Copy Diagnosis

Copy Diagnosis

Evaluate marketing copy against Ogilvy's principles to identify what's working, what's failing, and how to make it sell.

When to Use

• Reviewing ad copy, landing pages, emails, or sales materials
• Diagnosing why marketing content isn't converting
• Improving existing copy before publishing
• Training writers on effective copywriting principles
• User asks "Review this copy" or "What's wrong with this ad?"

Inputs

Ogilvy's Copy Principles

The Purpose of Advertising

"I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. When I write an advertisement, I don't want you to tell me that you find it 'creative.' I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product."

The only question that matters: Does it sell?

Respect the Consumer

"The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid adjectives will persuade her to buy anything."

The Cardinal Sins of Copy

1. Boring the Reader "You cannot bore people into buying your product; you can only interest them in buying it."

2. Talking to Yourself Copy that impresses the writer rather than serving the reader.

3. Vapid Adjectives "Amazing," "incredible," "revolutionary" - without proof, they mean nothing.

4. Lack of Specifics Generalities are forgettable. Facts, numbers, and concrete details persuade.

5. Cleverness Over Clarity Puns, wordplay, and tricks that obscure the message.

6. Entertainment Without Selling Amusing the reader while failing to give them a reason to buy.

The Copy Diagnostic Framework

1. The Sell Check

• Is there a clear product/service?
• Is there a clear benefit?
• Is there a call to action?
• Is there a reason to act now?

2. The Respect Check

• Does it treat the reader as intelligent?
• Does it provide real information?
• Does it avoid condescension?
• Does it avoid hype without substance?

3. The Specificity Check

• Are there concrete facts?
• Are there numbers?
• Are there examples?
• Are there proof points?

4. The Clarity Check

• Is the meaning immediately clear?
• Is it free of jargon?
• Is it free of tricks and puns?
• Can it be understood on first read?

5. The Interest Check

• Does it engage from the first line?
• Does it maintain interest throughout?
• Does it avoid boredom?
• Would YOU read this if you saw it?

Workflow

Step 1: Gather and Review Inputs

Collect all relevant information:

• Review the provided data and context
• Identify key parameters and constraints
• Clarify any ambiguities or missing information
• Establish success criteria

Step 2: Analyze the Situation

Perform systematic analysis:

• Identify patterns and relationships
• Evaluate against established frameworks
• Consider multiple perspectives
• Document key findings

Step 3: Generate Recommendations

Create actionable outputs:

• Synthesize insights from analysis
• Prioritize recommendations by impact
• Ensure recommendations are specific and measurable
• Consider implementation feasibility

Output Format

## Copy Diagnosis

### The Copy
[Quote or summary of the copy being evaluated]

### The Product
[What's being sold]

### Overall Verdict: [SELLS / ENTERTAINS / BORES / CONFUSES]

### Diagnostic Checklist

**Sell Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Clear product | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Clear benefit | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Call to action | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Urgency/reason to act | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Respect Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Treats reader as intelligent | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Provides real information | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Avoids condescension | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Substance over hype | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Specificity Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Concrete facts | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Numbers | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Examples | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Proof points | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Clarity Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Immediately clear | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Jargon-free | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| No tricks/puns | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| First-read comprehension | Yes/No | [Notes] |

**Interest Check**
| Element | Present? | Assessment |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Engaging opener | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Maintains interest | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Avoids boredom | Yes/No | [Notes] |
| Would you read this? | Yes/No | [Notes] |

### Primary Weaknesses
1. [Biggest problem]
2. [Second biggest problem]
3. [Third biggest problem]

### What's Working
[Anything that should be preserved]

### Recommended Revisions

**Fix 1:** [Specific change]
Before: [Original text]
After: [Revised text]

**Fix 2:** [Specific change]
Before: [Original text]
After: [Revised text]

**Fix 3:** [Specific change]
Before: [Original text]
After: [Revised text]

### The Ogilvy Verdict
[What Ogilvy would say about this copy]

Constraints

• Judge copy by whether it sells, not whether it's "creative"
• Always identify specific passages that succeed or fail
• Provide concrete rewrites, not just criticism
• Remember: specifics beat generalities, facts beat adjectives
• The reader's time is valuable - respect it

Outputs

Primary Output: A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.

Format:

## Analysis: [Topic]

### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]

### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]

Example output: See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.

Example

Input: Copy for a SaaS invoicing tool:

"Ready to revolutionize your billing?

InvoiceNinja is the game-changing solution that's disrupting how businesses think about payments. With our innovative platform, you'll experience a paradigm shift in financial operations.

Our cutting-edge technology leverages advanced algorithms to streamline your workflow and supercharge your productivity. Join thousands of forward-thinking companies who have already made the leap.

Try it free today!"

Output:

Copy Diagnosis

The Copy

SaaS invoicing tool landing page copy using "revolutionize," "game-changing," "disrupting," "paradigm shift," "cutting-edge," and "supercharge."

The Product

Invoicing software (InvoiceNinja)

Overall Verdict: BORES

This copy is a greatest hits album of meaningless buzzwords. It says absolutely nothing about what the product does, who it's for, or why anyone should care.

Diagnostic Checklist

Sell Check

Respect Check

Specificity Check

Clarity Check

Interest Check

Primary Weaknesses

1. Zero information - Nothing about what the product actually does
2. Buzzword soup - Every adjective is meaningless marketing speak
3. No specifics - No numbers, no proof, no examples

What's Working

• "Try it free" is clear
• Product name is mentioned
• Grammatically correct

Recommended Revisions

Fix 1: Replace buzzword opener with specific benefit Before: "Ready to revolutionize your billing?" After: "Create and send invoices in 2 minutes. Get paid twice as fast."

Fix 2: Replace buzzword paragraph with facts Before: "Our cutting-edge technology leverages advanced algorithms..." After: "InvoiceNinja automatically sends payment reminders, tracks who's paid, and deposits money to your account the same day. Works with Stripe, PayPal, and 50+ payment methods."

Fix 3: Replace vague social proof with specific Before: "Join thousands of forward-thinking companies..." After: "Used by 47,000 businesses who've processed $2.3 billion in invoices. Average customer gets paid 14 days faster."

The Ogilvy Verdict

You've written an advertisement that could be for any product in any industry. Remove "billing" and "InvoiceNinja" and this copy could sell project management software, CRM, or weight loss pills. That's the sign of failure.

The consumer isn't a moron. She knows "revolutionize" and "paradigm shift" are empty words. She wants to know: Will this help me send invoices faster? Will I get paid sooner? How much does it cost? What do I have to learn?

Stop trying to impress her with your vocabulary. Start informing her with your facts. Tell her what the product DOES. Give her numbers. Show her proof. Treat her like an intelligent adult who has a real problem to solve.

Facts are more persuasive than adjectives. Always.

Integration

This skill is part of the David Ogilvy expert persona. Use it to strip the fluff and find the sell.