How To Write A Single-Minded Proposition: Five insights on advertising's most difficult sentence. Plus two new approaches.

by Howard Ibach

Overview

What is a single-minded proposition? If you know Nike, you know the answer: Just Do It. This is the iconic line known and loved by Nike users worldwide that began its life as a single-minded proposition on a creative brief. Most SMPs don't become this famous. That's because they are exceedingly hard to write. But when they're done well, sometimes they reach this exalted status.

From the author of the critically acclaimed How To Write An Inspired Creative Brief 2nd edition comes a new critically acclaimed graphic text devoted exclusively to this small collection of words on the creative brief: How To Write A Single-Minded Proposition: Five insights on advertising's most difficult sentence. Plus two new approaches. 

In a step-by-step process, Howard demonstrates how five key ingredients on every creative brief work together to produce the single-minded proposition (SMP), the singular message that explains your brand's promise. He interviewed over 30 advertising and marketing professionals all over the globe for their thoughts on this one key line. Then he introduces you to two thought leaders who offer alternative ideas on where the creative brief can go.

This neat package of thought-provoking ideas, easy-to-do practical exercises, and fun graphics fit together in a concise and compelling 100 pages. A quick read that you'll return to regularly for its clear explanations and valuable examples.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780578778822
Publisher:	Howard Ibach
Publication date:	05/04/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	110
Sales rank:	825,642
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Howard Ibach is the author of the critically acclaimed graphic textbook How To Write An Inspired Creative Brief, 2nd edition, which is ranked No. 1 on About.com's "10 Advertising Books You Absolutely Must Read." He joined the faculty of the Association of National Advertisers' School of Marketing in January 2017, and travels the country leading workshops that provoke client-side marketers with his radically sane insights on the Creative Brief. He was an award-winning advertising copywriter and creative director for 26 years. His specialties were long-form direct response and radio. He worked for legacy shops Ogilvy One, DDB Direct, Wunderman, J. Walter Thompson, and Team One, among many others. Howard earned his BA from the University of Tampa and an AM from Brown University. He is an essayist, college educator and public speaker. He volunteers at InsideOUT Writers, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering incarcerated youth. He lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1. Why I wrote this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2. A hard question, a simple answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Section I: Where we are

3. What, exactly, is a “single-minded proposition”

anyway? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

4. Where does the single-minded proposition

come from? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

5. The point of the communication: objectives . . . . . . . 32

6. The benefits of product benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

7. What’s in it for me? A different path to the SMP . . . . 44

8. Eureka! The SMP inspired by an insight . . . . . . . . . . 50

9. An SMP is born from brand personality . . . . . . . . . . 58

10. Your target audience will show you the SMP.

Just ask! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

11. How to fix — or better yet avoid — a bad

single-minded proposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Section II: Where we can go

12. A proposition for an new proposition:

Feldwick and Saunders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Final thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

About the author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Editorial Reviews

Ibach's book should be required reading for all account people, strategists, and creatives.

It's the best, and briefest, book on briefs I've read.

-- Luke Sullivan, author, Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating

Great Advertising

Every junior account executive, and for that matter chief marketing offi cer, should be issued

this book day 1, before the HR paperwork.

-- Reid Holmes, Group Creative Director

Ogilvy/The Lacek Group

Minneapolis

Read this book and you never have to read another word about SMPs. Ever. It's all here.

And it's inspired.

-- Claire Hassid, Principal

Claire Hassid Brand Planning

Forest Hills, NY

A whole book on one sentence? One short sentence in most cases. Is this necessary? Yes.

Is it overkill? Not in the slightest.

-- Paul Suggett, Creative Director

Starz Entertainment

From the Publisher