There are no writers in Advertising anymore. Johnny who can't write has gone into advertising.

12 years ago

"Words are hard." LOL

I am very afraid for the generation following my own. The large majority cannot write, and therefore cannot express themselves...get a project off the ground...sell their ideas. Fortunately about one in ten can. They will be the leaders because of this.

This article explains how agencies have become "handshake facilitators"...who then must outsource the work. So does that mean the business model has changed, and writers are best positioned as independent craftspeople? Or will there be a snap-back and the agencies will be reacting by hiring writers back onto the payroll? What do you think?

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Steve The Copywriter

12 years ago

...in a twist it's a good thing, we'll never be able to retire, and start playing golf.

I'm hopeless at sport.

Steve

P.S. I'll be the one wandering about with a zimmer frame with a notebook* attachment scribbling words...

* that'll be pen and paper not a computer (it'll topple over) so can we just send letters to post on the forum? (I'll get sexy Sasha my nurse to lick the stamp)

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BrianMcLeod

12 years ago

Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi

Michael Wolff: What ad biz needs are writers

$1,000,000 in free advertising up for grabs to the big swinging pens of the CW section...

Start writing, gang.

B

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Jeremey 12 years ago

Geez, I can't tell if the point the writer is trying to make is "copywriters are rare because advertising doesn't need them anymore - Words are dead!" or "Because good copywriters are rare, the industry has evolved to use different techniques to market to consumers." Either way it sounds pretty down on the profession. Kind of like saying "In the future, there will be no salespeople. Consumers will simply look at products and decide what they want to buy." But a good setup for their contest anyway.
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Mr. Subtle 12 years ago

Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod

$1,000,000 in free advertising up for grabs to the big swinging pens of the CW section...
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- BrianMcLeod 12 years ago
  
  I'm always happy to see ya, Subtle.
  
  Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle
  
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  NickN 12 years ago
  
  I hate when Mr. Subtle posts those pictures. I hate it because I turn lime green with jealousy.
  
  He's throwing together Da Vinci-esque masterpieces for shits and giggles, while I'm barely drawing decent stick figures in Microsoft Paint.
  
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MojoMatt

12 years ago

Oh, this is just silly clickbait. All I have to do is turn on my television or head over to AdWeek and I'll find amazing examples of brilliant writers, storytellers, and other artists across the world working in advertising every day.

The average business has never employed good writers. The same for the average agency, or folks looking to make a quick buck. Average exists in every field. It's easy to forget that when a lot of discussion in other WF boards focuses on "Make EASY, FAST Money Online!" but there are still giants working in the world today, and the craft is far from dead. If anything, current search algorithm update trends are making good writing more valuable.

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The Copy Nazi Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by MojoMatt

If anything, current search algorithm update trends are making good writing more valuable.

You're confusing content writing with copywriting. HUGE difference.
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gdbear65

12 years ago

IDK - IMO few average people write well these days. As for copywriting, I agree that it is a dying skill. Though I don't have specific examples, more and more, I am noticing poor grammar, punctuation and spelling in advertising and other corporate literature. By no means I am an expert; these mistakes are easy to spot by anyone who has good language skills.

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DavidG

12 years ago

I think I'll just create my own ad agency and kill these guys with a little Schwartz.

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angiecolee 12 years ago

Originally Posted by DavidG

I think I'll just create my own ad agency and kill these guys with a little Schwartz.

I see your Schwartz is as big as mine...

Like this? 'Cause that'd be awesome.
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- DavidG 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by angiecolee
  
  I see your Schwartz is as big as mine...
  
  Like this? 'Cause that'd be awesome.
  
  Nice find!
  
  On another note, here's something I found interesting in the article...
  
  "We just don't look at advertising, respond to it, or believe it, as much as we once did, wherever it appears."
  
  I think there are 2 reasons for this...
  
  1.They are overlooking PROOF. MOST of their type of advertising is built on making a brand, or a benefit with something clever, but no proof anywhere.
  
  I think that's why our BS meters get higher and higher... we can easily spot cleverness and call BS right away.
  
  If there's proof, then there's belief and more than likely somebody will respond.
  
  2. I think there're TOO MANY niches to make a brand...
  
  Back in the day if you offered me an all around Vitamin Supplement or a Weight Loss Diet - I'd buy.
  
  And you could've easily made a complete brand out of it...
  
  Now, if you try to do that you'll probably lose a shirt. Instead you'll find people who are interested only in Vitamin D supplements... or Low Glycemic Weight Loss diets...
  
  Niches are splitting up constantly...
  
  And because of this... you need a lot more research and more testing to sharpen that niche... which is exactly what they won't do. And why their type of advertising is painfully dying.
  
  That's why I personally believe Direct Response is going to take a bigger role in the future...
  
  Maybe I'm just going crazy, but I laughed at most of the complaints in that article...
  
  Not because he's wrong, but because it's exactly what copywriters in direct response are suppose to learn if they want to make any serious money.
  
  edit...
  
  Hmmm, come to think of it, I'll take that back Angie.
  
  I think I'll go make a DIRECT response agency and kill these guys with a little proof.
  
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Rich7

12 years ago

Seems appropriate that the headline isn't grammatical:

"What ad biz needs are writers"

Maybe the 'writer' of the headline was thinking, "Well writers is plural isn't it? So it's are not is."

Rather than: ad biz - It needs writers - What the ad biz needs is writers.

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DavidG

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Proof is bullshit. Bullshit is proof.

That's all you know and all you need to know.

Proof is the appearance of logic used to elicit an emotional response.

I agree... I guess I didn't explain myself quite well.

So what about TYPES of proof?...what's your take on that?

Like a live testimonial from Tiger Woods saying that your product helped him as a golfer...

Or before and after demonstrations of somebody losing weight because of your awesome book?

Or a guarantee that says you can return the vitamin bottle back empty and still get a refund if you aren't 100 pounds lighter?

Track records and Mechanisms...

I could see how this conveys logic... but why to the extent of bull shit?

edit...

Maybe I'm confused by your response... and if that's the case, If you could explain a bit more I'd appreciate it.

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new2im

12 years ago

This is hog wash... this might be true for the big digital agency's but there are still many highly profitable DM agencies out there like Agora

It just seems like everyone wants something that looks cool.

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Mr. Subtle 12 years ago

Originally Posted by new2im

This is hog wash... this might be true for the big digital agency's but there are still many highly profitable DM agencies out there like Agora.

Net time read the OP's article first before posting. It was about advertising agencies and not about places like Agora, Bottom Line Publications, etc.
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Raydal

12 years ago

The death of writing huh?

I think that when the new and fresh thing doesn't last
then the tried and true will be returned to in a heart beat.

Good writing would never become unnecessary.

But great observations from the article.

-Ray Edwards

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There are no writers in Advertising anymore. Johnny who can't write has gone into advertising.

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