How do you recognise a health sector copywriter?
If I was given a briefing on a project the purpose of which was to market the best raspberry juice on the planet, my very first questions would be: Which peer-reviewed scientific study shows the superiority of the juice? Which indicators were used when specifying superiority? What was the p-value? What about the hazard ratio?
Firstly, I think, the imaginary person giving the briefing would throw coffee on my face three times, only in his imagination, of course. Secondly, he would smile nicely and ask if I had already noticed what a fine door they have for an exit. Yup, no more hints needed, I’d know my cue to leave.
However, the fastidious copywriter has several sides to herself. There is a place for castles in the air once the background work has been done thoroughly.
The transformation process of a copywriter throughout the marketing project
1. Diver
Once the copywriter has received an assignment and an information package also known as the briefing, she puts on swim fins and dives deep into the subject matter. The objective is to build a precise understanding on the therapy area and target groups as well as the characteristics of the product. It is surprising how thoroughly the copywriter has to know the subject matter in order to be able to write just a couple of lines about it. This is why comments such as ”It’s only a simple direct mail piece, just start writing already!” make the copywriter’s swimming goggles go all foggy.
Tools: empathy, curiosity, internet, interviews with people with hands-on experience.
Be mindful: If you see a copywriter carrying a huge roll of paper towel, it’s better not to say anything. Background work often requires even watching patient testimonials on YouTube and that is something you cannot handle with only one sheet of tissue.
2. Dreamer
Background work’s done, swimming goggles are off. Now it’s time to fly all the way up to the clouds and imagine something world has never seen before. In this phase of the project the copywriter needs an AD dreamer by her side. A good message not only needs words that evoke emotion but also a unique look. Either one of the two dreamers can give birth to a creative idea but the final outcome is always a result of teamwork between a copywriter and a visual designer.
Tools: A jungle knife for cutting off unnecessary branches in the shrubbery of ideas. A paper bin for a couple of bad ideas and numerous good ones. A paper shredder is not recommended, it is easier to take a second look if the bad ideas have only been binned.
Be mindful: A copywriter struggling in the state of creative pain is not always a beautiful sight. But once she has passed the ”This is trash” phase and is very much living the ”I am trash” phase, the only way to go is up, up, up.
3. Bore
Say hello to the nitpicker. Once the ideas have caught fire and the creative work has been done, the bore is the one who drags the dreamer back to earth. Now there’s a person who is passionate about refining details! She reviews and makes amendments, glances at the pharma industry Code of Ethics and makes a great fuss about n-dashes and commas just to spare everyone from the embarrassment of spotting an error. She sees that the references are in the correct order, that is chronologically listed. Sometimes she even wakes up in the middle of the night just to realize one of the draft version references is missing superscript.
Tools: Two computer screens, five hands, three hundred seventy cups of coffee. Shortcut to the webpage of the Institute for the Languages of Finland.
Be mindful: The bore may curse if she notices incorrect or missing references when checking the print-ready drafts. Foul language is guaranteed if she herself is to blame for the errors.
Copywriter’s form of existance in the free time: mobile library
A health sector copywriter after 5 pm, now she’s the one who you really need psychological flexibility with. This mobile library of a person is packed full with all kinds of health information. Sounds good, right? Think again. She sprays her closest ones with various random facts related to different illnesses; it can be a burden.
Tools: Head like a mongoose popping up to check their surroundings, an index finger always ready to be raised for an interruption. Various phrases such as ”Go see the doctor, you might have ___” or ”You should really have your ___ level checked.” Or, ”Actually, this vitamin is to be taken ___ times a day.”
Be mindful: If the mobile library stops beside you without asking, change the subject or ”hurry to your yoga class”. Should she, however, provide you with information that you later on hear also from the doctor himself, it is only fair to fuel up the mobile library with a cup of coffee and something sweet with it.
Karpalo’s professional copywriters are at your service!
Hiring a health sector copywriter means you get several sympathetic characters in just one package. The communicators at Karpalo come from various different backgrounds: among us we have experienced concept designers and communications professionals, people with first-hand experience with pharma products, pharmacy professionals, linguistics graduates, poets even and just about everything in between. Characteristic to all of us is the will to create good and functional health communication that benefits the target group and gets noticed by them.
At Karpalo, all employees including copywriters and communication managers have passed a test on the Code of Ethics for marketing of medicinal products. And, with our extensive experience, these regulations have become an essential part of our backbone.
Whether you need corporate or product communication for a physician, a layman or a director, Karpalo knows how to do it right. If you like a functional and reliable feel to your marketing, get in touch – we’re already preparing our swim fins!
Text: Johanna Kuusela
