What makes one advertising campaign more successful than another? According to Michael Goodman, it's the copy.

"It actually makes advertising work and allows it to accomplish real objectives in the real world. It is the great equalizer between large and small companies—the one that can enable a small company to make an impact that companies 100 times its size would envy."

The advertising creative product is called, "copy" and it includes the words, the pictures or graphics, even the layout and format. Copy in this sense is the creative expression of a brand promise.

Your copy is more important than your media selection. "If you have a compelling message, expressed in a compelling way, all your other spending will have a multiplier effect that you couldn't possibly match just by throwing more money into advertising," says Goodman.

If you're working with an outside agency or a freelance copywriter, spend time on your creative brief. It provides guidance to the writers and designers about what you want the ad to do, who you want the ad to reach and how you will determine whether the ad achieves your goal for it or not. It also helps you compare the proposed ad to your requirements so you're certain the advertising will deliver what you desire.

The Po!nt: "It's worth spending whatever it takes to get great copy, even if it means spending less on the media buy," claims Michael Goodman. Think about this before starting your next campaign.

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