Always sell a big idea
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Never sell a product or a service. Always sell a big idea.
But what the heck do I mean by “big idea”?
First, let me tell you a story about a Portuguese football manager called Vítor Oliveira.
Vítor Oliveira is unknown to most football fans, but he's a bit of a legend in Portugal.
Most football managers dream of building a solid career managing Premier League clubs. But Vítor Oliveira followed a different path.
Oliveira realized that there was an uncontested market space to grab in the Portuguese Second Division.
So he built a career focusing on building and leading solid teams out of the Portuguese Second division.
Since starting out as his career 35 years ago, Vítor Oliveira has taken 26 jobs at 21 clubs. He won the Portuguese Second league title 6 times, and promotion 11 times.
This has earned him the reputation as "the king of the Portuguese second division."
That’s why when Portuguese clubs hire Oliveira, they don’t hire him because he's just another experienced manager.
They hire the concept of a golden ticket with Premier League promotion. That’s the big idea behind the brand Vítor Oliveira.
Whether you’re the copywriter, or the boss and you’re approving copy...this is one of the most important lessons to evaluate good copy: Always sell a big idea.
The big idea means taking a concept out of your head and planting it into the mind of your reader.
The big idea signals THE ONE big virtue of using a product. And wins people's brains, hearts and wallets, resulting in a sales boom. That's why it's called BIG idea.
[If you're struggling to write web copy that clarifies what's your BIG IDEA, check my new side project Copy Ipsum - a landing page template that shows you how to write unignorable web copy.]
P.S. Takeaways for your business:
1. To recognize a big idea, when you’re evaluating copy think like ad legend David Ogilvy. Ask yourself five questions:
Did it make me gasp when I first saw it?
Do I wish I had thought of it myself?
Is it unique?
Does it fit the strategy to perfection?
Could it be used for 30 years?”
2. Your big idea should communicate one thing and one thing only. No matter what medium you choose to communicate. Whether it's TV, print, social media, google ads, or even a landing page. For example, if your big idea is to say a certain ice cream is healthy and therefore guilt-free too, don’t also say it’s cheap.
Examples of Big Ideas in advertising:
Levy's Rye Bread: You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's.
Avis Rent A Car: "Avis is only No2 in rent a cars. So we try harder."
Castrol: "It's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering."
New York Lottery: “What will you think about when you don't have to think about money?”
Your pal,
Miguel Ferreira
Founder & Chief Copywriter, Teardwn + Nishi + Jack Had A Groove FM + Copy Ipsum
(Good copywriting that helps you sell more this year than last. Work with me).
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