Neil Hedley - Copywriting 101--What Was That Number Again?: Crimes Against Advertising, and How to Prevent Them

When it was first conceived in 2011, What Was That Number Again was intended to be a 150-page business card. I was considering the idea of taking on a limited number of clients as a consultant and copywriter but wanted to have a vision statement of sorts, so that prospective creative partners would have a clear picture of my thought processes, my philosophies and, by extension, my expectations.

What ended up happening instead was that my business card became a #1 Bestseller. A series of invitations followed to speak in front of Chambers of Commerce, as did media appearances as one of those talking heads that gets to weigh in on things like SuperBowl commercials, and a rewarding experience that allowed me to create the curriculum for a post-graduate writing program at one of the most highly respected college programs for radio broadcasting in North America.

As the tenth anniversary of the originals release approached, I learned that it was still being carried in some college libraries, and even remained on the reading list in a few others. Just as I couldnt envision allowing the same script to run in a radio commercial for ten years, I decided the content of the book could use a touch-up.

However, as I looked through the pages of the first edition and thought about how many things had changed, I was struck by how many things have also stayed the same. The principles outlined in the first edition of the book are still as sound and as relevant as when they were originally conceived. The legends of the industry are still legendary. And people still buy stuff for the same reasons they always have.

One thing that has exploded in the ten years since I wrote the first edition is that there seem to be more voices than ever, screaming for our attention. Attention is currency. Its why we use the expression, pay attention. Attention is a finite resource; perhaps thats why in many circles it is coveted even more than cash. The pursuit of attention, in its most egregious forms, is why people spend money they dont have on things they dont need and cant afford, in order to get more likes (more attention) on social media. Its why the effort to attract attention leads to people saying and doing things that just seem to get crazier and crazier, even in the face of irrefutable proof of the contrary.

Sadly, however, the explosion of media platforms has meant that virtually everyone has access to the bullhorn, while an ever-shrinking percentage of people have truly taken the time to make deliberate choices about what to do with it based on sound judgment and enduring principles.

One of the most glaringly obvious examples of this phenomenon is so pervasive that its hard to escape: There was a time when, in order to get a job with a news outlet - whether in print, radio, television or otherwise - you had to go to journalism school. Now, it sometimes feels like good looks will get you on TV faster than good grades, and if you lack the credibility to work at a major news outlet, you can simply start your own news channel online, or start your own news website simply by writing a pile of crazy garbage, stamping the word news on it, and wait for fellow crazies to come flocking.

To put it less delicately: More bullhorns equals exponentially more bullshit. In the current media landscape, quality seems inversely proportional to quantity.

The same is true in the advertising world, where people are writing things - and actually having the gall to sell those things - without having a clue what theyre doing.

You paid for this book. (Well, I hope you did. Three-year-olds dont pay for their own groceries.) You paid money, youre spending time and youre paying attention.

Ill do my best over these pages to respect all three expenditures and give your attention the honor it deserves.