Comments on: Creating a Common Enemy http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/ Ryan Healy on Copywriting, Advertising & Business Growth Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:18:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Ryan M. Healy http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-503 Ryan M. Healy Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:26:41 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-503 Anthony - I guess the question becomes: "Do you (or your client) genuinely believe there is a common enemy, or are you merely fabricating one to suit your purposes?" For instance, if I were writing about health, the common enemy would be the FDA, drug companies, and major food corporations like Monsanto. I really believe they are the enemy, and I feel passionately about it. I would not be compromising my values at all to introduce this common enemy in my copy. If, on the other hand, I invented some "straw enemy" merely for persuasive purposes, that would be ethically questionable. Anthony – I guess the question becomes: “Do you (or your client) genuinely believe there is a common enemy, or are you merely fabricating one to suit your purposes?”

For instance, if I were writing about health, the common enemy would be the FDA, drug companies, and major food corporations like Monsanto. I really believe they are the enemy, and I feel passionately about it. I would not be compromising my values at all to introduce this common enemy in my copy.

If, on the other hand, I invented some “straw enemy” merely for persuasive purposes, that would be ethically questionable.

]]> By: Ryan M. Healy http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-13623 Ryan M. Healy Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:26:00 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-13623 Anthony - I guess the question becomes: "Do you (or your client) genuinely believe there is a common enemy, or are you merely fabricating one to suit your purposes?" For instance, if I were writing about health, the common enemy would be the FDA, drug companies, and major food corporations like Monsanto. I really believe they are the enemy, and I feel passionately about it. I would not be compromising my values at all to introduce this common enemy in my copy. If, on the other hand, I invented some "straw enemy" merely for persuasive purposes, that would be ethically questionable. Anthony – I guess the question becomes: “Do you (or your client) genuinely believe there is a common enemy, or are you merely fabricating one to suit your purposes?”

For instance, if I were writing about health, the common enemy would be the FDA, drug companies, and major food corporations like Monsanto. I really believe they are the enemy, and I feel passionately about it. I would not be compromising my values at all to introduce this common enemy in my copy.

If, on the other hand, I invented some “straw enemy” merely for persuasive purposes, that would be ethically questionable.

]]> By: anthony http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-482 anthony Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:56:59 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-482 some would say -- yet another way to "manipulate" people. this is what popped into my mind as I scan through this post. I am in no position to judge this article yet, though. I have yet to reread it entirely. What I'm saying right now are my initial reactions. Anyways, thanks for sharing these ideas. God bless you! some would say — yet another way to “manipulate” people.

this is what popped into my mind as I scan through this post. I am in no position to judge this article yet, though. I have yet to reread it entirely. What I’m saying right now are my initial reactions.

Anyways, thanks for sharing these ideas. God bless you!

]]> By: anthony http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-13622 anthony Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:56:00 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-13622 some would say -- yet another way to "manipulate" people. this is what popped into my mind as I scan through this post. I am in no position to judge this article yet, though. I have yet to reread it entirely. What I'm saying right now are my initial reactions. Anyways, thanks for sharing these ideas. God bless you! some would say — yet another way to “manipulate” people.

this is what popped into my mind as I scan through this post. I am in no position to judge this article yet, though. I have yet to reread it entirely. What I’m saying right now are my initial reactions.

Anyways, thanks for sharing these ideas. God bless you!

]]> By: Ryan M. Healy http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-452 Ryan M. Healy Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:26:11 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-452 Charlotte, Kevin, Robert - Thank you for your comments and adding to the discussion. I appreciate you. Zach - Glad you like the site! Charlotte asks: "Or do we do the best we can for our customers and let the consumers beware?" My point of view: I'm a hired gun. I do the best I can to get the sale without doing anything that would compromise my values. This is often not as easy as it sounds. There are so many gray areas. While I'm doing the best I can to produce a sale, it's the consumer's role to do the best he can to protect his wallet. As a copywriter, it is not my job to defend his wallet for him. If that were my job, I'd be writing for Consumer Reports. Charlotte, Kevin, Robert – Thank you for your comments and adding to the discussion. I appreciate you.

Zach – Glad you like the site!

Charlotte asks: “Or do we do the best we can for our customers and let the consumers beware?”

My point of view: I’m a hired gun. I do the best I can to get the sale without doing anything that would compromise my values. This is often not as easy as it sounds. There are so many gray areas.

While I’m doing the best I can to produce a sale, it’s the consumer’s role to do the best he can to protect his wallet. As a copywriter, it is not my job to defend his wallet for him. If that were my job, I’d be writing for Consumer Reports.

]]> By: Ryan M. Healy http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-13621 Ryan M. Healy Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:26:00 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-13621 Charlotte, Kevin, Robert - Thank you for your comments and adding to the discussion. I appreciate you. Zach - Glad you like the site! Charlotte asks: "Or do we do the best we can for our customers and let the consumers beware?" My point of view: I'm a hired gun. I do the best I can to get the sale without doing anything that would compromise my values. This is often not as easy as it sounds. There are so many gray areas. While I'm doing the best I can to produce a sale, it's the consumer's role to do the best he can to protect his wallet. As a copywriter, it is not my job to defend his wallet for him. If that were my job, I'd be writing for Consumer Reports. Charlotte, Kevin, Robert – Thank you for your comments and adding to the discussion. I appreciate you.

Zach – Glad you like the site!

Charlotte asks: “Or do we do the best we can for our customers and let the consumers beware?”

My point of view: I’m a hired gun. I do the best I can to get the sale without doing anything that would compromise my values. This is often not as easy as it sounds. There are so many gray areas.

While I’m doing the best I can to produce a sale, it’s the consumer’s role to do the best he can to protect his wallet. As a copywriter, it is not my job to defend his wallet for him. If that were my job, I’d be writing for Consumer Reports.

]]> By: Robert Phillips http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-13619 Robert Phillips Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:17:00 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-13619 That is a great idea for transforming the "reader vs writer...what's this guy trying to sell me" mentality into "us vs them" where you are suddenly a good guy who shares a common purpose with the reader to beat the "common enemy" & then proceed to sell them the solution. I like it. And your point about people not wanting to take personal responsibility for anything is right on too. That is a great idea for transforming the “reader vs writer…what’s this guy trying to sell me” mentality into “us vs them” where you are suddenly a good guy who shares a common purpose with the reader to beat the “common enemy” & then proceed to sell them the solution. I like it. And your point about people not wanting to take personal responsibility for anything is right on too.

]]> By: Zachary Romero http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-439 Zachary Romero Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:25:41 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-439 Hey Ryan, Nice site. Looks pretty cool. Z. Hey Ryan,

Nice site. Looks pretty cool.

Z.

]]> By: Zachary Romero http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-13620 Zachary Romero Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:25:00 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-13620 Hey Ryan, Nice site. Looks pretty cool. Z. Hey Ryan,

Nice site. Looks pretty cool.

Z.

]]> By: Robert Phillips http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/comment-page-1/#comment-433 Robert Phillips Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:17:19 +0000 http://www.ryanhealy.com/creating-a-common-enemy/#comment-433 That is a great idea for transforming the "reader vs writer...what's this guy trying to sell me" mentality into "us vs them" where you are suddenly a good guy who shares a common purpose with the reader to beat the "common enemy" & then proceed to sell them the solution. I like it. And your point about people not wanting to take personal responsibility for anything is right on too. That is a great idea for transforming the “reader vs writer…what’s this guy trying to sell me” mentality into “us vs them” where you are suddenly a good guy who shares a common purpose with the reader to beat the “common enemy” & then proceed to sell them the solution. I like it. And your point about people not wanting to take personal responsibility for anything is right on too.

]]>