I thought it was one of those aprocryphal stories that go around creative departments. One of those urban myths that creatives bring up whenever a great piece of work gets rejected by the client for no apparent reason.
“They haven’t bought it!?! It’s bang on brief, it really pushes the USP and it’s creative. Even the suits like it.”
“Perhaps the client’s wife doesn’t like the colour of the roomset.”
But that sort of thing never happens in the real world does it? It’s a finely crafted piece of advertising work skilfully art directed, beautifully photographed and with every single word of the copy honed to perfection by a highly skilled copywriter.
And it’s been binned not by the client, but by his wife. She’s spotted something that the account director, account supervisor, account manager, creative director, art director and copywriter have overlooked.
Well guess what? It does happen. It’s just happened to me. I’ve been in the business over 32 years (cue Hovis music) and I’ve never heard or seen any evidence of a client’s wife rejecting creative work or copy.
But it’s just happened to me.
It was a corporate brochure for a small marina. The intro copy needed around 200 words based on their existing strapline of ‘The natural choice’. The copy had to be friendly, inviting, aspirational and set the stage for the main selling story throughout the brochure.
Here’s my original copy:
The natural choice
For so many people and for so many different reasons, XXXXX Marina is the natural choice.
For boaters, XXXXX Marina is one of the best equipped and most attractive marinas in the whole of the UK. Set in a tranquil location in the heart of canal country, XXXXX Marina offers excellent cruising opportunities throughout the XXXXXXX and beyond.
We’ve designed our marina to offer the very highest standard of facilities in a safe and secure environment which blends in beautifully with the local XXXXXXX countryside.
XXXXX Marina is also the natural choice for anyone wanting a second home or holiday home in a glorious, unspoilt location. Our exclusive and bespoke development of just XX luxury waterside lodges, make XXXXX Marina the perfect place to get away from it all.
And XXXXX Marina is the natural choice because it harmonises so well with its peaceful natural surroundings. When designing the marina, we retained the unique character of XXXXXXX Lake and carried out extensive landscaping to highlight its outstanding natural beauty. We also created large, open expanses of water to help encourage wildlife.
All in all, XXXXX Marina is the natural choice.
For boaters, XXXXX Marina is one of the best equipped and most attractive marinas in the whole of the UK. Set in a tranquil location in the heart of canal country, XXXXX Marina offers excellent cruising opportunities throughout the XXXXXXX and beyond.
We’ve designed our marina to offer the very highest standard of facilities in a safe and secure environment which blends in beautifully with the local XXXXXXX countryside.
XXXXX Marina is also the natural choice for anyone wanting a second home or holiday home in a glorious, unspoilt location. Our exclusive and bespoke development of just XX luxury waterside lodges, make XXXXX Marina the perfect place to get away from it all.
And XXXXX Marina is the natural choice because it harmonises so well with its peaceful natural surroundings. When designing the marina, we retained the unique character of XXXXXXX Lake and carried out extensive landscaping to highlight its outstanding natural beauty. We also created large, open expanses of water to help encourage wildlife.
All in all, XXXXX Marina is the natural choice.
Now I know it’s not going to win me a yellow pencil. But I thought it had a nice flow, created the right mood for the place and was full of benefits.
So I sent it off to the client and launched into writing the main text of the brochure.
A few days later I had an email back saying this:
‘Attached is XXXXXXXX’s handwritten rewriting of the text for the brochure.’
You can see the handwritten attachments above – I’ve removed the name of the marina and location to protect the guilty.
My first reaction was one of sheer incredulity. This is wrong and unprofessional on so many levels it’s difficult to know where to start.
But it does say something very powerful about the low regard in which advertising and the skills of the people who work in it are held by a few entrepreneurs and company owners.
Imagine commissioning a new building and after seeing the architect’s plans saying, actually my wife doesn’t like it, so she’s done a design for you with more windows.
Imagine discussing a major brain operation with the surgeon and saying, actually my wife doesn’t think you should go through the frontal lobe.
Imagine being measured up for a suit and once it’s made, saying, actually my wife doesn’t like it so she’s come up with something a bit more with-it.
There’s no point arguing with people like this, it’s bad for your blood pressure. So I typed in the copy, saw the job through and sent in the invoice.
And resolved never to work for them again.
For more invaluable help and advice on writing, marketing and advertising, go to www.jamiehudson.com
My eyes!
ReplyDeleteBang on (your post, not the client's wife's copy! It seems a classic "too close to the 'product' scenario: ie, rewriting your copy to suit their point of view, rather than from that of the prospective customers).
ReplyDeleteThe written word is, alas, grossly undervalued. It's because everyone can write (or at least they *think* they can). They were taught how to string two sentences together at school. And Dear Aunt Mabel still comments on the 'wonderful' letter sent to her after graduation day. So of course they can write! ;0)
However, no matter how well people think they can write, how many of us can create copy that truly grips an audience? That shows, tells and ultimately persuades people to take action?
Copywriters can ... and do. That's why we study human psychology and 'buying motivators'. That's why we come up with the secret sauce that makes copy sizzle and ultimately puts money in the bank. That's why we're constantly striving to beat the last 'control'...
We all know the adage “The customer [or client] is always right.” And nine times out of ten, they are. But when it comes to copywriting, they really should learn to trust the expert. That's why they hired a copywriter in the first instance, right -- for their expertise?!
But you're spot on. There's no point in arguing over your words till you're blue in the face. If a client wants me to rewrite a piece of copy that will, IMHO, diminish its effectiveness, I will explain why I’ve written it that way, but I won't get defensive or argue if they still want me to change what I've written.
Yes, it’s hard not to take rejection or criticism to heart. And, yes, it's even harder knowing that a piece of copy you've written could have had so much more impact if it was left the way it was intended. But when a client rejects or rewrites your copy outright and they're being either clueless and/or overly demanding, the best thing to do is exactly what you did: swallow your pride and politely move on. ;0)
I, too, have [fairly] recently worked with a 'problem' client, after having been lucky enough to have worked with many wonderful clients for years and years.
It was an extraordinarily protracted and painful project, and I had no choice but to let the client go in the end. Firing my client wasn't an easy choice, but it was the best one for all in the end.
With my client, it seemed to be a case of them not knowing what they wanted. No matter how many times I asked, the client kept refusing to give me an idea of what they were looking for. They wouldn't even complete my pre-projection briefing questionnaire. (My gut instinct was screaming "run away now!", but I stupidly ignored it.)
I'm eager to please clients, and I'm happy to work with them to determine exactly what it is they're looking for, but shooting at a moving target when blindfolded is just plain counter-productive.
OK, better go now, as this has a danger of turning into a rant (not my intention)!
My lesson learned: there are good clients and there are bad clients. Try to attract more of the former, and none of the latter. If you are unlucky enough to work with a 'bad client', grit your teeth and do your professional best. If that concludes in a parting of ways, then so be it.