Monday 1 September 2014

In the midst of Advertising wilderness...


From blown-up content writing (to what seems like forever), recently I had the chance to take a creative detour very much within my professional framework. Well, up till last month for less than a year, I had my short stint in the amazing, most complex world of Advertising.

I must say that short span did spin me around, professionally as well as personally, like a good million times. And I should definitely agree that those spins have helped me root deeper and thorough in my chosen field of profession. Which would be writing, to be precise!

Frankly, in more ways than one this short stint at the ad agency I was working with kinda reconstructed and rebuilt my very foundations of content writing. Like, there's this whole deep and wide plunge out there in the universe as to why Copywriting is different than Content writing and how the two seemingly related fields are vastly poles apart. But really, I think, there is so much of correlation between the two and that one can truly gain from the best of both these two worlds (or words).

Fortunately, I was in a position where I had to pretty much self-teach myself about the basics and nuances of copywriting. My situation was as good as a commoner pushed into the MMA ring without any combating skills! But I don't blame anyone. I had voluntarily opted for it. So I just guessed it was my own battle to upgrade my copywriting skills, all by myself.

And I can say that I fairly did a good job for a self-taught and learnt-by-experience copywriter within a short period. Until, someone with over 50 years of experience in the field of advertising came onboard. Though his tutelage lasted only a few days, Mr. Avinash Gokhale enlightened me with many underlying truths and understandings of the Ad field that one only gains by experience. Working under him was mostly eye-opening. Yet, his parting words are something I shall never forget.

A Lion met a Tiger  
as they drank beside the pool.  
Said the Tiger to the Lion, 
"Why do you roar like a fool?"  

"That's not foolish," said the Lion,  
With a twinkle in his eyes,  
"They call me the king of beasts, 
Because I advertise!"  

A Rabbit heard them talking, 
And ran home like a streak.
He thought he'd try the Lion's plan,
But his roar was just as sqeak.

A Fox then heard the Rabbit. 
He had dinner in the woods.
So when you advertise, my friends,
Be sure you've got the goods!

Wonderful, aren't the lines. Written by someone unknown...

I have moved past the copywriting/ advertising phase in my career and have understood that before I step back into this wild wilderness I will have to better equip myself this time.

But, no matter what I do, no matter what anybody else pursues in life - selling remains a big chunk of almost everyone's career. Aren't we now all just trying to sell something to someone, albeit in different formats, different deliverables, across different media?

Selling products, knowledge, emotions, even sometimes self (like when you're interviewing) over print, via digital or the good 'ol way, personally!