Page 203 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

95 BORING FOR WHOM?

In conversation with a reasonably experienced in-house
copywriter, I asked her what she saw as the downside of her job.
“Writing copy for the same old product year after year,” she said.
“I wish I knew how to make it less boring.” So I asked her, “Boring
for whom?”

If you have ever been tempted to refresh copy for one of your products
because it was “getting tired,” ask yourself this question. Is the copy
getting tired, or are you getting tired of it? In other words, what are
the results telling you? Because that’s all that really matters.

The idea

From a yearbook publisher
The copywriter I just mentioned worked for a yearbook publisher.
They produced dozens of annual reference books stuffed with facts
and figures on different world regions and industries. Sales were
great—in their market, they were a known and trusted brand and
their customers really needed this information. But because the
product rarely changed, marketeers would arrive, write their first
mailpack, then despair when they were asked to do the same again
for the next book and the next and the next. Then do it all again the
following year. But . . .

If the piece (ad, mailpack, HTML email, whatever) you’re using is
still achieving acceptable response rates—above your trigger for
review—then you don’t have a problem. Your customers obviously
don’t find it boring. Or at least, if they do, their ennui isn’t affecting
their buying behavior. So maybe you don’t have to worry about the

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