THE FACT SHEET: • You have to focus on the organization we’ve identified and the content of the advertising we would create for them. You’ve read the variety of sources you found, and you need content from any of those that might be in the advertising. • We’re trying to create facts for an organization that doesn’t exist yet, and ‘borrowing’ from similar sources. So none of the facts in your fact sheet are about those entities you found, but facts from them and what they do that fit what we expect this new local entity to do. • When you hand me, as a copywriter, that fact sheet and proposed organization name, I should be able to create a new ad for them based on your facts, having read none of your actual sources, but instead based solely on the list of facts you’ve provided to me. Your assignment: First, as described last week, create a Fact Sheet following guidelines of the linked reading and based on your first research, and submit it here by Friday.
• Start by making a single line, left to right, in which you propose three different names of the entity as we have described them, that we would be proposing advertising for. List them in order 1-2-3 of what you think are the best to least best options. Like: 1-Willie’s Millies, 2-Mad Kats & Bats, 3-The Elegant Chameleon. (made up names that have nothing to do with our client ideas) • Follow that with a solid Fact Sheet that you will use next to start creating advertising based upon. See the provided link about Fact Sheets. Imagine someone you don’t know and can’t talk with reading your Fact Sheet as a guide for creating advertising for the client. A copywriter / ad creator should be able to use your Fact Sheet as a foundation for creating ads, and have all the information there that he/she needs. All the relevant facts they would need to know must be on the Fact Sheet. It can only be one page, but must be a page full of really good, complete information. **It must be based on the 10+ good sources you have listed and discussed in an Annotated Bibliography you submitted.** Everything in the Fact Sheet must be based on one of the sources in the final Annotated Bibliography you submit. • Due by Friday 11/11 as a .doc/.docx or .pdf attachment named YourLastName Fact Sheet. • Make sure it’s your final publish when you submit it and that the top line of the page has your name listed. THEN THIS WEEK, once you’re through with the Fact Sheet… • You will next create a Billboard Ad for the client, using Photoshop if you already know how to use it and have access to the software, or in Canva if not. You must create your own Canva account. Not due this week, but start now–see below. • Watch the Photoshop and Canva tutorials listed for last week.
• This week’s directions say to watch How to Create a Billboard Ad in Photoshop. Then also look through this. • Start your creation by sketching out a speculative billboard ad on paper. Turn a standard sheet of typing paper sideways (landscape view) and use the space as if it’s a full billboard you would see along the highway. Take pictures of each of your efforts and label them by number in the order they were created. Name each picture YourLastName Spec 1, YourLastName Spec2, etc. Go back and watch Can You Learn to Be Creative. Do some brainstorming. Get some friends to be your audience, review Doing a Pitch, and pitch your creative plans to your friends. How are your ideas working? • Only the final Fact Sheet is due for submission this week, but upload any rough publishs, billboard ad sketches etc. related to initial planning for the billboard ad, also to this week’s folder–be sure each attachment is named correctly: YourLastName WhatItIs. • As noted in the email sent to the class on Thurs. 11/3, and Friday 11/4, we’re assigning starting work then giving you several days to do it. When you get finished with your Fact Sheet you should move on and start working through this, to allow good project work developments in the coming weeks.
• It’s hard to move through all these steps when it’s new to you, based on having a client that has no history, and based on not enough time and experience to develop a proper Marketing Plan and Marketing Strategy at this point. But we’ll work through a bit of this as best we can in the coming week, in a manageable way. In recognition of that, as you create your speculative billboard ad sketches, come up with a catchy, simple slogan for the client, to go along with what you think is your best proposed client name. This is speculative, so it may change by the time you get to the final publish. • We don’t have contact facts since we’re creating content for a new client, so use 409-555-1212 as the client’s contact phone number, and GT-DisasterHelp.com as the web address, as the client’s contact web site.
