Task 1. Read and translate the text.

Headlines

When it comes to designing marketing materials, we always think images attract more attention than words. Not always. A well-written headline can be just as effective at luring the reader’s eye as a well-selected visual. Unfortunately, lots of design briefs include lazy headlines that fail to inspire. Obviously, people won’t read publicity that doesn’t shout for their attention.

The headline is the most important verbal element in a print advertisement because it is the principal statement of benefit or promise in an ad. Readers often decide whether to read an ad based on a headline.

The headline has a very specific job: to gain the reader’s attention. Most readers of newspapers and magazines are not looking for your advertisement, so it must find them. There are several techniques for grabbing the reader’s attention:

· Promise a benefit (a whiter wash, freedom from pimples).

· Inject news into your headline, such as the announcement of a new product.

e.g. “Why Ultra Pampers is Officially Accepted by These Experts.”

· Provide helpful information.

· Put your brand name in the headline.

· Flag your audience with words such as “asthma suffers”, or “women over 35”.

· Be specific about your offer.

Types of headlines.An important principle for advertising in general is that people respond to things that are in their best interest or self-interest. One way to trigger a reader’s self-interest is through the use of a benefit headline.A benefit headline promises the consumer something personally rewarding in return for buying the product. This reward or benefit should be presented in an interesting manner.

The news headlineplays to people natural inquisitiveness and promises the reader that he’ll find important information reading the ad. Many news headlines starts with the words “How to…”, and the rest of the advertisement tells the reader how to do or get or experience something new.

The curiosity headlineuses an intriguing question or a creative play on words to cause the reader’s curiosity. This type of headline acts as a “hook” to pull readers into the body copy, where the product benefits and details are provided. For this reason curiosity headlines must be very well done in order to be effective.

The following types of headlines are used not very often. Thequestion headline is a version of the curiosity headline, so it asks a provocative question to get the reader to read on. The risk is that if the writer is not careful, the reader could answer the question in negative and not read on. Thus, the writer will lose a potential customer.

The selective headlineattracts the reader who has a particular problem. These headlines must be very direct in their approach to readers. For example, advertisement for the product Cortaid has the simple but direct headline, “Allergic Rush: Cortaid Helps Cure It”. If the reader has this problem such selective headline will get him or her to read the advertisement.

The command headlinejust commands the reader to do something. The command headline can be used with emotion, fear, or humor to motivate readers to find out more why they are ordered to act. For example, a headline for an ad from the U.S. Armed Forces has this command headline: “If You Never Thought Of Your Child As The Military Type, Think Again.”

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 862