and take
better decisions in less time. Cultural considerations meant that

136 • 100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS